Nature and culture - rm .coe. int/C

36
naturopa Nature and culture No. 102 / 2004 ENGLISH Sustainable spatial planning for nature, culture and landscape

Transcript of Nature and culture - rm .coe. int/C

naturopa

Nature

and

culture

No 102 2004ENGLISH

Sustainable spatial planning for nature culture and landscape

EditorialCulture nature and heritage I Opris 3

Shared viewsCulture from the viewpoint of nature HRH the Prince Consort of Denmark 4

Nature seen through culture M Serres 6

Nature culture and spirituality J-P Ribaut 7

Different approachesA fragile friendship K Ananitchev 8

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia M Kuleshova 9

In Spain M Ortega 10

Antagonism or complementarity in Norway A Moflag 11

Towards harmony between Anthropos and nature in Greece T Papayannis 12

Gardens and forests in Morocco M A Belrhiti 14

The Belgian draught horse a living piece of cultural and natural heritageE Goedleven 15

Town country and landscape planning D Sarlet 16

Viewpoints50 years of the Council of Europe Cultural Convention and Art Exhibitions 18

Technical cultureThe Council of Europe the new buildings 20

A high-quality environment is everyonersquos concern G Hedman 20

The role of the High Environmental Quality Controller H Gambier 20

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architects S Beckers I Zielonka 21

New premises for the European Directorate for the Qualityof Medicines (EDQM) 21

New General Purpose Building 22

Recognise the transition from nature to culture G E Andresen F Kristiansen 22

Conventions heritage and pedagogyThe European Landscape Convention synthesis of nature cultureand human rights E Buergi 24

The European Cultural Convention and nature R Alberotanza 26

Architectural and archaeological heritage P Drury 27

Built heritage natural heritage N Fojut 28

Landscape analysis in Italy M Ciumei 29

Teaching heritage in Sweden M Waldheacuten 30

Appreciating and evaluating a living heritage L Branchesi 31

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-border co-operationM Kneubuumlhler S Berti-Rossi M C Ronc 32

At the Council of Europe 34

naturopaN o 1 0 2 ndash 2 0 0 4

Chief EditorCatherine RothDirector of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage

Director of publicationMaguelonne Deacutejeant-PonsHead of DivisionSpatial Development and Landscape

Concept and editingChristian Meyerchristianmeyercoeint

Naturopa Network Bureau Jelka Pirkovic Chair of the Steering Committeefor Cultural Heritage (CDPAT)jelkapirkovicgovsi

Adriana BazChair of the Committee for theActivities of the Council of Europein the field of Biological and LandscapeDiversity (CO-DBP)bazmappmro

Maria-Jose FestasChair of the Committee of SeniorOfficials of the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for RegionalPlanning (CHF-Cemat)gabdgdgotdupt

LayoutEmmanuel Georges

PrinterBietlot ndash Gilly (Belgium)

Articles may be freely reprinted providedthat reference is made to the sourceand a copy sent to the Centre NaturopaThe copyright of all illustrationsis reserved

The opinions expressed in thispublication are those of the authorsand do not necessarily reflect the viewsof the Council of Europe

Since 1993 Naturopa has been printedon chlorine-free paper

copy Cover by F Zwardon Skopelos(Greece)Vignette 1 Cave painting in Norwayby F BruemmerBiosVignette 2 Fresco entitledldquoDolphinsrdquoby Klein-HubertBiosVignette 3 Mosaic of wild boar by Klein-HubertBios

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Earth water air ndash a trio of essential elements that determines human existenceand which is at the same time shaped by human activity The result of thisinteraction is the cultural landscape as part of our heritage Its two components ndashnature and culture ndash work together and lead to unique features Each generationadds new transformations producing changes in the balance of natural resourcesAnd it does it with the vanity of being unique and eternal

Over the last decades international bodies have promoted theories and methods thatasked for a more balanced approach to the cultural heritage and to the landscape itselfTerms such as ldquonew ecological orderrdquo ldquosustained ecologyrdquo ldquocultural landscaperdquo ldquolandscapepoliticsrdquo ldquopure landscaperdquo are increasingly circulated The debates intensified especially after the adoptionof the European Landscape Convention (Florence 2000) whose strong statements must now be firmlysupported

We are witnessing a real crisis that is not one of scientific principle but of wrong practice Political changesin eastern Europe after 1989 opened the gate to lesser known cultural and natural heritage sites but alsobrought attention to the necessity for their protection A series of aggressive practices in land developmentare threatening some of the European cultural landscapes and their future development In such casesEuropean regional and interregional politics and programmes could offer viable solutions as has been provedby convincing projects such as Kras in Slovakia and Rudaria in Romania The two projects created heritageinterest areas that are now important and sustainable development sources

Natural and cultural diversity is obviously one of our main common assets and its protection callsfor solidarity and joint European professional actions Special common strategies need to be implementedregarding heritage protection in the fields of archaeology ethnography and traditional arts and craftsso highly characteristic of South-Eastern Europe in many rural settlements situated mainly in mountain areasContemporary heritage philosophy is pleading nowadays for a knowledgeable approach to nature and thebuilt heritage ndash the Danubersquos route together with its delta protected as a natural biosphere reserve is oneof the best examples with its important range of fortifications prehistoric ancient and medieval settlementstowns and villages with interesting landscape architectural and ethnographic features along the riverbanksof the eleven countries crossed by the river In this Danubian context the recent case of the Bystre canalis of interest not just to the immediately neighbouring countries Romania and Ukraine but also to allthe countries along the river

The option of creating natural reserves conservation areas and ecomuseums in such rich territoriescan also be profitable in terms of increasing the quality of life but needs dedicated structures as well as high-quality heritage conservation management

Aware of the significant relationship between nature and culture we could only agree with the recentDeclaration on Enhancing Youth Education on World Heritage Protection (Suzhou Forum 1 July 2004)in saying ldquoBoth natural and cultural heritage constitute precious common properties of mankindrdquo

Ioan OprisSecretary of State for Cultural Heritage of Romania

Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs30 Kiseleff Str Sector 1

ROndash71341 Bucharest

E d i t o r i a l

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Culture nature and heritage

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S h a r e d v i e w s

The (somewhat artificial) contrastbetween nature and culture has been thedelight of philosophers and the bane ofstudents who had to form a clear andlogical view of the cosmos that surroundsus from a range of thought so vast as toappear hazy From Aristotle to SchellingNietzsche and the indispensable Kantthe great minds of the past have pon-dered the relationships between the worldand its outward aspects and the very prin-ciple of that contradictory thought thatcontrasts nature and culture Leacutevi-Strausssaw the origin of all culture in the prohi-bition of incest which made healthyexogamic exchange a practice essentialto the survival of the species possibleand essential He added that nature thepre-cultural state was the ground onwhich one (might) hope to come intocontact with ancestors spirits and godsechoing the thought of Heraclitus of anti-quity and of certain so-called primitivetribes or inspired shamans true wisdomis to speak and act while listening tonature Without losing ourselves in thehighways and byways of philosophy wemay take the view that man a primordialand essential constituent of nature per-ceives it because he is subjected to it andthat culture is no more than an epiphe-nomenon of this perception The con-temporary physicist James Lovelock eventook the view that nature was the only liv-ing organism This concept would havecaused Nietzsche to rise from the gravein Die Froumlhliche Wissenschaft (CheerfulScience) he wrote let us be wary of think-ing that the world is a living being Howwould it develop What would it feed onA recent trend in science sees a mathe-matical and algebraic equation of incred-ible complexity in the origin of theuniverse thus agreeing with Galileo whostated in his Saggiatore that the universe

is written and can be understood in math-ematical language In so doing thisscholar whom the Church gave a roughride came to be held in poor regard bymany scientists and philosophers Berke-ley and his successors among others whorefused to substitute the abstraction forthe ldquothing itselfrdquo ie the realityCould we say that philosophyrsquos most out-standing contribution to the study ofnature is not the system that it formu-lates but the thinking that it inspires inthose who plunge headlong into its mys-teries Thinking which was for Rilke likea figure in a dancehellip He writes

ldquoIn which natureThe unthinking architectIs outdoneBy us whose lives are shortFor she hears and is drivenonly by the song of Orpheusrdquo

This thinking leads us to note that naturewhich owes its beauty to the gods is sub-jected to improvements and rearrange-ments at the hand of mortals but mustdistrust caprices of the human mindexpressed by the concept of ldquoculturerdquo

The cultural exploits of menAs president of an association whose aimis the protection of heritage I should liketo extend my thinking to a less rarefiedlevel No one doubts that the culturalexploits of men are an intangible contri-bution to the development of humanityThey are the result of thought expressedand developed by millions of past gen-erations who have lived in various cli-mates and environmentsCulture is inextricably interwoven withthe threads produced by our secular rela-tions with nature Nature and its phe-nomena have not merely shaped us andsharpened our reflexes we could not livewithout maintaining a very close linkwith the natural element Like Antaeusdeprived of his mother Gaia the giantfated to die when Heracles held him sus-pended in the air we will die if we are cutoff from nature Who can doubt that con-temporary civilisation has the same effectupon our innermost development Onethinks of Pascal qui veut faire lrsquoange faitla becircte (he who wants to play the angelacts the brute) But the theme of culturesubmissive to nature is more subtlebecause it implies that nature finds ful-filment only through the eye of manThere is a kind of ecological eschatologyin that statement as if all the beauty of

the world gained meaning when it wastransmuted by man its most sophisti-cated product Without realising it weare living in a universe entirely shaped byus How many primeval forests survivein Europe We have planted cultivatedtransformed thought and rationalisedin order to meet basic requirementsSpecies have been crossed corrected andimproved Trees have been selected andplanted in lines Their splendid trunkshave inspired temple or cathedral pillarssince neolithic times the hills fields andmeadows have acquired artificial reliefand harmonious levels as a result of thetireless activity of the farmer with hisplough who has filled in gullies andsmoothed out hummocks Our landscapearchitectsrsquo parks and gardens are no morethan an attempt to establish a kind ofideal vision of a perfect landscape inmanrsquos intellectual substratum Thisapproach gives us a vision of an abstractgolden age that enchants and charms themind by conjuring up a distant heavenlyarchetype Does not the word ldquogardenrdquohave an Indo-European root ndash ghorto (hor-tus cour garingrd garden grad in Russian)meaning an enclosure an area of changeset aside and cut off from the world inwhich the imagination can shape an envi-ronment of plants conducive to peace ofmind

The age of our continentThe continents have been transformed bythe hand of man except for the two polesAntarctic and Arctic where the climatehas prevented sustainable and sedentarysocieties from settling Few landscapesbear the imprint of human genius morethan those in our old Western European offshoot of Asia Admittedly someoverpopulated plains in China India or theSino-Indian continent have become man-icured gardens However does not theage of our continent none the less reveala charm a harmony a vigour and arigour and why not a subtle essence ofintellectualityIt is by superimposing the strata in whichldquoculturerdquo has progressively shapedldquonaturerdquo that we have created master-pieces which seem to us to be almost nat-ural But these vineyards orchards andmeadows are the fruit of the labour ofmany generations which have patientlybuilt their world by the sweat of theirbrows Wine fruit and cereals are theaffordable products of nature combined

Culture from the viewpoint

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ldquoOwlrdquo jar from Antalya Turkey

5n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with culture a marvel of co-operationbetween gods and man in fact a sym-biosis of natural creation allied to humantoil a transformation of the gifts of natureby the genius of a product of that samenature man Another key idea inherentin the expression ldquonatural heritagerdquo is itslong-term influence on the mind of manwho has always tried desperately to trans-form nature He regards this action bothas a violation of nature and as his bootyhis heritage since violation is an act ofpossession

The undeniable benefitsof natureWe know that a truffle in a basket of eggsspreads its aroma to all the eggs Likethe truffle the nature that surrounds usand that we chip away at spreads its per-fume over our psyche and our intellectIt penetrates us and spreads taste andbalance into our brains our humanunderstanding needs these in order tofind fulfilment I have no wish to givethe impression of stating an aestheticmaxim but no sociologist can deny thatthe environment conditions the reac-tions of society and shapes our instinctsDelinquency despair and rates of sui-cide are high in depressed urban areasA horizon bounded by concrete wallsexpanses of asphalt or wastelands withno greenery gives rise to worryingdespair Open spaces in which naturegrows and develops freely spread spiri-tual harmony conducive to the develop-ment of man Present-day urbanisationuncontrolled and completely lacking inhumanity might give rise to a headlongrush to despair or to the alienation ofdistraught youth or at least to the deathof thought and of cheerful spontaneityThe time is not yet ripe for the structuresof the future imagined by HG Wellswhen buildings would no longer be min-eral-based but made from living anddegradable materialsOur relationship of love and interest withnature implies a high level of vigilanceand no sudden action ndash mutual respectOne might even wish for a form of eco-logical asceticism which would involvea meditative state and permanent ques-tioning of what we do Many modern ill-nesses are due to depression but alsoto stimulation to frenzy due to the searchfor immediate pleasure and easy satis-faction Should we not sometimesencourage a search for moderation

excellence temperance and even for theBeautiful for its own sake and above allmore frequent far-reaching and intimatecontact with the natural environmentEuropa Nostra devotes part of its intellec-tual energy but also all its physical strengthand its soul to maintaining the heritageOur aims are not merely to preserve mon-uments sites coasts mountains or riversthey also include promoting a disciplinewhose ambition is permanently to incor-porate the human dimension into the itemsit protects We have declared that ldquoEuro-pean culturerdquo was the culture of unity indiversity We might suggest that Europeannature is the antithesis of the foregoingdeclaration thus it could be said to rep-resent diversity in unity In other wordsthere is nothing more multi-faceted andeven protean than the natural environ-ment of our Europe but we should remem-ber that the term ldquonatural environmentrdquo

covers in large measure an artificial envi-ronment described as natural but shapedby man Let us therefore always proceedwith vigilance and prudence Let our vio-lation be a violation with consent so thatour tranquillised soul can believe that cul-ture always cohabits harmoniously withnature The bounds would thus be set forthe conduct of human beings towards theirenvironment which would be the alphaand the omega of the concept of ldquoculturerdquoseen from the viewpoint of ldquonaturerdquo

HRH The Prince Consort of DenmarkPresident of Europa Nostra

Europa Nostra Pan-European Federation for Heritage

Lange Voorhout 35NL-2514 EC The HagueTel +31 70 302 40 55Fax +31 70 361 78 65

officeeuropanostraorgwww europanostraorg

of nature

P

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ldquohellipWe know that a truffle in a basket of eggs spreads its aroma to all the eggsrdquo

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6 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

S h a r e d v i e w s

Certain activities are no doubt essentialto survival ndash hunting tigers hares orgazelles chopping down trees to makefarmland dredging rivers extracting andcrushing ore and burning oil ndash but forsome cultures they have become the phi-losophy of the individual or the groupor to put it better they are used to definewhat it means to be Homo faber or indeedhuman at all In blindly going about thesetasks no one gives a thought to the waterin the river the earth in the mine the airand the fire in the furnace or to livingflora and fauna seen as passive objectsof such activities Why should anyonethink of asking their opinion

Culture the sum of social contractsRather than generalising about culturesI can only speak about the ones I knowand in particular that conventionallycalled Western In this and possibly onlyin this the distinction between cultureand nature allows the former to exploitthe latter without ceremony Individualsand groups seen as being endowed withenterprise and thought armed withweapons and techniques and enjoying allrights have created a law-free realm inwhich everything is at their disposal andthey owe nothing except their labourThis culture has grown up in the free hotelthat nature offers It is a culture that is active aware intel-ligent productive free full of senseorganised legitimate ethical useful his-torical collective subjective valuableand so on and contrasts with nature that

is passive necessary lacking in sensewithout history rights and value In sci-ence subjective beings learn aboutobjects in the arts talent gives form tomatter at the workplace engineers andworkers transform the inert breederschefs and butchers work with living fleshThis culture made up of all possible socialcontracts excludes nature from all thosecontracts and in so doing lives on it as aparasite

Symbiosis and natural contract The history of law within this cultureshows us that in antiquity only wealthyadult males born into certain selectedfamilies could act lawfully in the courtsand political assemblies they enjoyedthe status of ldquosubjects of lawrdquo whichexcluded from that privilege women chil-dren foreigners slaves ndash indeed almostall the rest of the population To put itsimply the history is that of the gradualslow acquisition of the same status by allthose who had been excluded Oncefreed they became bit by bit ldquosubjects oflawrdquo Not only may they no longer betreated unlawfully but they also partici-pate in law-making themselves and inwhat might be called the signing if onlyvirtually of the social contracts whichgovern their group At the present timeno one may any longer refuse anyonethe status of ldquosubject of lawrdquo I upset many people by once suggestingthat ldquonaturerdquo which has until now had norights should under the title of ldquonaturalcontractrdquo at length be given this same sta-tus of subject of law The old parasitismthe one-sided contract in which we takeeverything without giving anything whilethe other side gives everything butreceives nothing would become a sym-biosis based on reciprocal exchange Thus redefined the term nature reac-quires its literal sense the things and peo-ple yet to be born The status of subjectof law thereby extends from natural andexisting things to natura those to comewe should make a further leap and agreethis new natural contract with naturaeand naturi the girls and boys of futuregenerations Asking them to share in ourcurrent decisions would make no senseunless these potential worlds and thesehumans yet to be born acquired the sta-tus of subjects of law and unless we signeda contract with them even though theyare absent as a transcendental precon-dition of knowledge and action A sort of

ldquovirtual contractrdquo that guarantees the nat-ural contract The entire world and allthings sit in the court that will decide onthe births to come

A new international institution Lying in the bottom of a boat on a lakethe solitary philosopher Jean-Jacques wasrelishing his existence between heavenand earth among the birds and thefoliage and this same Rousseau a citizenof Geneva signed his Social Contract vir-tually at least with his peers present andpast But neither the throng nor the statewas acknowledged in nature and nei-ther flora nor fauna were acknowledgedin law On the one side were things andon the other men Still today our teach-ing and our decisions maintain this dan-gerous divide the social sciences ignorethe physical sciences and day-to-day pol-itics neglects the planet However notonly do we live in the world but we nowalso weave with it links so changing andclose that it enters into our contracts ifpolitics is concerned with our polis thenthat polis that city now embraces thewhole universeThe UN the World Health Organisation(WHO) Nato the Food and AgricultureOrganisation (FAO) Unesco the WorldBank the Red Cross and so on ndash interna-tional organisations ndash govern human rela-tions as though we neither lived on norwere changing the Earth We fight overthe occupation of land and possession ofsources of water or oil and we appropri-ate codes cells seeds and species If likeanimals we foul what we intend to makeour own niche global pollution will showhow far we can go with our appropriationndash and will no doubt bring it to an end I pro-pose the creation of a new institution thatmight be called WAFEL (Water Air FireEarth Live) in which Homo politicus offersshelter to the elements and the livingbeings that have finally become subjectsof law and can no longer be appropriatedbecause they form the common peaceablehabitat of humanity Our cultures face grave dangers and wemust take the decision to live in peace inorder to safeguard nature and in peacewith nature in order to save ourselves

Michel SerresPhilosopher

Last published book RameauxEditions Le pommier 239 rue Saint Jacques

F- 75005 Paris

Nature seenthrough culture

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Anemone by Jacopo Ligozzi (1546-1626)

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set

While the monotheistic religions havealways sought to develop and strengthentheir followersrsquo faith this faith has itselfchanged greatly over the centuriesIn Christianity the emphasis has rightfrom the outset been on an intensecommunion between on the one handman and God and on the other manand his fellow men brothers and sis-ters The special ties which man mustpreserve with nature have only recentlybeen genuinely highlighted eventhough they are enshrined in the veryfirst chapter of the Bible However thetraditional interpretation was erro-neous warped to the advantage of manand it was in 1989 during the aggior-namento of the Christian Churches thatthe whole area of Christian responsi-bility was rethought and extended to allsectors of activity including the humanrelationship with natureThe first European Ecumenical Assem-bly in Basle in 1989 defined in unam-biguous terms the primordial role tobe shouldered by the Churches in civilsociety contributing to such widelyvarying fields as the economy and edu-cation communication and cultureand social welfare and human rightsThe ethical approach should be uni-versally prioritised particularly at thepresent time when far too often a kindof neo-liberal globalisation is leadingto thoughtless plundering of naturalresources unacceptable intensificationof inequality and the standardisationof cultural identitiesAboriginal (ldquonativerdquo) peoples who untilonly recently were considered ldquoprim-itiverdquo have avoided these pitfalls thanksto their exceptionally strong relationshipwith nature of which they considerthemselves an integral part A goodexample is given by what the Indiansof the Amazonian jungle in Brazil aresaying ldquoA self-proclaimed civilised soci-ety is guided only by market values Itconsiders the Earth as a means of pro-duction or even an object of specula-tion a commodity to be bought andsold For native peoples on the otherhand the Earth is neither a trading itemor an instrument for profit or even justtheir means of subsistence The Earthis the basis of their culture the root oftheir families and social organisationand the source of their relationship withthe supernatural The Earth is thecultural soil in which their ancestorslive and restrdquoPax Christi has long been aware of thewealth of the various ethical approaches

of the different human societies Thiswas the reason for the organisationrsquosfive symposiums from 1995 to 2001which were attended by representa-tives of all forms of religion and spiri-tuality and where Christians mixed withAustralian Aborigines Buddhists withrationalists and Muslims with agnos-tics The aim was to gain enrichmentfrom the various testimonies with aview to improving our coexistence andsolidarity while at the same time retain-ing individual cultural spiritual and othertypes of identities At the first of thesymposiums which saw the adoptionof the ldquoKlingenthal Appealrdquo the repre-sentative of the Baharsquoi religion quotedthe words of the founder of his religionBaharsquoursquollah spoken some 150 yearsago ldquoCivilisation so highly praised bythe best qualified representatives of thearts and sciences will bring great illsupon mankind if we let it overstep thebounds of moderationhellip Civilisationwhich produces so much good whereit remains moderate will if taken toexcess become an equally plentifulsource of evilhelliprdquo What foresightBeing aware of the deterioration of nat-ural resources at the hands of an evergreedier Homo economicus the partic-ipants at the aforementioned first sym-posium affirmed that ldquohellip the situationof the environment is so serious todaythat we consider that we should acttogether and unite our efforts so thatour different spiritual and culturalapproaches far from constitutingobstacles or brakes to co-operationcan rather be sources of enrichmentrdquo(Klingenthal Appeal)Whatever our spirituality might be thefundamental aim must be to open upand listen to the Other so that togetherwe can develop the necessary basesfor human well-being The economicand social dimension as well as humandignity remain the mainstays of humanwelfare but the cultural heritage whichis still too often seen as a luxury isincreasingly proving vital As for Naturewe should be thinking not only of suchmaterial resources as petroleum wineor aspirin but also of the unquantifi-able benefits of a beautiful landscapeor sunrise

Jean-Pierre RibautPresident of the Commission on

Creation and Sustainable DevelopmentPax Christi France

27 rue Rabieacute F-33250 Pauillac

jeanpierreribauwanadoofr

Nature culture and spirituality

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D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In classical drama comedy requires fora happy end while tragedy stipulates thedeath of the main character HoweverAnton Chekhovrsquos remark indicates TheCherry Orchard as a comedy Yes it is thesaddest comedy ever written in Russ-ian all its personages remain alive andfeel quite happy but the lovely Orchard(the title character) dies Dedicatedsolely to human relations Chekhovrsquosplay was a landmark in Russian litera-ture nature was no longer just a staticbackground but a reliable and trustfulfriend vulnerable to betrayalMuch has been said about the impactnatural environment has on nationalculture In Russia one could find explicitexamples of this impact From the pointof view of a spatial planner even thelocation and design of Russian histori-cal cities reflects the specific propertiesof Russian landscape spaciousness gen-tly sloping topography rich vegetationAs a rule a community emerged on thehillside facing the confluence of tworivers and then grew like an unwindingspiral Abundance of wood resulted inprevalence of timber construction whilespaciousness favoured low-density urbandevelopment less vulnerable to firesStone construction was not so commoninsufficient supply resulted in the rulethat only the most vital urban servicesshould enjoy the benefits of stone wallsnamely defence and religion TheCitadel or Kremlin was more an Acrop-olis of the ancient world than a sover-eignrsquos stronghold of western EuropeBeing the best protected parts of settle-ments Kremlins hosted cathedrals andaccumulated pieces of material cultureTimber predominated in civil construc-tion until the time of Peter the GreatUnfortunately wood is not a durablematerial which is why it is useless togo to Russia in search of an ldquoundis-turbedrdquo medieval town like Carcassonnein France or Bergamo in Italy

No antagonistic contradictionsUntil the Industrial Revolution therewere no antagonistic contradictionsbetween urban and rural ways of lifeas urban dwellers and their rural com-patriots had similar opportunities forprivate construction agriculture andrecreation Moreover relatively smallcentrendashperiphery distances in urbancommunities did not prevent citizensfrom direct contacts with native land-

scape sufficiently to provide for creativeinspiration which then materialised intoliterature folklore fine arts and handi-crafts Speaking about the people of Russia itis appropriate to mention that from thevery beginning of its history Russia hasbeen a multinational and thus a multi-cultural state Each nation is charac-terised by its own attitude towardsnature and landscape its own uniqueapproach to them Even in a new placein different natural surroundings peo-ple look for opportunities to use theirtraditional skills and thus search for theirown niche Centuries of living in theneighbourhood taught our ancestorsmutual respect and tolerance Apart fromeconomic symbiosis cultural exchangeconsiderably enriched all participants InRussia the conglomerate of variousnational cultures and traditions couldbe found everywhere from loan wordsto the art of cookeryThe situation began to change in thenineteenth century when the demandfor a highly concentrated labour forceresulted in intensive urbanisation Rightangles and circles though ideal in plan-ning and design appeared to deprivecommunities of their traditional indi-viduality At the very start of that processRussiarsquos leading novelists pointed to thedefinite correlation between broken tiesbetween people and nature on the onehand and dehumanisation and degra-dation of culture on the other Thosewho know the Russian literature of thenineteenth and early twentieth centuriescan easily find that gloomy mood in thenovels by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky TheRevolution of 1917 aggravated the trendthe state policy of rapid industrialisa-tion combined with elimination of indi-vidual farming led to depopulation ofrural areas and excess concentration ofpeople in a few industrial newly built orreshaped agglomerations For severaldecades nature was treated like a treas-ury ldquodestined to serve the peoplerdquoUnfortunately the tremendous size ofthe country and abundance of naturalriches supported the illusion of inex-haustibility It would be unjust to denynumerous nature-protecting measuresundertaken during the Soviet period ofour history creation of national parksand wildlife reserves legal penaltiesfor environmental pollution use ofwaste etc However on a mass scale

ldquoeconomic interestsrdquo predominated Asimilar attitude towards the historicalheritage resulted in intended or unpre-meditated destruction and abandon-ment of old religious and civil buildingsestates and even communities carelessintrusions into historical landscapes lossof traditional arts and handicrafts

Changing situationNow the situation changes the right toproperty inevitably requires responsi-bility and thus ndash action The revival ofindividual construction especially in thecountryside and new architectural solu-tions developed recently in Moscowand several other cities prove that Rus-sians have saved their cultural traditionand in particular their traditional tastefor nature However we are still far froma successful solution of ecological prob-lems from a healthy environment thatcould support a level of culture suffi-cient in its turn to provide for efficientprotection of common heritage Thepractical task for today is to restore directpublic access to genuine natural andcultural values This cannot be achievedthrough insulated isles of undisturbednature and well-guarded museums onlyEnvironmental protection shall becomea feature of everyday life At present Russia is among the mosturbanised nations with 73 of its citi-zens living in cities Evidently urbani-sation is irreversible and it is useless tomourn for the ldquowooden Russiardquo of thepast But that does not mean that accessto natural beauty no longer exists Euro-pean experience has proved that evenin most industrialised regions peoplecan enjoy a healthy environment Thedecisive step to be made now is to turnfrom individual private action to publicIn this connection the recently pro-

A fragile friendship

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Russian landscape

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claimed reform of local self-governmentis destined to optimise the size of munic-ipalities and make them more attachedto specific local problems enhance pub-lic representation in local legislative bod-ies and thus raise their prestige andresponseThe practical aspects need co-ordinatedaction Needless to say the role of spa-tial planners will increase dramaticallyThe principal precondition for success-ful environment-friendly spatial devel-opment is the humanist imperativenature is your friend and friends shallnot be betrayedIn Russia novelists painters and com-posers have been always aware of thefragile ties between man and natureThey know how to contribute to natureprotection today Spatial planners shouldbe grateful for their advice

Konstantin AnanitchevInstitute for Urban-Planning

Main Department for Architecture andUrban Planning of Moscow Region

7 Stoleshnikov LaneMoscow Russian Federation

glavarh1mailru

Heritage is a system of accepted val-ues and assets created and preservedby the society with the aim to pass it tothe next generation It absorbs thecultural stratum of the social sphereand is a precondition of its vitality andsustainable development in analogyto the genetic code of the biologicalspecies Every landscape possessessome heritage assets However in her-itage conservation practice and landmanagement these are specific out-standing landscapes that acquire thestatus of protected areas Every land-scape might be identified by referenceto the cultural landscape conceptCultural landscape is an output of thetargeted interaction of culture andnature and therefore it serves as anideal model for solution of the prob-lems between nature and societyCultural landscape conservation andmanagement in Russia is based on asystem of legislation and managementacts on nature conservation culturalheritage protection the rational use ofnatural resources land and urbanconstruction regulation The key her-itage laws are the Law on Strictly Pro-tected Natural Areas (1994) and the Lawon Cultural Heritage Sites (monumentsof history and culture) of the Peoples inthe Russian Federation (2002)

Categories for the protectedThe Law on Strictly Protected NaturalAreas (1994) comprises a continuinglist of the categories for protected areasand is aimed at the specification of thelegal norms for existing protected areas(zapovedniks national parks naturalparks monuments of nature zakazniksspas recreational and medicinal sitesbotanical gardens and dendrologicalparks) It is possible to establish newcategories of protected natural areasbut their specific legal regulations at thenational level are not enforced Amongthe mentioned categories national parksplay a particular role for cultural land-scape protection This is due to the factthat their legal establishment objectivesinclude conservation and restoration ofhistorical and cultural objects It is thenational parks where the most viableexamples of a harmonious interactionbetween man and nature are repre-sented in the specific cultural landscapetypes Several national parks in Russiahave elaborated special programmeson conservation of cultural landscapes

Legal recognition of cultural landscapesThe Law on Cultural Heritage Sites (mon-uments of history and culture) of thePeoples in the Russian Federation reg-ulates the legal norms on tangible her-itage sites subdividing them intoindividual monuments ensembles andsites ndash by analogy with the typologyproposed by the Convention for the Pro-tection of the World Cultural and Nat-

ural Heritage (World Heritage Conven-tion) In a number of sites the culturallandscapes are represented ndash the firstand as yet the only example of culturallandscapes having legal status at nationallevel One of the key notions in this lawis the subject for protection ndash ie thelist of assets that are not to be destroyedchanged or modified by human activ-ity Economic activity is limited to ensurethat the objects or site are protected Inthe Russian legislation there is no suchcultural heritage category as the ldquohis-torical and cultural protected areardquo Infact these territories do exist ndash they aremuseum-reserves established by gov-ernmental acts By their functions andinstitutional type they are similar tonational parks and play a most impor-tant role in the conservation of the her-itage ndash estates of the aristocracymonasteries urban rural and archae-ological landscapes and battlefields arerepresented in the museum-reserveswith exceptional diversityWith regard to immanent values in thelandscapes andor in the environmentthere is insufficient legal developmentthough essential prerequisites for suchregulation exist within the system ofurban planning and development aswell as in the currently established legalprocedures of environmental impactassessment and historical and culturalexpert appraisalEvery society embodies a system of val-ues where the landscape has its ownplace Social cataclysms in the twenti-eth century have destroyed the tradi-tional vision where landscape as a placefor living subsistence and social accom-plishment had comprised a significantsphere While traditional community isintrinsically connected to its physicalenvironment transformed into thecultural landscape semantically satu-rated and enriched and used for culturalself-identification through its historicalcontents the modern society is char-acterised by poor environmental per-ception and segregation from anythingbeyond individual property With dem-ocratic institutions still poorly devel-oped the landscape subject to generallaws and treated as a consumer com-modity finds its destiny determined bytechnocratic decisions and profitableinvestments If a society does not per-ceive its traditional landscape as anintrinsic cultural asset and a basic pre-requisite for sustainable developmentit has no future The revelation and clar-ification of the cultural landscape as anational heritage is a crucial task to beconsidered and implemented at all lev-els of territorial management and landuse in Russia

Marina KuleshovaRussian Research Institute for Natural

and Cultural Heritage 2 Kosmonavtov str

129366 Moscow Russian Federationheritagemtu-netru

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia

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10 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In Europe the territory is no longer nat-ural It has been changed fundamentallyby the hand of man by building andcultivation After a long process of trans-formation territory becomes a ldquogreatconstructionrdquo with its own history and itsown language a great focus of culture agreat and complex work of art consider-ing its scale the fruit of many civilisa-tions Like all constructions its languageis expressed through signs This languageand its signs are the values that shape itsidentity If the language is lost construc-tion is interruptedThe landscape and the natural and culturalheritage which we might call the ldquoterri-torial heritagerdquo are the language andsigns that describe the territory From aterritorial and sustainable angle thesesigns acquire a strategic value and explainits history and its values but above allthey set the rules for its transformationThis strategic value of the ldquoterritorial her-itagerdquo was brought to the fore in Euro-pean thinking on territorial developmentmainly in the European Union and theCouncil of Europe

Innovative guidanceThe thinking has gone beyond the theo-retical approach and has taken tangibleform as a series of documents (Commu-nity Spatial Development Model (EU1999) Guiding Principles for SustainableDevelopment of the European Continent(Council of Europe 2002) and EuropeanLandscape Convention (Council of Europe2000)) which despite the fact that theyare not binding form a common andinternational frame of reference to definethe treatment of heritage and landscape

on the basis of this new ldquoterritorial dimen-sionrdquo These documents do not proposenew tools but provide innovative guid-ance for the better use of conventionalheritage and landscape managementtoolsThe basis is the new ldquosustainable spatialdevelopmentrdquo concept which is definedaccording to the application of two rela-tively recent basic principles the princi-ple of territorial cohesion (combined witheconomic and social cohesion) and theprinciple of sustainable development(Ljubljana Declaration 13th CEMAT Sep-tember 2003) Developing these princi-ples calls for the simultaneous study offour aspects in order to understand andapply the policies environmental eco-nomic social and cultural These newcriteria alter the traditional sectoralapproaches abolishing the isolation ofthese policies that has generally beenrespected up to now in order to tackleheritage and landscapeIn accordance with these principles oneof the territorial aims under considera-tion for Europe is ldquocreative innovativeand intelligent development of the terri-torial heritage and the landscaperdquo with aview to highlighting regional identity andpreserving diversity as fundamental fac-tors in development

Landscape and heritageare essential factors in spatial developmentConsequently landscape and heritage areessential factors in spatial developmentwith special featuresBecause they are capable of showing thestate of the territory and because they

can be objectively described they are animportant tool for standardisation of spa-tial models This is one of the aims of theESPON project The Role and SpatialEffects of Cultural Heritage and Identity They are an important factor in citizensrsquoquality of life and environment Heritageand landscape factors both urban andrural become meaningful only in asso-ciation with the use of territory They arealso economic assets and an opportunityfor regions and local communities withregard to their pulling power for eco-nomic activities other than tourism hencethe importance of increasing the aware-ness of the population and of its partici-pation in recognising it The EuropeanRural Heritage Observation Guide CEMAT2003 is a good exampleLandscape and heritage are dynamic inother words they have been transformedand are transformable which keeps themfrom being regarded as ldquofossilsrdquo Theypresent a dual challenge conservationand creative management This involvesapplying the principle of ldquoactive conser-vationrdquo with new forms of managementincorporating the three conventionaltypes of operation protection conser-vation and restoration supplemented bymore modern techniques In additionheritage must be regarded as an integralpart of the system like routes or corridorswith regard to the concept of ldquositerdquo orldquomonumentrdquo in the context of integratedspatial development strategiesAll these aspects strengthen a new rela-tionship involving heritage landscapeand spatial developmentBy way of summary it is important toemphasise their strategic role for diag-nosis and action on the territory and inthe city secondly their European dimen-sion requiring action on larger spatialscales such as the interregional ortransnational level and lastly the needfor new forms of management incorpo-rating active participation by citizens

Margarita OrtegaGeneral Secretariat for Territory

and BiodiversityMinistry of the Environment

Plaza de S Juan de la Cruz sn E-28071 Madrid

MOrtegammaes

In Spain

We

iss

Su

nse

t

Villarubia la Mancha

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

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12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

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tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

re

nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

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n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

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nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

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esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

EditorialCulture nature and heritage I Opris 3

Shared viewsCulture from the viewpoint of nature HRH the Prince Consort of Denmark 4

Nature seen through culture M Serres 6

Nature culture and spirituality J-P Ribaut 7

Different approachesA fragile friendship K Ananitchev 8

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia M Kuleshova 9

In Spain M Ortega 10

Antagonism or complementarity in Norway A Moflag 11

Towards harmony between Anthropos and nature in Greece T Papayannis 12

Gardens and forests in Morocco M A Belrhiti 14

The Belgian draught horse a living piece of cultural and natural heritageE Goedleven 15

Town country and landscape planning D Sarlet 16

Viewpoints50 years of the Council of Europe Cultural Convention and Art Exhibitions 18

Technical cultureThe Council of Europe the new buildings 20

A high-quality environment is everyonersquos concern G Hedman 20

The role of the High Environmental Quality Controller H Gambier 20

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architects S Beckers I Zielonka 21

New premises for the European Directorate for the Qualityof Medicines (EDQM) 21

New General Purpose Building 22

Recognise the transition from nature to culture G E Andresen F Kristiansen 22

Conventions heritage and pedagogyThe European Landscape Convention synthesis of nature cultureand human rights E Buergi 24

The European Cultural Convention and nature R Alberotanza 26

Architectural and archaeological heritage P Drury 27

Built heritage natural heritage N Fojut 28

Landscape analysis in Italy M Ciumei 29

Teaching heritage in Sweden M Waldheacuten 30

Appreciating and evaluating a living heritage L Branchesi 31

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-border co-operationM Kneubuumlhler S Berti-Rossi M C Ronc 32

At the Council of Europe 34

naturopaN o 1 0 2 ndash 2 0 0 4

Chief EditorCatherine RothDirector of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage

Director of publicationMaguelonne Deacutejeant-PonsHead of DivisionSpatial Development and Landscape

Concept and editingChristian Meyerchristianmeyercoeint

Naturopa Network Bureau Jelka Pirkovic Chair of the Steering Committeefor Cultural Heritage (CDPAT)jelkapirkovicgovsi

Adriana BazChair of the Committee for theActivities of the Council of Europein the field of Biological and LandscapeDiversity (CO-DBP)bazmappmro

Maria-Jose FestasChair of the Committee of SeniorOfficials of the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for RegionalPlanning (CHF-Cemat)gabdgdgotdupt

LayoutEmmanuel Georges

PrinterBietlot ndash Gilly (Belgium)

Articles may be freely reprinted providedthat reference is made to the sourceand a copy sent to the Centre NaturopaThe copyright of all illustrationsis reserved

The opinions expressed in thispublication are those of the authorsand do not necessarily reflect the viewsof the Council of Europe

Since 1993 Naturopa has been printedon chlorine-free paper

copy Cover by F Zwardon Skopelos(Greece)Vignette 1 Cave painting in Norwayby F BruemmerBiosVignette 2 Fresco entitledldquoDolphinsrdquoby Klein-HubertBiosVignette 3 Mosaic of wild boar by Klein-HubertBios

C

Iam

an

de

scu

3n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Earth water air ndash a trio of essential elements that determines human existenceand which is at the same time shaped by human activity The result of thisinteraction is the cultural landscape as part of our heritage Its two components ndashnature and culture ndash work together and lead to unique features Each generationadds new transformations producing changes in the balance of natural resourcesAnd it does it with the vanity of being unique and eternal

Over the last decades international bodies have promoted theories and methods thatasked for a more balanced approach to the cultural heritage and to the landscape itselfTerms such as ldquonew ecological orderrdquo ldquosustained ecologyrdquo ldquocultural landscaperdquo ldquolandscapepoliticsrdquo ldquopure landscaperdquo are increasingly circulated The debates intensified especially after the adoptionof the European Landscape Convention (Florence 2000) whose strong statements must now be firmlysupported

We are witnessing a real crisis that is not one of scientific principle but of wrong practice Political changesin eastern Europe after 1989 opened the gate to lesser known cultural and natural heritage sites but alsobrought attention to the necessity for their protection A series of aggressive practices in land developmentare threatening some of the European cultural landscapes and their future development In such casesEuropean regional and interregional politics and programmes could offer viable solutions as has been provedby convincing projects such as Kras in Slovakia and Rudaria in Romania The two projects created heritageinterest areas that are now important and sustainable development sources

Natural and cultural diversity is obviously one of our main common assets and its protection callsfor solidarity and joint European professional actions Special common strategies need to be implementedregarding heritage protection in the fields of archaeology ethnography and traditional arts and craftsso highly characteristic of South-Eastern Europe in many rural settlements situated mainly in mountain areasContemporary heritage philosophy is pleading nowadays for a knowledgeable approach to nature and thebuilt heritage ndash the Danubersquos route together with its delta protected as a natural biosphere reserve is oneof the best examples with its important range of fortifications prehistoric ancient and medieval settlementstowns and villages with interesting landscape architectural and ethnographic features along the riverbanksof the eleven countries crossed by the river In this Danubian context the recent case of the Bystre canalis of interest not just to the immediately neighbouring countries Romania and Ukraine but also to allthe countries along the river

The option of creating natural reserves conservation areas and ecomuseums in such rich territoriescan also be profitable in terms of increasing the quality of life but needs dedicated structures as well as high-quality heritage conservation management

Aware of the significant relationship between nature and culture we could only agree with the recentDeclaration on Enhancing Youth Education on World Heritage Protection (Suzhou Forum 1 July 2004)in saying ldquoBoth natural and cultural heritage constitute precious common properties of mankindrdquo

Ioan OprisSecretary of State for Cultural Heritage of Romania

Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs30 Kiseleff Str Sector 1

ROndash71341 Bucharest

E d i t o r i a l

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Culture nature and heritage

4 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

S h a r e d v i e w s

The (somewhat artificial) contrastbetween nature and culture has been thedelight of philosophers and the bane ofstudents who had to form a clear andlogical view of the cosmos that surroundsus from a range of thought so vast as toappear hazy From Aristotle to SchellingNietzsche and the indispensable Kantthe great minds of the past have pon-dered the relationships between the worldand its outward aspects and the very prin-ciple of that contradictory thought thatcontrasts nature and culture Leacutevi-Strausssaw the origin of all culture in the prohi-bition of incest which made healthyexogamic exchange a practice essentialto the survival of the species possibleand essential He added that nature thepre-cultural state was the ground onwhich one (might) hope to come intocontact with ancestors spirits and godsechoing the thought of Heraclitus of anti-quity and of certain so-called primitivetribes or inspired shamans true wisdomis to speak and act while listening tonature Without losing ourselves in thehighways and byways of philosophy wemay take the view that man a primordialand essential constituent of nature per-ceives it because he is subjected to it andthat culture is no more than an epiphe-nomenon of this perception The con-temporary physicist James Lovelock eventook the view that nature was the only liv-ing organism This concept would havecaused Nietzsche to rise from the gravein Die Froumlhliche Wissenschaft (CheerfulScience) he wrote let us be wary of think-ing that the world is a living being Howwould it develop What would it feed onA recent trend in science sees a mathe-matical and algebraic equation of incred-ible complexity in the origin of theuniverse thus agreeing with Galileo whostated in his Saggiatore that the universe

is written and can be understood in math-ematical language In so doing thisscholar whom the Church gave a roughride came to be held in poor regard bymany scientists and philosophers Berke-ley and his successors among others whorefused to substitute the abstraction forthe ldquothing itselfrdquo ie the realityCould we say that philosophyrsquos most out-standing contribution to the study ofnature is not the system that it formu-lates but the thinking that it inspires inthose who plunge headlong into its mys-teries Thinking which was for Rilke likea figure in a dancehellip He writes

ldquoIn which natureThe unthinking architectIs outdoneBy us whose lives are shortFor she hears and is drivenonly by the song of Orpheusrdquo

This thinking leads us to note that naturewhich owes its beauty to the gods is sub-jected to improvements and rearrange-ments at the hand of mortals but mustdistrust caprices of the human mindexpressed by the concept of ldquoculturerdquo

The cultural exploits of menAs president of an association whose aimis the protection of heritage I should liketo extend my thinking to a less rarefiedlevel No one doubts that the culturalexploits of men are an intangible contri-bution to the development of humanityThey are the result of thought expressedand developed by millions of past gen-erations who have lived in various cli-mates and environmentsCulture is inextricably interwoven withthe threads produced by our secular rela-tions with nature Nature and its phe-nomena have not merely shaped us andsharpened our reflexes we could not livewithout maintaining a very close linkwith the natural element Like Antaeusdeprived of his mother Gaia the giantfated to die when Heracles held him sus-pended in the air we will die if we are cutoff from nature Who can doubt that con-temporary civilisation has the same effectupon our innermost development Onethinks of Pascal qui veut faire lrsquoange faitla becircte (he who wants to play the angelacts the brute) But the theme of culturesubmissive to nature is more subtlebecause it implies that nature finds ful-filment only through the eye of manThere is a kind of ecological eschatologyin that statement as if all the beauty of

the world gained meaning when it wastransmuted by man its most sophisti-cated product Without realising it weare living in a universe entirely shaped byus How many primeval forests survivein Europe We have planted cultivatedtransformed thought and rationalisedin order to meet basic requirementsSpecies have been crossed corrected andimproved Trees have been selected andplanted in lines Their splendid trunkshave inspired temple or cathedral pillarssince neolithic times the hills fields andmeadows have acquired artificial reliefand harmonious levels as a result of thetireless activity of the farmer with hisplough who has filled in gullies andsmoothed out hummocks Our landscapearchitectsrsquo parks and gardens are no morethan an attempt to establish a kind ofideal vision of a perfect landscape inmanrsquos intellectual substratum Thisapproach gives us a vision of an abstractgolden age that enchants and charms themind by conjuring up a distant heavenlyarchetype Does not the word ldquogardenrdquohave an Indo-European root ndash ghorto (hor-tus cour garingrd garden grad in Russian)meaning an enclosure an area of changeset aside and cut off from the world inwhich the imagination can shape an envi-ronment of plants conducive to peace ofmind

The age of our continentThe continents have been transformed bythe hand of man except for the two polesAntarctic and Arctic where the climatehas prevented sustainable and sedentarysocieties from settling Few landscapesbear the imprint of human genius morethan those in our old Western European offshoot of Asia Admittedly someoverpopulated plains in China India or theSino-Indian continent have become man-icured gardens However does not theage of our continent none the less reveala charm a harmony a vigour and arigour and why not a subtle essence ofintellectualityIt is by superimposing the strata in whichldquoculturerdquo has progressively shapedldquonaturerdquo that we have created master-pieces which seem to us to be almost nat-ural But these vineyards orchards andmeadows are the fruit of the labour ofmany generations which have patientlybuilt their world by the sweat of theirbrows Wine fruit and cereals are theaffordable products of nature combined

Culture from the viewpoint

M

Gu

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ldquoOwlrdquo jar from Antalya Turkey

5n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with culture a marvel of co-operationbetween gods and man in fact a sym-biosis of natural creation allied to humantoil a transformation of the gifts of natureby the genius of a product of that samenature man Another key idea inherentin the expression ldquonatural heritagerdquo is itslong-term influence on the mind of manwho has always tried desperately to trans-form nature He regards this action bothas a violation of nature and as his bootyhis heritage since violation is an act ofpossession

The undeniable benefitsof natureWe know that a truffle in a basket of eggsspreads its aroma to all the eggs Likethe truffle the nature that surrounds usand that we chip away at spreads its per-fume over our psyche and our intellectIt penetrates us and spreads taste andbalance into our brains our humanunderstanding needs these in order tofind fulfilment I have no wish to givethe impression of stating an aestheticmaxim but no sociologist can deny thatthe environment conditions the reac-tions of society and shapes our instinctsDelinquency despair and rates of sui-cide are high in depressed urban areasA horizon bounded by concrete wallsexpanses of asphalt or wastelands withno greenery gives rise to worryingdespair Open spaces in which naturegrows and develops freely spread spiri-tual harmony conducive to the develop-ment of man Present-day urbanisationuncontrolled and completely lacking inhumanity might give rise to a headlongrush to despair or to the alienation ofdistraught youth or at least to the deathof thought and of cheerful spontaneityThe time is not yet ripe for the structuresof the future imagined by HG Wellswhen buildings would no longer be min-eral-based but made from living anddegradable materialsOur relationship of love and interest withnature implies a high level of vigilanceand no sudden action ndash mutual respectOne might even wish for a form of eco-logical asceticism which would involvea meditative state and permanent ques-tioning of what we do Many modern ill-nesses are due to depression but alsoto stimulation to frenzy due to the searchfor immediate pleasure and easy satis-faction Should we not sometimesencourage a search for moderation

excellence temperance and even for theBeautiful for its own sake and above allmore frequent far-reaching and intimatecontact with the natural environmentEuropa Nostra devotes part of its intellec-tual energy but also all its physical strengthand its soul to maintaining the heritageOur aims are not merely to preserve mon-uments sites coasts mountains or riversthey also include promoting a disciplinewhose ambition is permanently to incor-porate the human dimension into the itemsit protects We have declared that ldquoEuro-pean culturerdquo was the culture of unity indiversity We might suggest that Europeannature is the antithesis of the foregoingdeclaration thus it could be said to rep-resent diversity in unity In other wordsthere is nothing more multi-faceted andeven protean than the natural environ-ment of our Europe but we should remem-ber that the term ldquonatural environmentrdquo

covers in large measure an artificial envi-ronment described as natural but shapedby man Let us therefore always proceedwith vigilance and prudence Let our vio-lation be a violation with consent so thatour tranquillised soul can believe that cul-ture always cohabits harmoniously withnature The bounds would thus be set forthe conduct of human beings towards theirenvironment which would be the alphaand the omega of the concept of ldquoculturerdquoseen from the viewpoint of ldquonaturerdquo

HRH The Prince Consort of DenmarkPresident of Europa Nostra

Europa Nostra Pan-European Federation for Heritage

Lange Voorhout 35NL-2514 EC The HagueTel +31 70 302 40 55Fax +31 70 361 78 65

officeeuropanostraorgwww europanostraorg

of nature

P

Gir

au

dB

ios

ldquohellipWe know that a truffle in a basket of eggs spreads its aroma to all the eggsrdquo

Sh

ar

ed

v

ie

ws

6 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

S h a r e d v i e w s

Certain activities are no doubt essentialto survival ndash hunting tigers hares orgazelles chopping down trees to makefarmland dredging rivers extracting andcrushing ore and burning oil ndash but forsome cultures they have become the phi-losophy of the individual or the groupor to put it better they are used to definewhat it means to be Homo faber or indeedhuman at all In blindly going about thesetasks no one gives a thought to the waterin the river the earth in the mine the airand the fire in the furnace or to livingflora and fauna seen as passive objectsof such activities Why should anyonethink of asking their opinion

Culture the sum of social contractsRather than generalising about culturesI can only speak about the ones I knowand in particular that conventionallycalled Western In this and possibly onlyin this the distinction between cultureand nature allows the former to exploitthe latter without ceremony Individualsand groups seen as being endowed withenterprise and thought armed withweapons and techniques and enjoying allrights have created a law-free realm inwhich everything is at their disposal andthey owe nothing except their labourThis culture has grown up in the free hotelthat nature offers It is a culture that is active aware intel-ligent productive free full of senseorganised legitimate ethical useful his-torical collective subjective valuableand so on and contrasts with nature that

is passive necessary lacking in sensewithout history rights and value In sci-ence subjective beings learn aboutobjects in the arts talent gives form tomatter at the workplace engineers andworkers transform the inert breederschefs and butchers work with living fleshThis culture made up of all possible socialcontracts excludes nature from all thosecontracts and in so doing lives on it as aparasite

Symbiosis and natural contract The history of law within this cultureshows us that in antiquity only wealthyadult males born into certain selectedfamilies could act lawfully in the courtsand political assemblies they enjoyedthe status of ldquosubjects of lawrdquo whichexcluded from that privilege women chil-dren foreigners slaves ndash indeed almostall the rest of the population To put itsimply the history is that of the gradualslow acquisition of the same status by allthose who had been excluded Oncefreed they became bit by bit ldquosubjects oflawrdquo Not only may they no longer betreated unlawfully but they also partici-pate in law-making themselves and inwhat might be called the signing if onlyvirtually of the social contracts whichgovern their group At the present timeno one may any longer refuse anyonethe status of ldquosubject of lawrdquo I upset many people by once suggestingthat ldquonaturerdquo which has until now had norights should under the title of ldquonaturalcontractrdquo at length be given this same sta-tus of subject of law The old parasitismthe one-sided contract in which we takeeverything without giving anything whilethe other side gives everything butreceives nothing would become a sym-biosis based on reciprocal exchange Thus redefined the term nature reac-quires its literal sense the things and peo-ple yet to be born The status of subjectof law thereby extends from natural andexisting things to natura those to comewe should make a further leap and agreethis new natural contract with naturaeand naturi the girls and boys of futuregenerations Asking them to share in ourcurrent decisions would make no senseunless these potential worlds and thesehumans yet to be born acquired the sta-tus of subjects of law and unless we signeda contract with them even though theyare absent as a transcendental precon-dition of knowledge and action A sort of

ldquovirtual contractrdquo that guarantees the nat-ural contract The entire world and allthings sit in the court that will decide onthe births to come

A new international institution Lying in the bottom of a boat on a lakethe solitary philosopher Jean-Jacques wasrelishing his existence between heavenand earth among the birds and thefoliage and this same Rousseau a citizenof Geneva signed his Social Contract vir-tually at least with his peers present andpast But neither the throng nor the statewas acknowledged in nature and nei-ther flora nor fauna were acknowledgedin law On the one side were things andon the other men Still today our teach-ing and our decisions maintain this dan-gerous divide the social sciences ignorethe physical sciences and day-to-day pol-itics neglects the planet However notonly do we live in the world but we nowalso weave with it links so changing andclose that it enters into our contracts ifpolitics is concerned with our polis thenthat polis that city now embraces thewhole universeThe UN the World Health Organisation(WHO) Nato the Food and AgricultureOrganisation (FAO) Unesco the WorldBank the Red Cross and so on ndash interna-tional organisations ndash govern human rela-tions as though we neither lived on norwere changing the Earth We fight overthe occupation of land and possession ofsources of water or oil and we appropri-ate codes cells seeds and species If likeanimals we foul what we intend to makeour own niche global pollution will showhow far we can go with our appropriationndash and will no doubt bring it to an end I pro-pose the creation of a new institution thatmight be called WAFEL (Water Air FireEarth Live) in which Homo politicus offersshelter to the elements and the livingbeings that have finally become subjectsof law and can no longer be appropriatedbecause they form the common peaceablehabitat of humanity Our cultures face grave dangers and wemust take the decision to live in peace inorder to safeguard nature and in peacewith nature in order to save ourselves

Michel SerresPhilosopher

Last published book RameauxEditions Le pommier 239 rue Saint Jacques

F- 75005 Paris

Nature seenthrough culture

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

sO

B

ata

gli

ni

Anemone by Jacopo Ligozzi (1546-1626)

7n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D

De

lfin

oS

un

set

While the monotheistic religions havealways sought to develop and strengthentheir followersrsquo faith this faith has itselfchanged greatly over the centuriesIn Christianity the emphasis has rightfrom the outset been on an intensecommunion between on the one handman and God and on the other manand his fellow men brothers and sis-ters The special ties which man mustpreserve with nature have only recentlybeen genuinely highlighted eventhough they are enshrined in the veryfirst chapter of the Bible However thetraditional interpretation was erro-neous warped to the advantage of manand it was in 1989 during the aggior-namento of the Christian Churches thatthe whole area of Christian responsi-bility was rethought and extended to allsectors of activity including the humanrelationship with natureThe first European Ecumenical Assem-bly in Basle in 1989 defined in unam-biguous terms the primordial role tobe shouldered by the Churches in civilsociety contributing to such widelyvarying fields as the economy and edu-cation communication and cultureand social welfare and human rightsThe ethical approach should be uni-versally prioritised particularly at thepresent time when far too often a kindof neo-liberal globalisation is leadingto thoughtless plundering of naturalresources unacceptable intensificationof inequality and the standardisationof cultural identitiesAboriginal (ldquonativerdquo) peoples who untilonly recently were considered ldquoprim-itiverdquo have avoided these pitfalls thanksto their exceptionally strong relationshipwith nature of which they considerthemselves an integral part A goodexample is given by what the Indiansof the Amazonian jungle in Brazil aresaying ldquoA self-proclaimed civilised soci-ety is guided only by market values Itconsiders the Earth as a means of pro-duction or even an object of specula-tion a commodity to be bought andsold For native peoples on the otherhand the Earth is neither a trading itemor an instrument for profit or even justtheir means of subsistence The Earthis the basis of their culture the root oftheir families and social organisationand the source of their relationship withthe supernatural The Earth is thecultural soil in which their ancestorslive and restrdquoPax Christi has long been aware of thewealth of the various ethical approaches

of the different human societies Thiswas the reason for the organisationrsquosfive symposiums from 1995 to 2001which were attended by representa-tives of all forms of religion and spiri-tuality and where Christians mixed withAustralian Aborigines Buddhists withrationalists and Muslims with agnos-tics The aim was to gain enrichmentfrom the various testimonies with aview to improving our coexistence andsolidarity while at the same time retain-ing individual cultural spiritual and othertypes of identities At the first of thesymposiums which saw the adoptionof the ldquoKlingenthal Appealrdquo the repre-sentative of the Baharsquoi religion quotedthe words of the founder of his religionBaharsquoursquollah spoken some 150 yearsago ldquoCivilisation so highly praised bythe best qualified representatives of thearts and sciences will bring great illsupon mankind if we let it overstep thebounds of moderationhellip Civilisationwhich produces so much good whereit remains moderate will if taken toexcess become an equally plentifulsource of evilhelliprdquo What foresightBeing aware of the deterioration of nat-ural resources at the hands of an evergreedier Homo economicus the partic-ipants at the aforementioned first sym-posium affirmed that ldquohellip the situationof the environment is so serious todaythat we consider that we should acttogether and unite our efforts so thatour different spiritual and culturalapproaches far from constitutingobstacles or brakes to co-operationcan rather be sources of enrichmentrdquo(Klingenthal Appeal)Whatever our spirituality might be thefundamental aim must be to open upand listen to the Other so that togetherwe can develop the necessary basesfor human well-being The economicand social dimension as well as humandignity remain the mainstays of humanwelfare but the cultural heritage whichis still too often seen as a luxury isincreasingly proving vital As for Naturewe should be thinking not only of suchmaterial resources as petroleum wineor aspirin but also of the unquantifi-able benefits of a beautiful landscapeor sunrise

Jean-Pierre RibautPresident of the Commission on

Creation and Sustainable DevelopmentPax Christi France

27 rue Rabieacute F-33250 Pauillac

jeanpierreribauwanadoofr

Nature culture and spirituality

Sh

ar

ed

v

ie

ws

8 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In classical drama comedy requires fora happy end while tragedy stipulates thedeath of the main character HoweverAnton Chekhovrsquos remark indicates TheCherry Orchard as a comedy Yes it is thesaddest comedy ever written in Russ-ian all its personages remain alive andfeel quite happy but the lovely Orchard(the title character) dies Dedicatedsolely to human relations Chekhovrsquosplay was a landmark in Russian litera-ture nature was no longer just a staticbackground but a reliable and trustfulfriend vulnerable to betrayalMuch has been said about the impactnatural environment has on nationalculture In Russia one could find explicitexamples of this impact From the pointof view of a spatial planner even thelocation and design of Russian histori-cal cities reflects the specific propertiesof Russian landscape spaciousness gen-tly sloping topography rich vegetationAs a rule a community emerged on thehillside facing the confluence of tworivers and then grew like an unwindingspiral Abundance of wood resulted inprevalence of timber construction whilespaciousness favoured low-density urbandevelopment less vulnerable to firesStone construction was not so commoninsufficient supply resulted in the rulethat only the most vital urban servicesshould enjoy the benefits of stone wallsnamely defence and religion TheCitadel or Kremlin was more an Acrop-olis of the ancient world than a sover-eignrsquos stronghold of western EuropeBeing the best protected parts of settle-ments Kremlins hosted cathedrals andaccumulated pieces of material cultureTimber predominated in civil construc-tion until the time of Peter the GreatUnfortunately wood is not a durablematerial which is why it is useless togo to Russia in search of an ldquoundis-turbedrdquo medieval town like Carcassonnein France or Bergamo in Italy

No antagonistic contradictionsUntil the Industrial Revolution therewere no antagonistic contradictionsbetween urban and rural ways of lifeas urban dwellers and their rural com-patriots had similar opportunities forprivate construction agriculture andrecreation Moreover relatively smallcentrendashperiphery distances in urbancommunities did not prevent citizensfrom direct contacts with native land-

scape sufficiently to provide for creativeinspiration which then materialised intoliterature folklore fine arts and handi-crafts Speaking about the people of Russia itis appropriate to mention that from thevery beginning of its history Russia hasbeen a multinational and thus a multi-cultural state Each nation is charac-terised by its own attitude towardsnature and landscape its own uniqueapproach to them Even in a new placein different natural surroundings peo-ple look for opportunities to use theirtraditional skills and thus search for theirown niche Centuries of living in theneighbourhood taught our ancestorsmutual respect and tolerance Apart fromeconomic symbiosis cultural exchangeconsiderably enriched all participants InRussia the conglomerate of variousnational cultures and traditions couldbe found everywhere from loan wordsto the art of cookeryThe situation began to change in thenineteenth century when the demandfor a highly concentrated labour forceresulted in intensive urbanisation Rightangles and circles though ideal in plan-ning and design appeared to deprivecommunities of their traditional indi-viduality At the very start of that processRussiarsquos leading novelists pointed to thedefinite correlation between broken tiesbetween people and nature on the onehand and dehumanisation and degra-dation of culture on the other Thosewho know the Russian literature of thenineteenth and early twentieth centuriescan easily find that gloomy mood in thenovels by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky TheRevolution of 1917 aggravated the trendthe state policy of rapid industrialisa-tion combined with elimination of indi-vidual farming led to depopulation ofrural areas and excess concentration ofpeople in a few industrial newly built orreshaped agglomerations For severaldecades nature was treated like a treas-ury ldquodestined to serve the peoplerdquoUnfortunately the tremendous size ofthe country and abundance of naturalriches supported the illusion of inex-haustibility It would be unjust to denynumerous nature-protecting measuresundertaken during the Soviet period ofour history creation of national parksand wildlife reserves legal penaltiesfor environmental pollution use ofwaste etc However on a mass scale

ldquoeconomic interestsrdquo predominated Asimilar attitude towards the historicalheritage resulted in intended or unpre-meditated destruction and abandon-ment of old religious and civil buildingsestates and even communities carelessintrusions into historical landscapes lossof traditional arts and handicrafts

Changing situationNow the situation changes the right toproperty inevitably requires responsi-bility and thus ndash action The revival ofindividual construction especially in thecountryside and new architectural solu-tions developed recently in Moscowand several other cities prove that Rus-sians have saved their cultural traditionand in particular their traditional tastefor nature However we are still far froma successful solution of ecological prob-lems from a healthy environment thatcould support a level of culture suffi-cient in its turn to provide for efficientprotection of common heritage Thepractical task for today is to restore directpublic access to genuine natural andcultural values This cannot be achievedthrough insulated isles of undisturbednature and well-guarded museums onlyEnvironmental protection shall becomea feature of everyday life At present Russia is among the mosturbanised nations with 73 of its citi-zens living in cities Evidently urbani-sation is irreversible and it is useless tomourn for the ldquowooden Russiardquo of thepast But that does not mean that accessto natural beauty no longer exists Euro-pean experience has proved that evenin most industrialised regions peoplecan enjoy a healthy environment Thedecisive step to be made now is to turnfrom individual private action to publicIn this connection the recently pro-

A fragile friendship

M

Ku

lesh

ov

a

Russian landscape

9n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

claimed reform of local self-governmentis destined to optimise the size of munic-ipalities and make them more attachedto specific local problems enhance pub-lic representation in local legislative bod-ies and thus raise their prestige andresponseThe practical aspects need co-ordinatedaction Needless to say the role of spa-tial planners will increase dramaticallyThe principal precondition for success-ful environment-friendly spatial devel-opment is the humanist imperativenature is your friend and friends shallnot be betrayedIn Russia novelists painters and com-posers have been always aware of thefragile ties between man and natureThey know how to contribute to natureprotection today Spatial planners shouldbe grateful for their advice

Konstantin AnanitchevInstitute for Urban-Planning

Main Department for Architecture andUrban Planning of Moscow Region

7 Stoleshnikov LaneMoscow Russian Federation

glavarh1mailru

Heritage is a system of accepted val-ues and assets created and preservedby the society with the aim to pass it tothe next generation It absorbs thecultural stratum of the social sphereand is a precondition of its vitality andsustainable development in analogyto the genetic code of the biologicalspecies Every landscape possessessome heritage assets However in her-itage conservation practice and landmanagement these are specific out-standing landscapes that acquire thestatus of protected areas Every land-scape might be identified by referenceto the cultural landscape conceptCultural landscape is an output of thetargeted interaction of culture andnature and therefore it serves as anideal model for solution of the prob-lems between nature and societyCultural landscape conservation andmanagement in Russia is based on asystem of legislation and managementacts on nature conservation culturalheritage protection the rational use ofnatural resources land and urbanconstruction regulation The key her-itage laws are the Law on Strictly Pro-tected Natural Areas (1994) and the Lawon Cultural Heritage Sites (monumentsof history and culture) of the Peoples inthe Russian Federation (2002)

Categories for the protectedThe Law on Strictly Protected NaturalAreas (1994) comprises a continuinglist of the categories for protected areasand is aimed at the specification of thelegal norms for existing protected areas(zapovedniks national parks naturalparks monuments of nature zakazniksspas recreational and medicinal sitesbotanical gardens and dendrologicalparks) It is possible to establish newcategories of protected natural areasbut their specific legal regulations at thenational level are not enforced Amongthe mentioned categories national parksplay a particular role for cultural land-scape protection This is due to the factthat their legal establishment objectivesinclude conservation and restoration ofhistorical and cultural objects It is thenational parks where the most viableexamples of a harmonious interactionbetween man and nature are repre-sented in the specific cultural landscapetypes Several national parks in Russiahave elaborated special programmeson conservation of cultural landscapes

Legal recognition of cultural landscapesThe Law on Cultural Heritage Sites (mon-uments of history and culture) of thePeoples in the Russian Federation reg-ulates the legal norms on tangible her-itage sites subdividing them intoindividual monuments ensembles andsites ndash by analogy with the typologyproposed by the Convention for the Pro-tection of the World Cultural and Nat-

ural Heritage (World Heritage Conven-tion) In a number of sites the culturallandscapes are represented ndash the firstand as yet the only example of culturallandscapes having legal status at nationallevel One of the key notions in this lawis the subject for protection ndash ie thelist of assets that are not to be destroyedchanged or modified by human activ-ity Economic activity is limited to ensurethat the objects or site are protected Inthe Russian legislation there is no suchcultural heritage category as the ldquohis-torical and cultural protected areardquo Infact these territories do exist ndash they aremuseum-reserves established by gov-ernmental acts By their functions andinstitutional type they are similar tonational parks and play a most impor-tant role in the conservation of the her-itage ndash estates of the aristocracymonasteries urban rural and archae-ological landscapes and battlefields arerepresented in the museum-reserveswith exceptional diversityWith regard to immanent values in thelandscapes andor in the environmentthere is insufficient legal developmentthough essential prerequisites for suchregulation exist within the system ofurban planning and development aswell as in the currently established legalprocedures of environmental impactassessment and historical and culturalexpert appraisalEvery society embodies a system of val-ues where the landscape has its ownplace Social cataclysms in the twenti-eth century have destroyed the tradi-tional vision where landscape as a placefor living subsistence and social accom-plishment had comprised a significantsphere While traditional community isintrinsically connected to its physicalenvironment transformed into thecultural landscape semantically satu-rated and enriched and used for culturalself-identification through its historicalcontents the modern society is char-acterised by poor environmental per-ception and segregation from anythingbeyond individual property With dem-ocratic institutions still poorly devel-oped the landscape subject to generallaws and treated as a consumer com-modity finds its destiny determined bytechnocratic decisions and profitableinvestments If a society does not per-ceive its traditional landscape as anintrinsic cultural asset and a basic pre-requisite for sustainable developmentit has no future The revelation and clar-ification of the cultural landscape as anational heritage is a crucial task to beconsidered and implemented at all lev-els of territorial management and landuse in Russia

Marina KuleshovaRussian Research Institute for Natural

and Cultural Heritage 2 Kosmonavtov str

129366 Moscow Russian Federationheritagemtu-netru

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia

Dif

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nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

10 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In Europe the territory is no longer nat-ural It has been changed fundamentallyby the hand of man by building andcultivation After a long process of trans-formation territory becomes a ldquogreatconstructionrdquo with its own history and itsown language a great focus of culture agreat and complex work of art consider-ing its scale the fruit of many civilisa-tions Like all constructions its languageis expressed through signs This languageand its signs are the values that shape itsidentity If the language is lost construc-tion is interruptedThe landscape and the natural and culturalheritage which we might call the ldquoterri-torial heritagerdquo are the language andsigns that describe the territory From aterritorial and sustainable angle thesesigns acquire a strategic value and explainits history and its values but above allthey set the rules for its transformationThis strategic value of the ldquoterritorial her-itagerdquo was brought to the fore in Euro-pean thinking on territorial developmentmainly in the European Union and theCouncil of Europe

Innovative guidanceThe thinking has gone beyond the theo-retical approach and has taken tangibleform as a series of documents (Commu-nity Spatial Development Model (EU1999) Guiding Principles for SustainableDevelopment of the European Continent(Council of Europe 2002) and EuropeanLandscape Convention (Council of Europe2000)) which despite the fact that theyare not binding form a common andinternational frame of reference to definethe treatment of heritage and landscape

on the basis of this new ldquoterritorial dimen-sionrdquo These documents do not proposenew tools but provide innovative guid-ance for the better use of conventionalheritage and landscape managementtoolsThe basis is the new ldquosustainable spatialdevelopmentrdquo concept which is definedaccording to the application of two rela-tively recent basic principles the princi-ple of territorial cohesion (combined witheconomic and social cohesion) and theprinciple of sustainable development(Ljubljana Declaration 13th CEMAT Sep-tember 2003) Developing these princi-ples calls for the simultaneous study offour aspects in order to understand andapply the policies environmental eco-nomic social and cultural These newcriteria alter the traditional sectoralapproaches abolishing the isolation ofthese policies that has generally beenrespected up to now in order to tackleheritage and landscapeIn accordance with these principles oneof the territorial aims under considera-tion for Europe is ldquocreative innovativeand intelligent development of the terri-torial heritage and the landscaperdquo with aview to highlighting regional identity andpreserving diversity as fundamental fac-tors in development

Landscape and heritageare essential factors in spatial developmentConsequently landscape and heritage areessential factors in spatial developmentwith special featuresBecause they are capable of showing thestate of the territory and because they

can be objectively described they are animportant tool for standardisation of spa-tial models This is one of the aims of theESPON project The Role and SpatialEffects of Cultural Heritage and Identity They are an important factor in citizensrsquoquality of life and environment Heritageand landscape factors both urban andrural become meaningful only in asso-ciation with the use of territory They arealso economic assets and an opportunityfor regions and local communities withregard to their pulling power for eco-nomic activities other than tourism hencethe importance of increasing the aware-ness of the population and of its partici-pation in recognising it The EuropeanRural Heritage Observation Guide CEMAT2003 is a good exampleLandscape and heritage are dynamic inother words they have been transformedand are transformable which keeps themfrom being regarded as ldquofossilsrdquo Theypresent a dual challenge conservationand creative management This involvesapplying the principle of ldquoactive conser-vationrdquo with new forms of managementincorporating the three conventionaltypes of operation protection conser-vation and restoration supplemented bymore modern techniques In additionheritage must be regarded as an integralpart of the system like routes or corridorswith regard to the concept of ldquositerdquo orldquomonumentrdquo in the context of integratedspatial development strategiesAll these aspects strengthen a new rela-tionship involving heritage landscapeand spatial developmentBy way of summary it is important toemphasise their strategic role for diag-nosis and action on the territory and inthe city secondly their European dimen-sion requiring action on larger spatialscales such as the interregional ortransnational level and lastly the needfor new forms of management incorpo-rating active participation by citizens

Margarita OrtegaGeneral Secretariat for Territory

and BiodiversityMinistry of the Environment

Plaza de S Juan de la Cruz sn E-28071 Madrid

MOrtegammaes

In Spain

We

iss

Su

nse

t

Villarubia la Mancha

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

Dif

fe

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pp

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ac

he

s

12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

fe

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a

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ro

ac

he

s

tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

fe

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ac

he

s

16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

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ac

he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

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ag

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ed

ag

og

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

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er

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

nv

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ag

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

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er

it

ag

e a

nd

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ed

ag

og

y

32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

3n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Earth water air ndash a trio of essential elements that determines human existenceand which is at the same time shaped by human activity The result of thisinteraction is the cultural landscape as part of our heritage Its two components ndashnature and culture ndash work together and lead to unique features Each generationadds new transformations producing changes in the balance of natural resourcesAnd it does it with the vanity of being unique and eternal

Over the last decades international bodies have promoted theories and methods thatasked for a more balanced approach to the cultural heritage and to the landscape itselfTerms such as ldquonew ecological orderrdquo ldquosustained ecologyrdquo ldquocultural landscaperdquo ldquolandscapepoliticsrdquo ldquopure landscaperdquo are increasingly circulated The debates intensified especially after the adoptionof the European Landscape Convention (Florence 2000) whose strong statements must now be firmlysupported

We are witnessing a real crisis that is not one of scientific principle but of wrong practice Political changesin eastern Europe after 1989 opened the gate to lesser known cultural and natural heritage sites but alsobrought attention to the necessity for their protection A series of aggressive practices in land developmentare threatening some of the European cultural landscapes and their future development In such casesEuropean regional and interregional politics and programmes could offer viable solutions as has been provedby convincing projects such as Kras in Slovakia and Rudaria in Romania The two projects created heritageinterest areas that are now important and sustainable development sources

Natural and cultural diversity is obviously one of our main common assets and its protection callsfor solidarity and joint European professional actions Special common strategies need to be implementedregarding heritage protection in the fields of archaeology ethnography and traditional arts and craftsso highly characteristic of South-Eastern Europe in many rural settlements situated mainly in mountain areasContemporary heritage philosophy is pleading nowadays for a knowledgeable approach to nature and thebuilt heritage ndash the Danubersquos route together with its delta protected as a natural biosphere reserve is oneof the best examples with its important range of fortifications prehistoric ancient and medieval settlementstowns and villages with interesting landscape architectural and ethnographic features along the riverbanksof the eleven countries crossed by the river In this Danubian context the recent case of the Bystre canalis of interest not just to the immediately neighbouring countries Romania and Ukraine but also to allthe countries along the river

The option of creating natural reserves conservation areas and ecomuseums in such rich territoriescan also be profitable in terms of increasing the quality of life but needs dedicated structures as well as high-quality heritage conservation management

Aware of the significant relationship between nature and culture we could only agree with the recentDeclaration on Enhancing Youth Education on World Heritage Protection (Suzhou Forum 1 July 2004)in saying ldquoBoth natural and cultural heritage constitute precious common properties of mankindrdquo

Ioan OprisSecretary of State for Cultural Heritage of Romania

Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs30 Kiseleff Str Sector 1

ROndash71341 Bucharest

E d i t o r i a l

C

C

Iam

an

de

scu

Culture nature and heritage

4 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

S h a r e d v i e w s

The (somewhat artificial) contrastbetween nature and culture has been thedelight of philosophers and the bane ofstudents who had to form a clear andlogical view of the cosmos that surroundsus from a range of thought so vast as toappear hazy From Aristotle to SchellingNietzsche and the indispensable Kantthe great minds of the past have pon-dered the relationships between the worldand its outward aspects and the very prin-ciple of that contradictory thought thatcontrasts nature and culture Leacutevi-Strausssaw the origin of all culture in the prohi-bition of incest which made healthyexogamic exchange a practice essentialto the survival of the species possibleand essential He added that nature thepre-cultural state was the ground onwhich one (might) hope to come intocontact with ancestors spirits and godsechoing the thought of Heraclitus of anti-quity and of certain so-called primitivetribes or inspired shamans true wisdomis to speak and act while listening tonature Without losing ourselves in thehighways and byways of philosophy wemay take the view that man a primordialand essential constituent of nature per-ceives it because he is subjected to it andthat culture is no more than an epiphe-nomenon of this perception The con-temporary physicist James Lovelock eventook the view that nature was the only liv-ing organism This concept would havecaused Nietzsche to rise from the gravein Die Froumlhliche Wissenschaft (CheerfulScience) he wrote let us be wary of think-ing that the world is a living being Howwould it develop What would it feed onA recent trend in science sees a mathe-matical and algebraic equation of incred-ible complexity in the origin of theuniverse thus agreeing with Galileo whostated in his Saggiatore that the universe

is written and can be understood in math-ematical language In so doing thisscholar whom the Church gave a roughride came to be held in poor regard bymany scientists and philosophers Berke-ley and his successors among others whorefused to substitute the abstraction forthe ldquothing itselfrdquo ie the realityCould we say that philosophyrsquos most out-standing contribution to the study ofnature is not the system that it formu-lates but the thinking that it inspires inthose who plunge headlong into its mys-teries Thinking which was for Rilke likea figure in a dancehellip He writes

ldquoIn which natureThe unthinking architectIs outdoneBy us whose lives are shortFor she hears and is drivenonly by the song of Orpheusrdquo

This thinking leads us to note that naturewhich owes its beauty to the gods is sub-jected to improvements and rearrange-ments at the hand of mortals but mustdistrust caprices of the human mindexpressed by the concept of ldquoculturerdquo

The cultural exploits of menAs president of an association whose aimis the protection of heritage I should liketo extend my thinking to a less rarefiedlevel No one doubts that the culturalexploits of men are an intangible contri-bution to the development of humanityThey are the result of thought expressedand developed by millions of past gen-erations who have lived in various cli-mates and environmentsCulture is inextricably interwoven withthe threads produced by our secular rela-tions with nature Nature and its phe-nomena have not merely shaped us andsharpened our reflexes we could not livewithout maintaining a very close linkwith the natural element Like Antaeusdeprived of his mother Gaia the giantfated to die when Heracles held him sus-pended in the air we will die if we are cutoff from nature Who can doubt that con-temporary civilisation has the same effectupon our innermost development Onethinks of Pascal qui veut faire lrsquoange faitla becircte (he who wants to play the angelacts the brute) But the theme of culturesubmissive to nature is more subtlebecause it implies that nature finds ful-filment only through the eye of manThere is a kind of ecological eschatologyin that statement as if all the beauty of

the world gained meaning when it wastransmuted by man its most sophisti-cated product Without realising it weare living in a universe entirely shaped byus How many primeval forests survivein Europe We have planted cultivatedtransformed thought and rationalisedin order to meet basic requirementsSpecies have been crossed corrected andimproved Trees have been selected andplanted in lines Their splendid trunkshave inspired temple or cathedral pillarssince neolithic times the hills fields andmeadows have acquired artificial reliefand harmonious levels as a result of thetireless activity of the farmer with hisplough who has filled in gullies andsmoothed out hummocks Our landscapearchitectsrsquo parks and gardens are no morethan an attempt to establish a kind ofideal vision of a perfect landscape inmanrsquos intellectual substratum Thisapproach gives us a vision of an abstractgolden age that enchants and charms themind by conjuring up a distant heavenlyarchetype Does not the word ldquogardenrdquohave an Indo-European root ndash ghorto (hor-tus cour garingrd garden grad in Russian)meaning an enclosure an area of changeset aside and cut off from the world inwhich the imagination can shape an envi-ronment of plants conducive to peace ofmind

The age of our continentThe continents have been transformed bythe hand of man except for the two polesAntarctic and Arctic where the climatehas prevented sustainable and sedentarysocieties from settling Few landscapesbear the imprint of human genius morethan those in our old Western European offshoot of Asia Admittedly someoverpopulated plains in China India or theSino-Indian continent have become man-icured gardens However does not theage of our continent none the less reveala charm a harmony a vigour and arigour and why not a subtle essence ofintellectualityIt is by superimposing the strata in whichldquoculturerdquo has progressively shapedldquonaturerdquo that we have created master-pieces which seem to us to be almost nat-ural But these vineyards orchards andmeadows are the fruit of the labour ofmany generations which have patientlybuilt their world by the sweat of theirbrows Wine fruit and cereals are theaffordable products of nature combined

Culture from the viewpoint

M

Gu

nth

er

ldquoOwlrdquo jar from Antalya Turkey

5n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with culture a marvel of co-operationbetween gods and man in fact a sym-biosis of natural creation allied to humantoil a transformation of the gifts of natureby the genius of a product of that samenature man Another key idea inherentin the expression ldquonatural heritagerdquo is itslong-term influence on the mind of manwho has always tried desperately to trans-form nature He regards this action bothas a violation of nature and as his bootyhis heritage since violation is an act ofpossession

The undeniable benefitsof natureWe know that a truffle in a basket of eggsspreads its aroma to all the eggs Likethe truffle the nature that surrounds usand that we chip away at spreads its per-fume over our psyche and our intellectIt penetrates us and spreads taste andbalance into our brains our humanunderstanding needs these in order tofind fulfilment I have no wish to givethe impression of stating an aestheticmaxim but no sociologist can deny thatthe environment conditions the reac-tions of society and shapes our instinctsDelinquency despair and rates of sui-cide are high in depressed urban areasA horizon bounded by concrete wallsexpanses of asphalt or wastelands withno greenery gives rise to worryingdespair Open spaces in which naturegrows and develops freely spread spiri-tual harmony conducive to the develop-ment of man Present-day urbanisationuncontrolled and completely lacking inhumanity might give rise to a headlongrush to despair or to the alienation ofdistraught youth or at least to the deathof thought and of cheerful spontaneityThe time is not yet ripe for the structuresof the future imagined by HG Wellswhen buildings would no longer be min-eral-based but made from living anddegradable materialsOur relationship of love and interest withnature implies a high level of vigilanceand no sudden action ndash mutual respectOne might even wish for a form of eco-logical asceticism which would involvea meditative state and permanent ques-tioning of what we do Many modern ill-nesses are due to depression but alsoto stimulation to frenzy due to the searchfor immediate pleasure and easy satis-faction Should we not sometimesencourage a search for moderation

excellence temperance and even for theBeautiful for its own sake and above allmore frequent far-reaching and intimatecontact with the natural environmentEuropa Nostra devotes part of its intellec-tual energy but also all its physical strengthand its soul to maintaining the heritageOur aims are not merely to preserve mon-uments sites coasts mountains or riversthey also include promoting a disciplinewhose ambition is permanently to incor-porate the human dimension into the itemsit protects We have declared that ldquoEuro-pean culturerdquo was the culture of unity indiversity We might suggest that Europeannature is the antithesis of the foregoingdeclaration thus it could be said to rep-resent diversity in unity In other wordsthere is nothing more multi-faceted andeven protean than the natural environ-ment of our Europe but we should remem-ber that the term ldquonatural environmentrdquo

covers in large measure an artificial envi-ronment described as natural but shapedby man Let us therefore always proceedwith vigilance and prudence Let our vio-lation be a violation with consent so thatour tranquillised soul can believe that cul-ture always cohabits harmoniously withnature The bounds would thus be set forthe conduct of human beings towards theirenvironment which would be the alphaand the omega of the concept of ldquoculturerdquoseen from the viewpoint of ldquonaturerdquo

HRH The Prince Consort of DenmarkPresident of Europa Nostra

Europa Nostra Pan-European Federation for Heritage

Lange Voorhout 35NL-2514 EC The HagueTel +31 70 302 40 55Fax +31 70 361 78 65

officeeuropanostraorgwww europanostraorg

of nature

P

Gir

au

dB

ios

ldquohellipWe know that a truffle in a basket of eggs spreads its aroma to all the eggsrdquo

Sh

ar

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ie

ws

6 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

S h a r e d v i e w s

Certain activities are no doubt essentialto survival ndash hunting tigers hares orgazelles chopping down trees to makefarmland dredging rivers extracting andcrushing ore and burning oil ndash but forsome cultures they have become the phi-losophy of the individual or the groupor to put it better they are used to definewhat it means to be Homo faber or indeedhuman at all In blindly going about thesetasks no one gives a thought to the waterin the river the earth in the mine the airand the fire in the furnace or to livingflora and fauna seen as passive objectsof such activities Why should anyonethink of asking their opinion

Culture the sum of social contractsRather than generalising about culturesI can only speak about the ones I knowand in particular that conventionallycalled Western In this and possibly onlyin this the distinction between cultureand nature allows the former to exploitthe latter without ceremony Individualsand groups seen as being endowed withenterprise and thought armed withweapons and techniques and enjoying allrights have created a law-free realm inwhich everything is at their disposal andthey owe nothing except their labourThis culture has grown up in the free hotelthat nature offers It is a culture that is active aware intel-ligent productive free full of senseorganised legitimate ethical useful his-torical collective subjective valuableand so on and contrasts with nature that

is passive necessary lacking in sensewithout history rights and value In sci-ence subjective beings learn aboutobjects in the arts talent gives form tomatter at the workplace engineers andworkers transform the inert breederschefs and butchers work with living fleshThis culture made up of all possible socialcontracts excludes nature from all thosecontracts and in so doing lives on it as aparasite

Symbiosis and natural contract The history of law within this cultureshows us that in antiquity only wealthyadult males born into certain selectedfamilies could act lawfully in the courtsand political assemblies they enjoyedthe status of ldquosubjects of lawrdquo whichexcluded from that privilege women chil-dren foreigners slaves ndash indeed almostall the rest of the population To put itsimply the history is that of the gradualslow acquisition of the same status by allthose who had been excluded Oncefreed they became bit by bit ldquosubjects oflawrdquo Not only may they no longer betreated unlawfully but they also partici-pate in law-making themselves and inwhat might be called the signing if onlyvirtually of the social contracts whichgovern their group At the present timeno one may any longer refuse anyonethe status of ldquosubject of lawrdquo I upset many people by once suggestingthat ldquonaturerdquo which has until now had norights should under the title of ldquonaturalcontractrdquo at length be given this same sta-tus of subject of law The old parasitismthe one-sided contract in which we takeeverything without giving anything whilethe other side gives everything butreceives nothing would become a sym-biosis based on reciprocal exchange Thus redefined the term nature reac-quires its literal sense the things and peo-ple yet to be born The status of subjectof law thereby extends from natural andexisting things to natura those to comewe should make a further leap and agreethis new natural contract with naturaeand naturi the girls and boys of futuregenerations Asking them to share in ourcurrent decisions would make no senseunless these potential worlds and thesehumans yet to be born acquired the sta-tus of subjects of law and unless we signeda contract with them even though theyare absent as a transcendental precon-dition of knowledge and action A sort of

ldquovirtual contractrdquo that guarantees the nat-ural contract The entire world and allthings sit in the court that will decide onthe births to come

A new international institution Lying in the bottom of a boat on a lakethe solitary philosopher Jean-Jacques wasrelishing his existence between heavenand earth among the birds and thefoliage and this same Rousseau a citizenof Geneva signed his Social Contract vir-tually at least with his peers present andpast But neither the throng nor the statewas acknowledged in nature and nei-ther flora nor fauna were acknowledgedin law On the one side were things andon the other men Still today our teach-ing and our decisions maintain this dan-gerous divide the social sciences ignorethe physical sciences and day-to-day pol-itics neglects the planet However notonly do we live in the world but we nowalso weave with it links so changing andclose that it enters into our contracts ifpolitics is concerned with our polis thenthat polis that city now embraces thewhole universeThe UN the World Health Organisation(WHO) Nato the Food and AgricultureOrganisation (FAO) Unesco the WorldBank the Red Cross and so on ndash interna-tional organisations ndash govern human rela-tions as though we neither lived on norwere changing the Earth We fight overthe occupation of land and possession ofsources of water or oil and we appropri-ate codes cells seeds and species If likeanimals we foul what we intend to makeour own niche global pollution will showhow far we can go with our appropriationndash and will no doubt bring it to an end I pro-pose the creation of a new institution thatmight be called WAFEL (Water Air FireEarth Live) in which Homo politicus offersshelter to the elements and the livingbeings that have finally become subjectsof law and can no longer be appropriatedbecause they form the common peaceablehabitat of humanity Our cultures face grave dangers and wemust take the decision to live in peace inorder to safeguard nature and in peacewith nature in order to save ourselves

Michel SerresPhilosopher

Last published book RameauxEditions Le pommier 239 rue Saint Jacques

F- 75005 Paris

Nature seenthrough culture

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

sO

B

ata

gli

ni

Anemone by Jacopo Ligozzi (1546-1626)

7n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D

De

lfin

oS

un

set

While the monotheistic religions havealways sought to develop and strengthentheir followersrsquo faith this faith has itselfchanged greatly over the centuriesIn Christianity the emphasis has rightfrom the outset been on an intensecommunion between on the one handman and God and on the other manand his fellow men brothers and sis-ters The special ties which man mustpreserve with nature have only recentlybeen genuinely highlighted eventhough they are enshrined in the veryfirst chapter of the Bible However thetraditional interpretation was erro-neous warped to the advantage of manand it was in 1989 during the aggior-namento of the Christian Churches thatthe whole area of Christian responsi-bility was rethought and extended to allsectors of activity including the humanrelationship with natureThe first European Ecumenical Assem-bly in Basle in 1989 defined in unam-biguous terms the primordial role tobe shouldered by the Churches in civilsociety contributing to such widelyvarying fields as the economy and edu-cation communication and cultureand social welfare and human rightsThe ethical approach should be uni-versally prioritised particularly at thepresent time when far too often a kindof neo-liberal globalisation is leadingto thoughtless plundering of naturalresources unacceptable intensificationof inequality and the standardisationof cultural identitiesAboriginal (ldquonativerdquo) peoples who untilonly recently were considered ldquoprim-itiverdquo have avoided these pitfalls thanksto their exceptionally strong relationshipwith nature of which they considerthemselves an integral part A goodexample is given by what the Indiansof the Amazonian jungle in Brazil aresaying ldquoA self-proclaimed civilised soci-ety is guided only by market values Itconsiders the Earth as a means of pro-duction or even an object of specula-tion a commodity to be bought andsold For native peoples on the otherhand the Earth is neither a trading itemor an instrument for profit or even justtheir means of subsistence The Earthis the basis of their culture the root oftheir families and social organisationand the source of their relationship withthe supernatural The Earth is thecultural soil in which their ancestorslive and restrdquoPax Christi has long been aware of thewealth of the various ethical approaches

of the different human societies Thiswas the reason for the organisationrsquosfive symposiums from 1995 to 2001which were attended by representa-tives of all forms of religion and spiri-tuality and where Christians mixed withAustralian Aborigines Buddhists withrationalists and Muslims with agnos-tics The aim was to gain enrichmentfrom the various testimonies with aview to improving our coexistence andsolidarity while at the same time retain-ing individual cultural spiritual and othertypes of identities At the first of thesymposiums which saw the adoptionof the ldquoKlingenthal Appealrdquo the repre-sentative of the Baharsquoi religion quotedthe words of the founder of his religionBaharsquoursquollah spoken some 150 yearsago ldquoCivilisation so highly praised bythe best qualified representatives of thearts and sciences will bring great illsupon mankind if we let it overstep thebounds of moderationhellip Civilisationwhich produces so much good whereit remains moderate will if taken toexcess become an equally plentifulsource of evilhelliprdquo What foresightBeing aware of the deterioration of nat-ural resources at the hands of an evergreedier Homo economicus the partic-ipants at the aforementioned first sym-posium affirmed that ldquohellip the situationof the environment is so serious todaythat we consider that we should acttogether and unite our efforts so thatour different spiritual and culturalapproaches far from constitutingobstacles or brakes to co-operationcan rather be sources of enrichmentrdquo(Klingenthal Appeal)Whatever our spirituality might be thefundamental aim must be to open upand listen to the Other so that togetherwe can develop the necessary basesfor human well-being The economicand social dimension as well as humandignity remain the mainstays of humanwelfare but the cultural heritage whichis still too often seen as a luxury isincreasingly proving vital As for Naturewe should be thinking not only of suchmaterial resources as petroleum wineor aspirin but also of the unquantifi-able benefits of a beautiful landscapeor sunrise

Jean-Pierre RibautPresident of the Commission on

Creation and Sustainable DevelopmentPax Christi France

27 rue Rabieacute F-33250 Pauillac

jeanpierreribauwanadoofr

Nature culture and spirituality

Sh

ar

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ie

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8 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In classical drama comedy requires fora happy end while tragedy stipulates thedeath of the main character HoweverAnton Chekhovrsquos remark indicates TheCherry Orchard as a comedy Yes it is thesaddest comedy ever written in Russ-ian all its personages remain alive andfeel quite happy but the lovely Orchard(the title character) dies Dedicatedsolely to human relations Chekhovrsquosplay was a landmark in Russian litera-ture nature was no longer just a staticbackground but a reliable and trustfulfriend vulnerable to betrayalMuch has been said about the impactnatural environment has on nationalculture In Russia one could find explicitexamples of this impact From the pointof view of a spatial planner even thelocation and design of Russian histori-cal cities reflects the specific propertiesof Russian landscape spaciousness gen-tly sloping topography rich vegetationAs a rule a community emerged on thehillside facing the confluence of tworivers and then grew like an unwindingspiral Abundance of wood resulted inprevalence of timber construction whilespaciousness favoured low-density urbandevelopment less vulnerable to firesStone construction was not so commoninsufficient supply resulted in the rulethat only the most vital urban servicesshould enjoy the benefits of stone wallsnamely defence and religion TheCitadel or Kremlin was more an Acrop-olis of the ancient world than a sover-eignrsquos stronghold of western EuropeBeing the best protected parts of settle-ments Kremlins hosted cathedrals andaccumulated pieces of material cultureTimber predominated in civil construc-tion until the time of Peter the GreatUnfortunately wood is not a durablematerial which is why it is useless togo to Russia in search of an ldquoundis-turbedrdquo medieval town like Carcassonnein France or Bergamo in Italy

No antagonistic contradictionsUntil the Industrial Revolution therewere no antagonistic contradictionsbetween urban and rural ways of lifeas urban dwellers and their rural com-patriots had similar opportunities forprivate construction agriculture andrecreation Moreover relatively smallcentrendashperiphery distances in urbancommunities did not prevent citizensfrom direct contacts with native land-

scape sufficiently to provide for creativeinspiration which then materialised intoliterature folklore fine arts and handi-crafts Speaking about the people of Russia itis appropriate to mention that from thevery beginning of its history Russia hasbeen a multinational and thus a multi-cultural state Each nation is charac-terised by its own attitude towardsnature and landscape its own uniqueapproach to them Even in a new placein different natural surroundings peo-ple look for opportunities to use theirtraditional skills and thus search for theirown niche Centuries of living in theneighbourhood taught our ancestorsmutual respect and tolerance Apart fromeconomic symbiosis cultural exchangeconsiderably enriched all participants InRussia the conglomerate of variousnational cultures and traditions couldbe found everywhere from loan wordsto the art of cookeryThe situation began to change in thenineteenth century when the demandfor a highly concentrated labour forceresulted in intensive urbanisation Rightangles and circles though ideal in plan-ning and design appeared to deprivecommunities of their traditional indi-viduality At the very start of that processRussiarsquos leading novelists pointed to thedefinite correlation between broken tiesbetween people and nature on the onehand and dehumanisation and degra-dation of culture on the other Thosewho know the Russian literature of thenineteenth and early twentieth centuriescan easily find that gloomy mood in thenovels by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky TheRevolution of 1917 aggravated the trendthe state policy of rapid industrialisa-tion combined with elimination of indi-vidual farming led to depopulation ofrural areas and excess concentration ofpeople in a few industrial newly built orreshaped agglomerations For severaldecades nature was treated like a treas-ury ldquodestined to serve the peoplerdquoUnfortunately the tremendous size ofthe country and abundance of naturalriches supported the illusion of inex-haustibility It would be unjust to denynumerous nature-protecting measuresundertaken during the Soviet period ofour history creation of national parksand wildlife reserves legal penaltiesfor environmental pollution use ofwaste etc However on a mass scale

ldquoeconomic interestsrdquo predominated Asimilar attitude towards the historicalheritage resulted in intended or unpre-meditated destruction and abandon-ment of old religious and civil buildingsestates and even communities carelessintrusions into historical landscapes lossof traditional arts and handicrafts

Changing situationNow the situation changes the right toproperty inevitably requires responsi-bility and thus ndash action The revival ofindividual construction especially in thecountryside and new architectural solu-tions developed recently in Moscowand several other cities prove that Rus-sians have saved their cultural traditionand in particular their traditional tastefor nature However we are still far froma successful solution of ecological prob-lems from a healthy environment thatcould support a level of culture suffi-cient in its turn to provide for efficientprotection of common heritage Thepractical task for today is to restore directpublic access to genuine natural andcultural values This cannot be achievedthrough insulated isles of undisturbednature and well-guarded museums onlyEnvironmental protection shall becomea feature of everyday life At present Russia is among the mosturbanised nations with 73 of its citi-zens living in cities Evidently urbani-sation is irreversible and it is useless tomourn for the ldquowooden Russiardquo of thepast But that does not mean that accessto natural beauty no longer exists Euro-pean experience has proved that evenin most industrialised regions peoplecan enjoy a healthy environment Thedecisive step to be made now is to turnfrom individual private action to publicIn this connection the recently pro-

A fragile friendship

M

Ku

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ov

a

Russian landscape

9n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

claimed reform of local self-governmentis destined to optimise the size of munic-ipalities and make them more attachedto specific local problems enhance pub-lic representation in local legislative bod-ies and thus raise their prestige andresponseThe practical aspects need co-ordinatedaction Needless to say the role of spa-tial planners will increase dramaticallyThe principal precondition for success-ful environment-friendly spatial devel-opment is the humanist imperativenature is your friend and friends shallnot be betrayedIn Russia novelists painters and com-posers have been always aware of thefragile ties between man and natureThey know how to contribute to natureprotection today Spatial planners shouldbe grateful for their advice

Konstantin AnanitchevInstitute for Urban-Planning

Main Department for Architecture andUrban Planning of Moscow Region

7 Stoleshnikov LaneMoscow Russian Federation

glavarh1mailru

Heritage is a system of accepted val-ues and assets created and preservedby the society with the aim to pass it tothe next generation It absorbs thecultural stratum of the social sphereand is a precondition of its vitality andsustainable development in analogyto the genetic code of the biologicalspecies Every landscape possessessome heritage assets However in her-itage conservation practice and landmanagement these are specific out-standing landscapes that acquire thestatus of protected areas Every land-scape might be identified by referenceto the cultural landscape conceptCultural landscape is an output of thetargeted interaction of culture andnature and therefore it serves as anideal model for solution of the prob-lems between nature and societyCultural landscape conservation andmanagement in Russia is based on asystem of legislation and managementacts on nature conservation culturalheritage protection the rational use ofnatural resources land and urbanconstruction regulation The key her-itage laws are the Law on Strictly Pro-tected Natural Areas (1994) and the Lawon Cultural Heritage Sites (monumentsof history and culture) of the Peoples inthe Russian Federation (2002)

Categories for the protectedThe Law on Strictly Protected NaturalAreas (1994) comprises a continuinglist of the categories for protected areasand is aimed at the specification of thelegal norms for existing protected areas(zapovedniks national parks naturalparks monuments of nature zakazniksspas recreational and medicinal sitesbotanical gardens and dendrologicalparks) It is possible to establish newcategories of protected natural areasbut their specific legal regulations at thenational level are not enforced Amongthe mentioned categories national parksplay a particular role for cultural land-scape protection This is due to the factthat their legal establishment objectivesinclude conservation and restoration ofhistorical and cultural objects It is thenational parks where the most viableexamples of a harmonious interactionbetween man and nature are repre-sented in the specific cultural landscapetypes Several national parks in Russiahave elaborated special programmeson conservation of cultural landscapes

Legal recognition of cultural landscapesThe Law on Cultural Heritage Sites (mon-uments of history and culture) of thePeoples in the Russian Federation reg-ulates the legal norms on tangible her-itage sites subdividing them intoindividual monuments ensembles andsites ndash by analogy with the typologyproposed by the Convention for the Pro-tection of the World Cultural and Nat-

ural Heritage (World Heritage Conven-tion) In a number of sites the culturallandscapes are represented ndash the firstand as yet the only example of culturallandscapes having legal status at nationallevel One of the key notions in this lawis the subject for protection ndash ie thelist of assets that are not to be destroyedchanged or modified by human activ-ity Economic activity is limited to ensurethat the objects or site are protected Inthe Russian legislation there is no suchcultural heritage category as the ldquohis-torical and cultural protected areardquo Infact these territories do exist ndash they aremuseum-reserves established by gov-ernmental acts By their functions andinstitutional type they are similar tonational parks and play a most impor-tant role in the conservation of the her-itage ndash estates of the aristocracymonasteries urban rural and archae-ological landscapes and battlefields arerepresented in the museum-reserveswith exceptional diversityWith regard to immanent values in thelandscapes andor in the environmentthere is insufficient legal developmentthough essential prerequisites for suchregulation exist within the system ofurban planning and development aswell as in the currently established legalprocedures of environmental impactassessment and historical and culturalexpert appraisalEvery society embodies a system of val-ues where the landscape has its ownplace Social cataclysms in the twenti-eth century have destroyed the tradi-tional vision where landscape as a placefor living subsistence and social accom-plishment had comprised a significantsphere While traditional community isintrinsically connected to its physicalenvironment transformed into thecultural landscape semantically satu-rated and enriched and used for culturalself-identification through its historicalcontents the modern society is char-acterised by poor environmental per-ception and segregation from anythingbeyond individual property With dem-ocratic institutions still poorly devel-oped the landscape subject to generallaws and treated as a consumer com-modity finds its destiny determined bytechnocratic decisions and profitableinvestments If a society does not per-ceive its traditional landscape as anintrinsic cultural asset and a basic pre-requisite for sustainable developmentit has no future The revelation and clar-ification of the cultural landscape as anational heritage is a crucial task to beconsidered and implemented at all lev-els of territorial management and landuse in Russia

Marina KuleshovaRussian Research Institute for Natural

and Cultural Heritage 2 Kosmonavtov str

129366 Moscow Russian Federationheritagemtu-netru

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia

Dif

fe

re

nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

10 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In Europe the territory is no longer nat-ural It has been changed fundamentallyby the hand of man by building andcultivation After a long process of trans-formation territory becomes a ldquogreatconstructionrdquo with its own history and itsown language a great focus of culture agreat and complex work of art consider-ing its scale the fruit of many civilisa-tions Like all constructions its languageis expressed through signs This languageand its signs are the values that shape itsidentity If the language is lost construc-tion is interruptedThe landscape and the natural and culturalheritage which we might call the ldquoterri-torial heritagerdquo are the language andsigns that describe the territory From aterritorial and sustainable angle thesesigns acquire a strategic value and explainits history and its values but above allthey set the rules for its transformationThis strategic value of the ldquoterritorial her-itagerdquo was brought to the fore in Euro-pean thinking on territorial developmentmainly in the European Union and theCouncil of Europe

Innovative guidanceThe thinking has gone beyond the theo-retical approach and has taken tangibleform as a series of documents (Commu-nity Spatial Development Model (EU1999) Guiding Principles for SustainableDevelopment of the European Continent(Council of Europe 2002) and EuropeanLandscape Convention (Council of Europe2000)) which despite the fact that theyare not binding form a common andinternational frame of reference to definethe treatment of heritage and landscape

on the basis of this new ldquoterritorial dimen-sionrdquo These documents do not proposenew tools but provide innovative guid-ance for the better use of conventionalheritage and landscape managementtoolsThe basis is the new ldquosustainable spatialdevelopmentrdquo concept which is definedaccording to the application of two rela-tively recent basic principles the princi-ple of territorial cohesion (combined witheconomic and social cohesion) and theprinciple of sustainable development(Ljubljana Declaration 13th CEMAT Sep-tember 2003) Developing these princi-ples calls for the simultaneous study offour aspects in order to understand andapply the policies environmental eco-nomic social and cultural These newcriteria alter the traditional sectoralapproaches abolishing the isolation ofthese policies that has generally beenrespected up to now in order to tackleheritage and landscapeIn accordance with these principles oneof the territorial aims under considera-tion for Europe is ldquocreative innovativeand intelligent development of the terri-torial heritage and the landscaperdquo with aview to highlighting regional identity andpreserving diversity as fundamental fac-tors in development

Landscape and heritageare essential factors in spatial developmentConsequently landscape and heritage areessential factors in spatial developmentwith special featuresBecause they are capable of showing thestate of the territory and because they

can be objectively described they are animportant tool for standardisation of spa-tial models This is one of the aims of theESPON project The Role and SpatialEffects of Cultural Heritage and Identity They are an important factor in citizensrsquoquality of life and environment Heritageand landscape factors both urban andrural become meaningful only in asso-ciation with the use of territory They arealso economic assets and an opportunityfor regions and local communities withregard to their pulling power for eco-nomic activities other than tourism hencethe importance of increasing the aware-ness of the population and of its partici-pation in recognising it The EuropeanRural Heritage Observation Guide CEMAT2003 is a good exampleLandscape and heritage are dynamic inother words they have been transformedand are transformable which keeps themfrom being regarded as ldquofossilsrdquo Theypresent a dual challenge conservationand creative management This involvesapplying the principle of ldquoactive conser-vationrdquo with new forms of managementincorporating the three conventionaltypes of operation protection conser-vation and restoration supplemented bymore modern techniques In additionheritage must be regarded as an integralpart of the system like routes or corridorswith regard to the concept of ldquositerdquo orldquomonumentrdquo in the context of integratedspatial development strategiesAll these aspects strengthen a new rela-tionship involving heritage landscapeand spatial developmentBy way of summary it is important toemphasise their strategic role for diag-nosis and action on the territory and inthe city secondly their European dimen-sion requiring action on larger spatialscales such as the interregional ortransnational level and lastly the needfor new forms of management incorpo-rating active participation by citizens

Margarita OrtegaGeneral Secretariat for Territory

and BiodiversityMinistry of the Environment

Plaza de S Juan de la Cruz sn E-28071 Madrid

MOrtegammaes

In Spain

We

iss

Su

nse

t

Villarubia la Mancha

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

Dif

fe

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nt

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ac

he

s

12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

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he

s

tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

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he

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

re

nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

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lom

ew

UN

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ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

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Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

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Ciu

me

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Map showing possible developments in the study zone

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

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Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

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33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

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A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

4 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

S h a r e d v i e w s

The (somewhat artificial) contrastbetween nature and culture has been thedelight of philosophers and the bane ofstudents who had to form a clear andlogical view of the cosmos that surroundsus from a range of thought so vast as toappear hazy From Aristotle to SchellingNietzsche and the indispensable Kantthe great minds of the past have pon-dered the relationships between the worldand its outward aspects and the very prin-ciple of that contradictory thought thatcontrasts nature and culture Leacutevi-Strausssaw the origin of all culture in the prohi-bition of incest which made healthyexogamic exchange a practice essentialto the survival of the species possibleand essential He added that nature thepre-cultural state was the ground onwhich one (might) hope to come intocontact with ancestors spirits and godsechoing the thought of Heraclitus of anti-quity and of certain so-called primitivetribes or inspired shamans true wisdomis to speak and act while listening tonature Without losing ourselves in thehighways and byways of philosophy wemay take the view that man a primordialand essential constituent of nature per-ceives it because he is subjected to it andthat culture is no more than an epiphe-nomenon of this perception The con-temporary physicist James Lovelock eventook the view that nature was the only liv-ing organism This concept would havecaused Nietzsche to rise from the gravein Die Froumlhliche Wissenschaft (CheerfulScience) he wrote let us be wary of think-ing that the world is a living being Howwould it develop What would it feed onA recent trend in science sees a mathe-matical and algebraic equation of incred-ible complexity in the origin of theuniverse thus agreeing with Galileo whostated in his Saggiatore that the universe

is written and can be understood in math-ematical language In so doing thisscholar whom the Church gave a roughride came to be held in poor regard bymany scientists and philosophers Berke-ley and his successors among others whorefused to substitute the abstraction forthe ldquothing itselfrdquo ie the realityCould we say that philosophyrsquos most out-standing contribution to the study ofnature is not the system that it formu-lates but the thinking that it inspires inthose who plunge headlong into its mys-teries Thinking which was for Rilke likea figure in a dancehellip He writes

ldquoIn which natureThe unthinking architectIs outdoneBy us whose lives are shortFor she hears and is drivenonly by the song of Orpheusrdquo

This thinking leads us to note that naturewhich owes its beauty to the gods is sub-jected to improvements and rearrange-ments at the hand of mortals but mustdistrust caprices of the human mindexpressed by the concept of ldquoculturerdquo

The cultural exploits of menAs president of an association whose aimis the protection of heritage I should liketo extend my thinking to a less rarefiedlevel No one doubts that the culturalexploits of men are an intangible contri-bution to the development of humanityThey are the result of thought expressedand developed by millions of past gen-erations who have lived in various cli-mates and environmentsCulture is inextricably interwoven withthe threads produced by our secular rela-tions with nature Nature and its phe-nomena have not merely shaped us andsharpened our reflexes we could not livewithout maintaining a very close linkwith the natural element Like Antaeusdeprived of his mother Gaia the giantfated to die when Heracles held him sus-pended in the air we will die if we are cutoff from nature Who can doubt that con-temporary civilisation has the same effectupon our innermost development Onethinks of Pascal qui veut faire lrsquoange faitla becircte (he who wants to play the angelacts the brute) But the theme of culturesubmissive to nature is more subtlebecause it implies that nature finds ful-filment only through the eye of manThere is a kind of ecological eschatologyin that statement as if all the beauty of

the world gained meaning when it wastransmuted by man its most sophisti-cated product Without realising it weare living in a universe entirely shaped byus How many primeval forests survivein Europe We have planted cultivatedtransformed thought and rationalisedin order to meet basic requirementsSpecies have been crossed corrected andimproved Trees have been selected andplanted in lines Their splendid trunkshave inspired temple or cathedral pillarssince neolithic times the hills fields andmeadows have acquired artificial reliefand harmonious levels as a result of thetireless activity of the farmer with hisplough who has filled in gullies andsmoothed out hummocks Our landscapearchitectsrsquo parks and gardens are no morethan an attempt to establish a kind ofideal vision of a perfect landscape inmanrsquos intellectual substratum Thisapproach gives us a vision of an abstractgolden age that enchants and charms themind by conjuring up a distant heavenlyarchetype Does not the word ldquogardenrdquohave an Indo-European root ndash ghorto (hor-tus cour garingrd garden grad in Russian)meaning an enclosure an area of changeset aside and cut off from the world inwhich the imagination can shape an envi-ronment of plants conducive to peace ofmind

The age of our continentThe continents have been transformed bythe hand of man except for the two polesAntarctic and Arctic where the climatehas prevented sustainable and sedentarysocieties from settling Few landscapesbear the imprint of human genius morethan those in our old Western European offshoot of Asia Admittedly someoverpopulated plains in China India or theSino-Indian continent have become man-icured gardens However does not theage of our continent none the less reveala charm a harmony a vigour and arigour and why not a subtle essence ofintellectualityIt is by superimposing the strata in whichldquoculturerdquo has progressively shapedldquonaturerdquo that we have created master-pieces which seem to us to be almost nat-ural But these vineyards orchards andmeadows are the fruit of the labour ofmany generations which have patientlybuilt their world by the sweat of theirbrows Wine fruit and cereals are theaffordable products of nature combined

Culture from the viewpoint

M

Gu

nth

er

ldquoOwlrdquo jar from Antalya Turkey

5n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with culture a marvel of co-operationbetween gods and man in fact a sym-biosis of natural creation allied to humantoil a transformation of the gifts of natureby the genius of a product of that samenature man Another key idea inherentin the expression ldquonatural heritagerdquo is itslong-term influence on the mind of manwho has always tried desperately to trans-form nature He regards this action bothas a violation of nature and as his bootyhis heritage since violation is an act ofpossession

The undeniable benefitsof natureWe know that a truffle in a basket of eggsspreads its aroma to all the eggs Likethe truffle the nature that surrounds usand that we chip away at spreads its per-fume over our psyche and our intellectIt penetrates us and spreads taste andbalance into our brains our humanunderstanding needs these in order tofind fulfilment I have no wish to givethe impression of stating an aestheticmaxim but no sociologist can deny thatthe environment conditions the reac-tions of society and shapes our instinctsDelinquency despair and rates of sui-cide are high in depressed urban areasA horizon bounded by concrete wallsexpanses of asphalt or wastelands withno greenery gives rise to worryingdespair Open spaces in which naturegrows and develops freely spread spiri-tual harmony conducive to the develop-ment of man Present-day urbanisationuncontrolled and completely lacking inhumanity might give rise to a headlongrush to despair or to the alienation ofdistraught youth or at least to the deathof thought and of cheerful spontaneityThe time is not yet ripe for the structuresof the future imagined by HG Wellswhen buildings would no longer be min-eral-based but made from living anddegradable materialsOur relationship of love and interest withnature implies a high level of vigilanceand no sudden action ndash mutual respectOne might even wish for a form of eco-logical asceticism which would involvea meditative state and permanent ques-tioning of what we do Many modern ill-nesses are due to depression but alsoto stimulation to frenzy due to the searchfor immediate pleasure and easy satis-faction Should we not sometimesencourage a search for moderation

excellence temperance and even for theBeautiful for its own sake and above allmore frequent far-reaching and intimatecontact with the natural environmentEuropa Nostra devotes part of its intellec-tual energy but also all its physical strengthand its soul to maintaining the heritageOur aims are not merely to preserve mon-uments sites coasts mountains or riversthey also include promoting a disciplinewhose ambition is permanently to incor-porate the human dimension into the itemsit protects We have declared that ldquoEuro-pean culturerdquo was the culture of unity indiversity We might suggest that Europeannature is the antithesis of the foregoingdeclaration thus it could be said to rep-resent diversity in unity In other wordsthere is nothing more multi-faceted andeven protean than the natural environ-ment of our Europe but we should remem-ber that the term ldquonatural environmentrdquo

covers in large measure an artificial envi-ronment described as natural but shapedby man Let us therefore always proceedwith vigilance and prudence Let our vio-lation be a violation with consent so thatour tranquillised soul can believe that cul-ture always cohabits harmoniously withnature The bounds would thus be set forthe conduct of human beings towards theirenvironment which would be the alphaand the omega of the concept of ldquoculturerdquoseen from the viewpoint of ldquonaturerdquo

HRH The Prince Consort of DenmarkPresident of Europa Nostra

Europa Nostra Pan-European Federation for Heritage

Lange Voorhout 35NL-2514 EC The HagueTel +31 70 302 40 55Fax +31 70 361 78 65

officeeuropanostraorgwww europanostraorg

of nature

P

Gir

au

dB

ios

ldquohellipWe know that a truffle in a basket of eggs spreads its aroma to all the eggsrdquo

Sh

ar

ed

v

ie

ws

6 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

S h a r e d v i e w s

Certain activities are no doubt essentialto survival ndash hunting tigers hares orgazelles chopping down trees to makefarmland dredging rivers extracting andcrushing ore and burning oil ndash but forsome cultures they have become the phi-losophy of the individual or the groupor to put it better they are used to definewhat it means to be Homo faber or indeedhuman at all In blindly going about thesetasks no one gives a thought to the waterin the river the earth in the mine the airand the fire in the furnace or to livingflora and fauna seen as passive objectsof such activities Why should anyonethink of asking their opinion

Culture the sum of social contractsRather than generalising about culturesI can only speak about the ones I knowand in particular that conventionallycalled Western In this and possibly onlyin this the distinction between cultureand nature allows the former to exploitthe latter without ceremony Individualsand groups seen as being endowed withenterprise and thought armed withweapons and techniques and enjoying allrights have created a law-free realm inwhich everything is at their disposal andthey owe nothing except their labourThis culture has grown up in the free hotelthat nature offers It is a culture that is active aware intel-ligent productive free full of senseorganised legitimate ethical useful his-torical collective subjective valuableand so on and contrasts with nature that

is passive necessary lacking in sensewithout history rights and value In sci-ence subjective beings learn aboutobjects in the arts talent gives form tomatter at the workplace engineers andworkers transform the inert breederschefs and butchers work with living fleshThis culture made up of all possible socialcontracts excludes nature from all thosecontracts and in so doing lives on it as aparasite

Symbiosis and natural contract The history of law within this cultureshows us that in antiquity only wealthyadult males born into certain selectedfamilies could act lawfully in the courtsand political assemblies they enjoyedthe status of ldquosubjects of lawrdquo whichexcluded from that privilege women chil-dren foreigners slaves ndash indeed almostall the rest of the population To put itsimply the history is that of the gradualslow acquisition of the same status by allthose who had been excluded Oncefreed they became bit by bit ldquosubjects oflawrdquo Not only may they no longer betreated unlawfully but they also partici-pate in law-making themselves and inwhat might be called the signing if onlyvirtually of the social contracts whichgovern their group At the present timeno one may any longer refuse anyonethe status of ldquosubject of lawrdquo I upset many people by once suggestingthat ldquonaturerdquo which has until now had norights should under the title of ldquonaturalcontractrdquo at length be given this same sta-tus of subject of law The old parasitismthe one-sided contract in which we takeeverything without giving anything whilethe other side gives everything butreceives nothing would become a sym-biosis based on reciprocal exchange Thus redefined the term nature reac-quires its literal sense the things and peo-ple yet to be born The status of subjectof law thereby extends from natural andexisting things to natura those to comewe should make a further leap and agreethis new natural contract with naturaeand naturi the girls and boys of futuregenerations Asking them to share in ourcurrent decisions would make no senseunless these potential worlds and thesehumans yet to be born acquired the sta-tus of subjects of law and unless we signeda contract with them even though theyare absent as a transcendental precon-dition of knowledge and action A sort of

ldquovirtual contractrdquo that guarantees the nat-ural contract The entire world and allthings sit in the court that will decide onthe births to come

A new international institution Lying in the bottom of a boat on a lakethe solitary philosopher Jean-Jacques wasrelishing his existence between heavenand earth among the birds and thefoliage and this same Rousseau a citizenof Geneva signed his Social Contract vir-tually at least with his peers present andpast But neither the throng nor the statewas acknowledged in nature and nei-ther flora nor fauna were acknowledgedin law On the one side were things andon the other men Still today our teach-ing and our decisions maintain this dan-gerous divide the social sciences ignorethe physical sciences and day-to-day pol-itics neglects the planet However notonly do we live in the world but we nowalso weave with it links so changing andclose that it enters into our contracts ifpolitics is concerned with our polis thenthat polis that city now embraces thewhole universeThe UN the World Health Organisation(WHO) Nato the Food and AgricultureOrganisation (FAO) Unesco the WorldBank the Red Cross and so on ndash interna-tional organisations ndash govern human rela-tions as though we neither lived on norwere changing the Earth We fight overthe occupation of land and possession ofsources of water or oil and we appropri-ate codes cells seeds and species If likeanimals we foul what we intend to makeour own niche global pollution will showhow far we can go with our appropriationndash and will no doubt bring it to an end I pro-pose the creation of a new institution thatmight be called WAFEL (Water Air FireEarth Live) in which Homo politicus offersshelter to the elements and the livingbeings that have finally become subjectsof law and can no longer be appropriatedbecause they form the common peaceablehabitat of humanity Our cultures face grave dangers and wemust take the decision to live in peace inorder to safeguard nature and in peacewith nature in order to save ourselves

Michel SerresPhilosopher

Last published book RameauxEditions Le pommier 239 rue Saint Jacques

F- 75005 Paris

Nature seenthrough culture

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

sO

B

ata

gli

ni

Anemone by Jacopo Ligozzi (1546-1626)

7n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D

De

lfin

oS

un

set

While the monotheistic religions havealways sought to develop and strengthentheir followersrsquo faith this faith has itselfchanged greatly over the centuriesIn Christianity the emphasis has rightfrom the outset been on an intensecommunion between on the one handman and God and on the other manand his fellow men brothers and sis-ters The special ties which man mustpreserve with nature have only recentlybeen genuinely highlighted eventhough they are enshrined in the veryfirst chapter of the Bible However thetraditional interpretation was erro-neous warped to the advantage of manand it was in 1989 during the aggior-namento of the Christian Churches thatthe whole area of Christian responsi-bility was rethought and extended to allsectors of activity including the humanrelationship with natureThe first European Ecumenical Assem-bly in Basle in 1989 defined in unam-biguous terms the primordial role tobe shouldered by the Churches in civilsociety contributing to such widelyvarying fields as the economy and edu-cation communication and cultureand social welfare and human rightsThe ethical approach should be uni-versally prioritised particularly at thepresent time when far too often a kindof neo-liberal globalisation is leadingto thoughtless plundering of naturalresources unacceptable intensificationof inequality and the standardisationof cultural identitiesAboriginal (ldquonativerdquo) peoples who untilonly recently were considered ldquoprim-itiverdquo have avoided these pitfalls thanksto their exceptionally strong relationshipwith nature of which they considerthemselves an integral part A goodexample is given by what the Indiansof the Amazonian jungle in Brazil aresaying ldquoA self-proclaimed civilised soci-ety is guided only by market values Itconsiders the Earth as a means of pro-duction or even an object of specula-tion a commodity to be bought andsold For native peoples on the otherhand the Earth is neither a trading itemor an instrument for profit or even justtheir means of subsistence The Earthis the basis of their culture the root oftheir families and social organisationand the source of their relationship withthe supernatural The Earth is thecultural soil in which their ancestorslive and restrdquoPax Christi has long been aware of thewealth of the various ethical approaches

of the different human societies Thiswas the reason for the organisationrsquosfive symposiums from 1995 to 2001which were attended by representa-tives of all forms of religion and spiri-tuality and where Christians mixed withAustralian Aborigines Buddhists withrationalists and Muslims with agnos-tics The aim was to gain enrichmentfrom the various testimonies with aview to improving our coexistence andsolidarity while at the same time retain-ing individual cultural spiritual and othertypes of identities At the first of thesymposiums which saw the adoptionof the ldquoKlingenthal Appealrdquo the repre-sentative of the Baharsquoi religion quotedthe words of the founder of his religionBaharsquoursquollah spoken some 150 yearsago ldquoCivilisation so highly praised bythe best qualified representatives of thearts and sciences will bring great illsupon mankind if we let it overstep thebounds of moderationhellip Civilisationwhich produces so much good whereit remains moderate will if taken toexcess become an equally plentifulsource of evilhelliprdquo What foresightBeing aware of the deterioration of nat-ural resources at the hands of an evergreedier Homo economicus the partic-ipants at the aforementioned first sym-posium affirmed that ldquohellip the situationof the environment is so serious todaythat we consider that we should acttogether and unite our efforts so thatour different spiritual and culturalapproaches far from constitutingobstacles or brakes to co-operationcan rather be sources of enrichmentrdquo(Klingenthal Appeal)Whatever our spirituality might be thefundamental aim must be to open upand listen to the Other so that togetherwe can develop the necessary basesfor human well-being The economicand social dimension as well as humandignity remain the mainstays of humanwelfare but the cultural heritage whichis still too often seen as a luxury isincreasingly proving vital As for Naturewe should be thinking not only of suchmaterial resources as petroleum wineor aspirin but also of the unquantifi-able benefits of a beautiful landscapeor sunrise

Jean-Pierre RibautPresident of the Commission on

Creation and Sustainable DevelopmentPax Christi France

27 rue Rabieacute F-33250 Pauillac

jeanpierreribauwanadoofr

Nature culture and spirituality

Sh

ar

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v

ie

ws

8 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In classical drama comedy requires fora happy end while tragedy stipulates thedeath of the main character HoweverAnton Chekhovrsquos remark indicates TheCherry Orchard as a comedy Yes it is thesaddest comedy ever written in Russ-ian all its personages remain alive andfeel quite happy but the lovely Orchard(the title character) dies Dedicatedsolely to human relations Chekhovrsquosplay was a landmark in Russian litera-ture nature was no longer just a staticbackground but a reliable and trustfulfriend vulnerable to betrayalMuch has been said about the impactnatural environment has on nationalculture In Russia one could find explicitexamples of this impact From the pointof view of a spatial planner even thelocation and design of Russian histori-cal cities reflects the specific propertiesof Russian landscape spaciousness gen-tly sloping topography rich vegetationAs a rule a community emerged on thehillside facing the confluence of tworivers and then grew like an unwindingspiral Abundance of wood resulted inprevalence of timber construction whilespaciousness favoured low-density urbandevelopment less vulnerable to firesStone construction was not so commoninsufficient supply resulted in the rulethat only the most vital urban servicesshould enjoy the benefits of stone wallsnamely defence and religion TheCitadel or Kremlin was more an Acrop-olis of the ancient world than a sover-eignrsquos stronghold of western EuropeBeing the best protected parts of settle-ments Kremlins hosted cathedrals andaccumulated pieces of material cultureTimber predominated in civil construc-tion until the time of Peter the GreatUnfortunately wood is not a durablematerial which is why it is useless togo to Russia in search of an ldquoundis-turbedrdquo medieval town like Carcassonnein France or Bergamo in Italy

No antagonistic contradictionsUntil the Industrial Revolution therewere no antagonistic contradictionsbetween urban and rural ways of lifeas urban dwellers and their rural com-patriots had similar opportunities forprivate construction agriculture andrecreation Moreover relatively smallcentrendashperiphery distances in urbancommunities did not prevent citizensfrom direct contacts with native land-

scape sufficiently to provide for creativeinspiration which then materialised intoliterature folklore fine arts and handi-crafts Speaking about the people of Russia itis appropriate to mention that from thevery beginning of its history Russia hasbeen a multinational and thus a multi-cultural state Each nation is charac-terised by its own attitude towardsnature and landscape its own uniqueapproach to them Even in a new placein different natural surroundings peo-ple look for opportunities to use theirtraditional skills and thus search for theirown niche Centuries of living in theneighbourhood taught our ancestorsmutual respect and tolerance Apart fromeconomic symbiosis cultural exchangeconsiderably enriched all participants InRussia the conglomerate of variousnational cultures and traditions couldbe found everywhere from loan wordsto the art of cookeryThe situation began to change in thenineteenth century when the demandfor a highly concentrated labour forceresulted in intensive urbanisation Rightangles and circles though ideal in plan-ning and design appeared to deprivecommunities of their traditional indi-viduality At the very start of that processRussiarsquos leading novelists pointed to thedefinite correlation between broken tiesbetween people and nature on the onehand and dehumanisation and degra-dation of culture on the other Thosewho know the Russian literature of thenineteenth and early twentieth centuriescan easily find that gloomy mood in thenovels by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky TheRevolution of 1917 aggravated the trendthe state policy of rapid industrialisa-tion combined with elimination of indi-vidual farming led to depopulation ofrural areas and excess concentration ofpeople in a few industrial newly built orreshaped agglomerations For severaldecades nature was treated like a treas-ury ldquodestined to serve the peoplerdquoUnfortunately the tremendous size ofthe country and abundance of naturalriches supported the illusion of inex-haustibility It would be unjust to denynumerous nature-protecting measuresundertaken during the Soviet period ofour history creation of national parksand wildlife reserves legal penaltiesfor environmental pollution use ofwaste etc However on a mass scale

ldquoeconomic interestsrdquo predominated Asimilar attitude towards the historicalheritage resulted in intended or unpre-meditated destruction and abandon-ment of old religious and civil buildingsestates and even communities carelessintrusions into historical landscapes lossof traditional arts and handicrafts

Changing situationNow the situation changes the right toproperty inevitably requires responsi-bility and thus ndash action The revival ofindividual construction especially in thecountryside and new architectural solu-tions developed recently in Moscowand several other cities prove that Rus-sians have saved their cultural traditionand in particular their traditional tastefor nature However we are still far froma successful solution of ecological prob-lems from a healthy environment thatcould support a level of culture suffi-cient in its turn to provide for efficientprotection of common heritage Thepractical task for today is to restore directpublic access to genuine natural andcultural values This cannot be achievedthrough insulated isles of undisturbednature and well-guarded museums onlyEnvironmental protection shall becomea feature of everyday life At present Russia is among the mosturbanised nations with 73 of its citi-zens living in cities Evidently urbani-sation is irreversible and it is useless tomourn for the ldquowooden Russiardquo of thepast But that does not mean that accessto natural beauty no longer exists Euro-pean experience has proved that evenin most industrialised regions peoplecan enjoy a healthy environment Thedecisive step to be made now is to turnfrom individual private action to publicIn this connection the recently pro-

A fragile friendship

M

Ku

lesh

ov

a

Russian landscape

9n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

claimed reform of local self-governmentis destined to optimise the size of munic-ipalities and make them more attachedto specific local problems enhance pub-lic representation in local legislative bod-ies and thus raise their prestige andresponseThe practical aspects need co-ordinatedaction Needless to say the role of spa-tial planners will increase dramaticallyThe principal precondition for success-ful environment-friendly spatial devel-opment is the humanist imperativenature is your friend and friends shallnot be betrayedIn Russia novelists painters and com-posers have been always aware of thefragile ties between man and natureThey know how to contribute to natureprotection today Spatial planners shouldbe grateful for their advice

Konstantin AnanitchevInstitute for Urban-Planning

Main Department for Architecture andUrban Planning of Moscow Region

7 Stoleshnikov LaneMoscow Russian Federation

glavarh1mailru

Heritage is a system of accepted val-ues and assets created and preservedby the society with the aim to pass it tothe next generation It absorbs thecultural stratum of the social sphereand is a precondition of its vitality andsustainable development in analogyto the genetic code of the biologicalspecies Every landscape possessessome heritage assets However in her-itage conservation practice and landmanagement these are specific out-standing landscapes that acquire thestatus of protected areas Every land-scape might be identified by referenceto the cultural landscape conceptCultural landscape is an output of thetargeted interaction of culture andnature and therefore it serves as anideal model for solution of the prob-lems between nature and societyCultural landscape conservation andmanagement in Russia is based on asystem of legislation and managementacts on nature conservation culturalheritage protection the rational use ofnatural resources land and urbanconstruction regulation The key her-itage laws are the Law on Strictly Pro-tected Natural Areas (1994) and the Lawon Cultural Heritage Sites (monumentsof history and culture) of the Peoples inthe Russian Federation (2002)

Categories for the protectedThe Law on Strictly Protected NaturalAreas (1994) comprises a continuinglist of the categories for protected areasand is aimed at the specification of thelegal norms for existing protected areas(zapovedniks national parks naturalparks monuments of nature zakazniksspas recreational and medicinal sitesbotanical gardens and dendrologicalparks) It is possible to establish newcategories of protected natural areasbut their specific legal regulations at thenational level are not enforced Amongthe mentioned categories national parksplay a particular role for cultural land-scape protection This is due to the factthat their legal establishment objectivesinclude conservation and restoration ofhistorical and cultural objects It is thenational parks where the most viableexamples of a harmonious interactionbetween man and nature are repre-sented in the specific cultural landscapetypes Several national parks in Russiahave elaborated special programmeson conservation of cultural landscapes

Legal recognition of cultural landscapesThe Law on Cultural Heritage Sites (mon-uments of history and culture) of thePeoples in the Russian Federation reg-ulates the legal norms on tangible her-itage sites subdividing them intoindividual monuments ensembles andsites ndash by analogy with the typologyproposed by the Convention for the Pro-tection of the World Cultural and Nat-

ural Heritage (World Heritage Conven-tion) In a number of sites the culturallandscapes are represented ndash the firstand as yet the only example of culturallandscapes having legal status at nationallevel One of the key notions in this lawis the subject for protection ndash ie thelist of assets that are not to be destroyedchanged or modified by human activ-ity Economic activity is limited to ensurethat the objects or site are protected Inthe Russian legislation there is no suchcultural heritage category as the ldquohis-torical and cultural protected areardquo Infact these territories do exist ndash they aremuseum-reserves established by gov-ernmental acts By their functions andinstitutional type they are similar tonational parks and play a most impor-tant role in the conservation of the her-itage ndash estates of the aristocracymonasteries urban rural and archae-ological landscapes and battlefields arerepresented in the museum-reserveswith exceptional diversityWith regard to immanent values in thelandscapes andor in the environmentthere is insufficient legal developmentthough essential prerequisites for suchregulation exist within the system ofurban planning and development aswell as in the currently established legalprocedures of environmental impactassessment and historical and culturalexpert appraisalEvery society embodies a system of val-ues where the landscape has its ownplace Social cataclysms in the twenti-eth century have destroyed the tradi-tional vision where landscape as a placefor living subsistence and social accom-plishment had comprised a significantsphere While traditional community isintrinsically connected to its physicalenvironment transformed into thecultural landscape semantically satu-rated and enriched and used for culturalself-identification through its historicalcontents the modern society is char-acterised by poor environmental per-ception and segregation from anythingbeyond individual property With dem-ocratic institutions still poorly devel-oped the landscape subject to generallaws and treated as a consumer com-modity finds its destiny determined bytechnocratic decisions and profitableinvestments If a society does not per-ceive its traditional landscape as anintrinsic cultural asset and a basic pre-requisite for sustainable developmentit has no future The revelation and clar-ification of the cultural landscape as anational heritage is a crucial task to beconsidered and implemented at all lev-els of territorial management and landuse in Russia

Marina KuleshovaRussian Research Institute for Natural

and Cultural Heritage 2 Kosmonavtov str

129366 Moscow Russian Federationheritagemtu-netru

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia

Dif

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s

10 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In Europe the territory is no longer nat-ural It has been changed fundamentallyby the hand of man by building andcultivation After a long process of trans-formation territory becomes a ldquogreatconstructionrdquo with its own history and itsown language a great focus of culture agreat and complex work of art consider-ing its scale the fruit of many civilisa-tions Like all constructions its languageis expressed through signs This languageand its signs are the values that shape itsidentity If the language is lost construc-tion is interruptedThe landscape and the natural and culturalheritage which we might call the ldquoterri-torial heritagerdquo are the language andsigns that describe the territory From aterritorial and sustainable angle thesesigns acquire a strategic value and explainits history and its values but above allthey set the rules for its transformationThis strategic value of the ldquoterritorial her-itagerdquo was brought to the fore in Euro-pean thinking on territorial developmentmainly in the European Union and theCouncil of Europe

Innovative guidanceThe thinking has gone beyond the theo-retical approach and has taken tangibleform as a series of documents (Commu-nity Spatial Development Model (EU1999) Guiding Principles for SustainableDevelopment of the European Continent(Council of Europe 2002) and EuropeanLandscape Convention (Council of Europe2000)) which despite the fact that theyare not binding form a common andinternational frame of reference to definethe treatment of heritage and landscape

on the basis of this new ldquoterritorial dimen-sionrdquo These documents do not proposenew tools but provide innovative guid-ance for the better use of conventionalheritage and landscape managementtoolsThe basis is the new ldquosustainable spatialdevelopmentrdquo concept which is definedaccording to the application of two rela-tively recent basic principles the princi-ple of territorial cohesion (combined witheconomic and social cohesion) and theprinciple of sustainable development(Ljubljana Declaration 13th CEMAT Sep-tember 2003) Developing these princi-ples calls for the simultaneous study offour aspects in order to understand andapply the policies environmental eco-nomic social and cultural These newcriteria alter the traditional sectoralapproaches abolishing the isolation ofthese policies that has generally beenrespected up to now in order to tackleheritage and landscapeIn accordance with these principles oneof the territorial aims under considera-tion for Europe is ldquocreative innovativeand intelligent development of the terri-torial heritage and the landscaperdquo with aview to highlighting regional identity andpreserving diversity as fundamental fac-tors in development

Landscape and heritageare essential factors in spatial developmentConsequently landscape and heritage areessential factors in spatial developmentwith special featuresBecause they are capable of showing thestate of the territory and because they

can be objectively described they are animportant tool for standardisation of spa-tial models This is one of the aims of theESPON project The Role and SpatialEffects of Cultural Heritage and Identity They are an important factor in citizensrsquoquality of life and environment Heritageand landscape factors both urban andrural become meaningful only in asso-ciation with the use of territory They arealso economic assets and an opportunityfor regions and local communities withregard to their pulling power for eco-nomic activities other than tourism hencethe importance of increasing the aware-ness of the population and of its partici-pation in recognising it The EuropeanRural Heritage Observation Guide CEMAT2003 is a good exampleLandscape and heritage are dynamic inother words they have been transformedand are transformable which keeps themfrom being regarded as ldquofossilsrdquo Theypresent a dual challenge conservationand creative management This involvesapplying the principle of ldquoactive conser-vationrdquo with new forms of managementincorporating the three conventionaltypes of operation protection conser-vation and restoration supplemented bymore modern techniques In additionheritage must be regarded as an integralpart of the system like routes or corridorswith regard to the concept of ldquositerdquo orldquomonumentrdquo in the context of integratedspatial development strategiesAll these aspects strengthen a new rela-tionship involving heritage landscapeand spatial developmentBy way of summary it is important toemphasise their strategic role for diag-nosis and action on the territory and inthe city secondly their European dimen-sion requiring action on larger spatialscales such as the interregional ortransnational level and lastly the needfor new forms of management incorpo-rating active participation by citizens

Margarita OrtegaGeneral Secretariat for Territory

and BiodiversityMinistry of the Environment

Plaza de S Juan de la Cruz sn E-28071 Madrid

MOrtegammaes

In Spain

We

iss

Su

nse

t

Villarubia la Mancha

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

Dif

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he

s

12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

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s

tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

fe

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ro

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he

s

16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

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18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

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e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

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Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

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24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

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ag

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ag

og

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

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er

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ag

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og

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

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og

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

5n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with culture a marvel of co-operationbetween gods and man in fact a sym-biosis of natural creation allied to humantoil a transformation of the gifts of natureby the genius of a product of that samenature man Another key idea inherentin the expression ldquonatural heritagerdquo is itslong-term influence on the mind of manwho has always tried desperately to trans-form nature He regards this action bothas a violation of nature and as his bootyhis heritage since violation is an act ofpossession

The undeniable benefitsof natureWe know that a truffle in a basket of eggsspreads its aroma to all the eggs Likethe truffle the nature that surrounds usand that we chip away at spreads its per-fume over our psyche and our intellectIt penetrates us and spreads taste andbalance into our brains our humanunderstanding needs these in order tofind fulfilment I have no wish to givethe impression of stating an aestheticmaxim but no sociologist can deny thatthe environment conditions the reac-tions of society and shapes our instinctsDelinquency despair and rates of sui-cide are high in depressed urban areasA horizon bounded by concrete wallsexpanses of asphalt or wastelands withno greenery gives rise to worryingdespair Open spaces in which naturegrows and develops freely spread spiri-tual harmony conducive to the develop-ment of man Present-day urbanisationuncontrolled and completely lacking inhumanity might give rise to a headlongrush to despair or to the alienation ofdistraught youth or at least to the deathof thought and of cheerful spontaneityThe time is not yet ripe for the structuresof the future imagined by HG Wellswhen buildings would no longer be min-eral-based but made from living anddegradable materialsOur relationship of love and interest withnature implies a high level of vigilanceand no sudden action ndash mutual respectOne might even wish for a form of eco-logical asceticism which would involvea meditative state and permanent ques-tioning of what we do Many modern ill-nesses are due to depression but alsoto stimulation to frenzy due to the searchfor immediate pleasure and easy satis-faction Should we not sometimesencourage a search for moderation

excellence temperance and even for theBeautiful for its own sake and above allmore frequent far-reaching and intimatecontact with the natural environmentEuropa Nostra devotes part of its intellec-tual energy but also all its physical strengthand its soul to maintaining the heritageOur aims are not merely to preserve mon-uments sites coasts mountains or riversthey also include promoting a disciplinewhose ambition is permanently to incor-porate the human dimension into the itemsit protects We have declared that ldquoEuro-pean culturerdquo was the culture of unity indiversity We might suggest that Europeannature is the antithesis of the foregoingdeclaration thus it could be said to rep-resent diversity in unity In other wordsthere is nothing more multi-faceted andeven protean than the natural environ-ment of our Europe but we should remem-ber that the term ldquonatural environmentrdquo

covers in large measure an artificial envi-ronment described as natural but shapedby man Let us therefore always proceedwith vigilance and prudence Let our vio-lation be a violation with consent so thatour tranquillised soul can believe that cul-ture always cohabits harmoniously withnature The bounds would thus be set forthe conduct of human beings towards theirenvironment which would be the alphaand the omega of the concept of ldquoculturerdquoseen from the viewpoint of ldquonaturerdquo

HRH The Prince Consort of DenmarkPresident of Europa Nostra

Europa Nostra Pan-European Federation for Heritage

Lange Voorhout 35NL-2514 EC The HagueTel +31 70 302 40 55Fax +31 70 361 78 65

officeeuropanostraorgwww europanostraorg

of nature

P

Gir

au

dB

ios

ldquohellipWe know that a truffle in a basket of eggs spreads its aroma to all the eggsrdquo

Sh

ar

ed

v

ie

ws

6 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

S h a r e d v i e w s

Certain activities are no doubt essentialto survival ndash hunting tigers hares orgazelles chopping down trees to makefarmland dredging rivers extracting andcrushing ore and burning oil ndash but forsome cultures they have become the phi-losophy of the individual or the groupor to put it better they are used to definewhat it means to be Homo faber or indeedhuman at all In blindly going about thesetasks no one gives a thought to the waterin the river the earth in the mine the airand the fire in the furnace or to livingflora and fauna seen as passive objectsof such activities Why should anyonethink of asking their opinion

Culture the sum of social contractsRather than generalising about culturesI can only speak about the ones I knowand in particular that conventionallycalled Western In this and possibly onlyin this the distinction between cultureand nature allows the former to exploitthe latter without ceremony Individualsand groups seen as being endowed withenterprise and thought armed withweapons and techniques and enjoying allrights have created a law-free realm inwhich everything is at their disposal andthey owe nothing except their labourThis culture has grown up in the free hotelthat nature offers It is a culture that is active aware intel-ligent productive free full of senseorganised legitimate ethical useful his-torical collective subjective valuableand so on and contrasts with nature that

is passive necessary lacking in sensewithout history rights and value In sci-ence subjective beings learn aboutobjects in the arts talent gives form tomatter at the workplace engineers andworkers transform the inert breederschefs and butchers work with living fleshThis culture made up of all possible socialcontracts excludes nature from all thosecontracts and in so doing lives on it as aparasite

Symbiosis and natural contract The history of law within this cultureshows us that in antiquity only wealthyadult males born into certain selectedfamilies could act lawfully in the courtsand political assemblies they enjoyedthe status of ldquosubjects of lawrdquo whichexcluded from that privilege women chil-dren foreigners slaves ndash indeed almostall the rest of the population To put itsimply the history is that of the gradualslow acquisition of the same status by allthose who had been excluded Oncefreed they became bit by bit ldquosubjects oflawrdquo Not only may they no longer betreated unlawfully but they also partici-pate in law-making themselves and inwhat might be called the signing if onlyvirtually of the social contracts whichgovern their group At the present timeno one may any longer refuse anyonethe status of ldquosubject of lawrdquo I upset many people by once suggestingthat ldquonaturerdquo which has until now had norights should under the title of ldquonaturalcontractrdquo at length be given this same sta-tus of subject of law The old parasitismthe one-sided contract in which we takeeverything without giving anything whilethe other side gives everything butreceives nothing would become a sym-biosis based on reciprocal exchange Thus redefined the term nature reac-quires its literal sense the things and peo-ple yet to be born The status of subjectof law thereby extends from natural andexisting things to natura those to comewe should make a further leap and agreethis new natural contract with naturaeand naturi the girls and boys of futuregenerations Asking them to share in ourcurrent decisions would make no senseunless these potential worlds and thesehumans yet to be born acquired the sta-tus of subjects of law and unless we signeda contract with them even though theyare absent as a transcendental precon-dition of knowledge and action A sort of

ldquovirtual contractrdquo that guarantees the nat-ural contract The entire world and allthings sit in the court that will decide onthe births to come

A new international institution Lying in the bottom of a boat on a lakethe solitary philosopher Jean-Jacques wasrelishing his existence between heavenand earth among the birds and thefoliage and this same Rousseau a citizenof Geneva signed his Social Contract vir-tually at least with his peers present andpast But neither the throng nor the statewas acknowledged in nature and nei-ther flora nor fauna were acknowledgedin law On the one side were things andon the other men Still today our teach-ing and our decisions maintain this dan-gerous divide the social sciences ignorethe physical sciences and day-to-day pol-itics neglects the planet However notonly do we live in the world but we nowalso weave with it links so changing andclose that it enters into our contracts ifpolitics is concerned with our polis thenthat polis that city now embraces thewhole universeThe UN the World Health Organisation(WHO) Nato the Food and AgricultureOrganisation (FAO) Unesco the WorldBank the Red Cross and so on ndash interna-tional organisations ndash govern human rela-tions as though we neither lived on norwere changing the Earth We fight overthe occupation of land and possession ofsources of water or oil and we appropri-ate codes cells seeds and species If likeanimals we foul what we intend to makeour own niche global pollution will showhow far we can go with our appropriationndash and will no doubt bring it to an end I pro-pose the creation of a new institution thatmight be called WAFEL (Water Air FireEarth Live) in which Homo politicus offersshelter to the elements and the livingbeings that have finally become subjectsof law and can no longer be appropriatedbecause they form the common peaceablehabitat of humanity Our cultures face grave dangers and wemust take the decision to live in peace inorder to safeguard nature and in peacewith nature in order to save ourselves

Michel SerresPhilosopher

Last published book RameauxEditions Le pommier 239 rue Saint Jacques

F- 75005 Paris

Nature seenthrough culture

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

sO

B

ata

gli

ni

Anemone by Jacopo Ligozzi (1546-1626)

7n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D

De

lfin

oS

un

set

While the monotheistic religions havealways sought to develop and strengthentheir followersrsquo faith this faith has itselfchanged greatly over the centuriesIn Christianity the emphasis has rightfrom the outset been on an intensecommunion between on the one handman and God and on the other manand his fellow men brothers and sis-ters The special ties which man mustpreserve with nature have only recentlybeen genuinely highlighted eventhough they are enshrined in the veryfirst chapter of the Bible However thetraditional interpretation was erro-neous warped to the advantage of manand it was in 1989 during the aggior-namento of the Christian Churches thatthe whole area of Christian responsi-bility was rethought and extended to allsectors of activity including the humanrelationship with natureThe first European Ecumenical Assem-bly in Basle in 1989 defined in unam-biguous terms the primordial role tobe shouldered by the Churches in civilsociety contributing to such widelyvarying fields as the economy and edu-cation communication and cultureand social welfare and human rightsThe ethical approach should be uni-versally prioritised particularly at thepresent time when far too often a kindof neo-liberal globalisation is leadingto thoughtless plundering of naturalresources unacceptable intensificationof inequality and the standardisationof cultural identitiesAboriginal (ldquonativerdquo) peoples who untilonly recently were considered ldquoprim-itiverdquo have avoided these pitfalls thanksto their exceptionally strong relationshipwith nature of which they considerthemselves an integral part A goodexample is given by what the Indiansof the Amazonian jungle in Brazil aresaying ldquoA self-proclaimed civilised soci-ety is guided only by market values Itconsiders the Earth as a means of pro-duction or even an object of specula-tion a commodity to be bought andsold For native peoples on the otherhand the Earth is neither a trading itemor an instrument for profit or even justtheir means of subsistence The Earthis the basis of their culture the root oftheir families and social organisationand the source of their relationship withthe supernatural The Earth is thecultural soil in which their ancestorslive and restrdquoPax Christi has long been aware of thewealth of the various ethical approaches

of the different human societies Thiswas the reason for the organisationrsquosfive symposiums from 1995 to 2001which were attended by representa-tives of all forms of religion and spiri-tuality and where Christians mixed withAustralian Aborigines Buddhists withrationalists and Muslims with agnos-tics The aim was to gain enrichmentfrom the various testimonies with aview to improving our coexistence andsolidarity while at the same time retain-ing individual cultural spiritual and othertypes of identities At the first of thesymposiums which saw the adoptionof the ldquoKlingenthal Appealrdquo the repre-sentative of the Baharsquoi religion quotedthe words of the founder of his religionBaharsquoursquollah spoken some 150 yearsago ldquoCivilisation so highly praised bythe best qualified representatives of thearts and sciences will bring great illsupon mankind if we let it overstep thebounds of moderationhellip Civilisationwhich produces so much good whereit remains moderate will if taken toexcess become an equally plentifulsource of evilhelliprdquo What foresightBeing aware of the deterioration of nat-ural resources at the hands of an evergreedier Homo economicus the partic-ipants at the aforementioned first sym-posium affirmed that ldquohellip the situationof the environment is so serious todaythat we consider that we should acttogether and unite our efforts so thatour different spiritual and culturalapproaches far from constitutingobstacles or brakes to co-operationcan rather be sources of enrichmentrdquo(Klingenthal Appeal)Whatever our spirituality might be thefundamental aim must be to open upand listen to the Other so that togetherwe can develop the necessary basesfor human well-being The economicand social dimension as well as humandignity remain the mainstays of humanwelfare but the cultural heritage whichis still too often seen as a luxury isincreasingly proving vital As for Naturewe should be thinking not only of suchmaterial resources as petroleum wineor aspirin but also of the unquantifi-able benefits of a beautiful landscapeor sunrise

Jean-Pierre RibautPresident of the Commission on

Creation and Sustainable DevelopmentPax Christi France

27 rue Rabieacute F-33250 Pauillac

jeanpierreribauwanadoofr

Nature culture and spirituality

Sh

ar

ed

v

ie

ws

8 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In classical drama comedy requires fora happy end while tragedy stipulates thedeath of the main character HoweverAnton Chekhovrsquos remark indicates TheCherry Orchard as a comedy Yes it is thesaddest comedy ever written in Russ-ian all its personages remain alive andfeel quite happy but the lovely Orchard(the title character) dies Dedicatedsolely to human relations Chekhovrsquosplay was a landmark in Russian litera-ture nature was no longer just a staticbackground but a reliable and trustfulfriend vulnerable to betrayalMuch has been said about the impactnatural environment has on nationalculture In Russia one could find explicitexamples of this impact From the pointof view of a spatial planner even thelocation and design of Russian histori-cal cities reflects the specific propertiesof Russian landscape spaciousness gen-tly sloping topography rich vegetationAs a rule a community emerged on thehillside facing the confluence of tworivers and then grew like an unwindingspiral Abundance of wood resulted inprevalence of timber construction whilespaciousness favoured low-density urbandevelopment less vulnerable to firesStone construction was not so commoninsufficient supply resulted in the rulethat only the most vital urban servicesshould enjoy the benefits of stone wallsnamely defence and religion TheCitadel or Kremlin was more an Acrop-olis of the ancient world than a sover-eignrsquos stronghold of western EuropeBeing the best protected parts of settle-ments Kremlins hosted cathedrals andaccumulated pieces of material cultureTimber predominated in civil construc-tion until the time of Peter the GreatUnfortunately wood is not a durablematerial which is why it is useless togo to Russia in search of an ldquoundis-turbedrdquo medieval town like Carcassonnein France or Bergamo in Italy

No antagonistic contradictionsUntil the Industrial Revolution therewere no antagonistic contradictionsbetween urban and rural ways of lifeas urban dwellers and their rural com-patriots had similar opportunities forprivate construction agriculture andrecreation Moreover relatively smallcentrendashperiphery distances in urbancommunities did not prevent citizensfrom direct contacts with native land-

scape sufficiently to provide for creativeinspiration which then materialised intoliterature folklore fine arts and handi-crafts Speaking about the people of Russia itis appropriate to mention that from thevery beginning of its history Russia hasbeen a multinational and thus a multi-cultural state Each nation is charac-terised by its own attitude towardsnature and landscape its own uniqueapproach to them Even in a new placein different natural surroundings peo-ple look for opportunities to use theirtraditional skills and thus search for theirown niche Centuries of living in theneighbourhood taught our ancestorsmutual respect and tolerance Apart fromeconomic symbiosis cultural exchangeconsiderably enriched all participants InRussia the conglomerate of variousnational cultures and traditions couldbe found everywhere from loan wordsto the art of cookeryThe situation began to change in thenineteenth century when the demandfor a highly concentrated labour forceresulted in intensive urbanisation Rightangles and circles though ideal in plan-ning and design appeared to deprivecommunities of their traditional indi-viduality At the very start of that processRussiarsquos leading novelists pointed to thedefinite correlation between broken tiesbetween people and nature on the onehand and dehumanisation and degra-dation of culture on the other Thosewho know the Russian literature of thenineteenth and early twentieth centuriescan easily find that gloomy mood in thenovels by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky TheRevolution of 1917 aggravated the trendthe state policy of rapid industrialisa-tion combined with elimination of indi-vidual farming led to depopulation ofrural areas and excess concentration ofpeople in a few industrial newly built orreshaped agglomerations For severaldecades nature was treated like a treas-ury ldquodestined to serve the peoplerdquoUnfortunately the tremendous size ofthe country and abundance of naturalriches supported the illusion of inex-haustibility It would be unjust to denynumerous nature-protecting measuresundertaken during the Soviet period ofour history creation of national parksand wildlife reserves legal penaltiesfor environmental pollution use ofwaste etc However on a mass scale

ldquoeconomic interestsrdquo predominated Asimilar attitude towards the historicalheritage resulted in intended or unpre-meditated destruction and abandon-ment of old religious and civil buildingsestates and even communities carelessintrusions into historical landscapes lossof traditional arts and handicrafts

Changing situationNow the situation changes the right toproperty inevitably requires responsi-bility and thus ndash action The revival ofindividual construction especially in thecountryside and new architectural solu-tions developed recently in Moscowand several other cities prove that Rus-sians have saved their cultural traditionand in particular their traditional tastefor nature However we are still far froma successful solution of ecological prob-lems from a healthy environment thatcould support a level of culture suffi-cient in its turn to provide for efficientprotection of common heritage Thepractical task for today is to restore directpublic access to genuine natural andcultural values This cannot be achievedthrough insulated isles of undisturbednature and well-guarded museums onlyEnvironmental protection shall becomea feature of everyday life At present Russia is among the mosturbanised nations with 73 of its citi-zens living in cities Evidently urbani-sation is irreversible and it is useless tomourn for the ldquowooden Russiardquo of thepast But that does not mean that accessto natural beauty no longer exists Euro-pean experience has proved that evenin most industrialised regions peoplecan enjoy a healthy environment Thedecisive step to be made now is to turnfrom individual private action to publicIn this connection the recently pro-

A fragile friendship

M

Ku

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ov

a

Russian landscape

9n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

claimed reform of local self-governmentis destined to optimise the size of munic-ipalities and make them more attachedto specific local problems enhance pub-lic representation in local legislative bod-ies and thus raise their prestige andresponseThe practical aspects need co-ordinatedaction Needless to say the role of spa-tial planners will increase dramaticallyThe principal precondition for success-ful environment-friendly spatial devel-opment is the humanist imperativenature is your friend and friends shallnot be betrayedIn Russia novelists painters and com-posers have been always aware of thefragile ties between man and natureThey know how to contribute to natureprotection today Spatial planners shouldbe grateful for their advice

Konstantin AnanitchevInstitute for Urban-Planning

Main Department for Architecture andUrban Planning of Moscow Region

7 Stoleshnikov LaneMoscow Russian Federation

glavarh1mailru

Heritage is a system of accepted val-ues and assets created and preservedby the society with the aim to pass it tothe next generation It absorbs thecultural stratum of the social sphereand is a precondition of its vitality andsustainable development in analogyto the genetic code of the biologicalspecies Every landscape possessessome heritage assets However in her-itage conservation practice and landmanagement these are specific out-standing landscapes that acquire thestatus of protected areas Every land-scape might be identified by referenceto the cultural landscape conceptCultural landscape is an output of thetargeted interaction of culture andnature and therefore it serves as anideal model for solution of the prob-lems between nature and societyCultural landscape conservation andmanagement in Russia is based on asystem of legislation and managementacts on nature conservation culturalheritage protection the rational use ofnatural resources land and urbanconstruction regulation The key her-itage laws are the Law on Strictly Pro-tected Natural Areas (1994) and the Lawon Cultural Heritage Sites (monumentsof history and culture) of the Peoples inthe Russian Federation (2002)

Categories for the protectedThe Law on Strictly Protected NaturalAreas (1994) comprises a continuinglist of the categories for protected areasand is aimed at the specification of thelegal norms for existing protected areas(zapovedniks national parks naturalparks monuments of nature zakazniksspas recreational and medicinal sitesbotanical gardens and dendrologicalparks) It is possible to establish newcategories of protected natural areasbut their specific legal regulations at thenational level are not enforced Amongthe mentioned categories national parksplay a particular role for cultural land-scape protection This is due to the factthat their legal establishment objectivesinclude conservation and restoration ofhistorical and cultural objects It is thenational parks where the most viableexamples of a harmonious interactionbetween man and nature are repre-sented in the specific cultural landscapetypes Several national parks in Russiahave elaborated special programmeson conservation of cultural landscapes

Legal recognition of cultural landscapesThe Law on Cultural Heritage Sites (mon-uments of history and culture) of thePeoples in the Russian Federation reg-ulates the legal norms on tangible her-itage sites subdividing them intoindividual monuments ensembles andsites ndash by analogy with the typologyproposed by the Convention for the Pro-tection of the World Cultural and Nat-

ural Heritage (World Heritage Conven-tion) In a number of sites the culturallandscapes are represented ndash the firstand as yet the only example of culturallandscapes having legal status at nationallevel One of the key notions in this lawis the subject for protection ndash ie thelist of assets that are not to be destroyedchanged or modified by human activ-ity Economic activity is limited to ensurethat the objects or site are protected Inthe Russian legislation there is no suchcultural heritage category as the ldquohis-torical and cultural protected areardquo Infact these territories do exist ndash they aremuseum-reserves established by gov-ernmental acts By their functions andinstitutional type they are similar tonational parks and play a most impor-tant role in the conservation of the her-itage ndash estates of the aristocracymonasteries urban rural and archae-ological landscapes and battlefields arerepresented in the museum-reserveswith exceptional diversityWith regard to immanent values in thelandscapes andor in the environmentthere is insufficient legal developmentthough essential prerequisites for suchregulation exist within the system ofurban planning and development aswell as in the currently established legalprocedures of environmental impactassessment and historical and culturalexpert appraisalEvery society embodies a system of val-ues where the landscape has its ownplace Social cataclysms in the twenti-eth century have destroyed the tradi-tional vision where landscape as a placefor living subsistence and social accom-plishment had comprised a significantsphere While traditional community isintrinsically connected to its physicalenvironment transformed into thecultural landscape semantically satu-rated and enriched and used for culturalself-identification through its historicalcontents the modern society is char-acterised by poor environmental per-ception and segregation from anythingbeyond individual property With dem-ocratic institutions still poorly devel-oped the landscape subject to generallaws and treated as a consumer com-modity finds its destiny determined bytechnocratic decisions and profitableinvestments If a society does not per-ceive its traditional landscape as anintrinsic cultural asset and a basic pre-requisite for sustainable developmentit has no future The revelation and clar-ification of the cultural landscape as anational heritage is a crucial task to beconsidered and implemented at all lev-els of territorial management and landuse in Russia

Marina KuleshovaRussian Research Institute for Natural

and Cultural Heritage 2 Kosmonavtov str

129366 Moscow Russian Federationheritagemtu-netru

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia

Dif

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10 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In Europe the territory is no longer nat-ural It has been changed fundamentallyby the hand of man by building andcultivation After a long process of trans-formation territory becomes a ldquogreatconstructionrdquo with its own history and itsown language a great focus of culture agreat and complex work of art consider-ing its scale the fruit of many civilisa-tions Like all constructions its languageis expressed through signs This languageand its signs are the values that shape itsidentity If the language is lost construc-tion is interruptedThe landscape and the natural and culturalheritage which we might call the ldquoterri-torial heritagerdquo are the language andsigns that describe the territory From aterritorial and sustainable angle thesesigns acquire a strategic value and explainits history and its values but above allthey set the rules for its transformationThis strategic value of the ldquoterritorial her-itagerdquo was brought to the fore in Euro-pean thinking on territorial developmentmainly in the European Union and theCouncil of Europe

Innovative guidanceThe thinking has gone beyond the theo-retical approach and has taken tangibleform as a series of documents (Commu-nity Spatial Development Model (EU1999) Guiding Principles for SustainableDevelopment of the European Continent(Council of Europe 2002) and EuropeanLandscape Convention (Council of Europe2000)) which despite the fact that theyare not binding form a common andinternational frame of reference to definethe treatment of heritage and landscape

on the basis of this new ldquoterritorial dimen-sionrdquo These documents do not proposenew tools but provide innovative guid-ance for the better use of conventionalheritage and landscape managementtoolsThe basis is the new ldquosustainable spatialdevelopmentrdquo concept which is definedaccording to the application of two rela-tively recent basic principles the princi-ple of territorial cohesion (combined witheconomic and social cohesion) and theprinciple of sustainable development(Ljubljana Declaration 13th CEMAT Sep-tember 2003) Developing these princi-ples calls for the simultaneous study offour aspects in order to understand andapply the policies environmental eco-nomic social and cultural These newcriteria alter the traditional sectoralapproaches abolishing the isolation ofthese policies that has generally beenrespected up to now in order to tackleheritage and landscapeIn accordance with these principles oneof the territorial aims under considera-tion for Europe is ldquocreative innovativeand intelligent development of the terri-torial heritage and the landscaperdquo with aview to highlighting regional identity andpreserving diversity as fundamental fac-tors in development

Landscape and heritageare essential factors in spatial developmentConsequently landscape and heritage areessential factors in spatial developmentwith special featuresBecause they are capable of showing thestate of the territory and because they

can be objectively described they are animportant tool for standardisation of spa-tial models This is one of the aims of theESPON project The Role and SpatialEffects of Cultural Heritage and Identity They are an important factor in citizensrsquoquality of life and environment Heritageand landscape factors both urban andrural become meaningful only in asso-ciation with the use of territory They arealso economic assets and an opportunityfor regions and local communities withregard to their pulling power for eco-nomic activities other than tourism hencethe importance of increasing the aware-ness of the population and of its partici-pation in recognising it The EuropeanRural Heritage Observation Guide CEMAT2003 is a good exampleLandscape and heritage are dynamic inother words they have been transformedand are transformable which keeps themfrom being regarded as ldquofossilsrdquo Theypresent a dual challenge conservationand creative management This involvesapplying the principle of ldquoactive conser-vationrdquo with new forms of managementincorporating the three conventionaltypes of operation protection conser-vation and restoration supplemented bymore modern techniques In additionheritage must be regarded as an integralpart of the system like routes or corridorswith regard to the concept of ldquositerdquo orldquomonumentrdquo in the context of integratedspatial development strategiesAll these aspects strengthen a new rela-tionship involving heritage landscapeand spatial developmentBy way of summary it is important toemphasise their strategic role for diag-nosis and action on the territory and inthe city secondly their European dimen-sion requiring action on larger spatialscales such as the interregional ortransnational level and lastly the needfor new forms of management incorpo-rating active participation by citizens

Margarita OrtegaGeneral Secretariat for Territory

and BiodiversityMinistry of the Environment

Plaza de S Juan de la Cruz sn E-28071 Madrid

MOrtegammaes

In Spain

We

iss

Su

nse

t

Villarubia la Mancha

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

Dif

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12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

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s

tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

fe

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a

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ro

ac

he

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

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18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

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e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

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Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

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24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

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er

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ag

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

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nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

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er

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nd

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

6 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

S h a r e d v i e w s

Certain activities are no doubt essentialto survival ndash hunting tigers hares orgazelles chopping down trees to makefarmland dredging rivers extracting andcrushing ore and burning oil ndash but forsome cultures they have become the phi-losophy of the individual or the groupor to put it better they are used to definewhat it means to be Homo faber or indeedhuman at all In blindly going about thesetasks no one gives a thought to the waterin the river the earth in the mine the airand the fire in the furnace or to livingflora and fauna seen as passive objectsof such activities Why should anyonethink of asking their opinion

Culture the sum of social contractsRather than generalising about culturesI can only speak about the ones I knowand in particular that conventionallycalled Western In this and possibly onlyin this the distinction between cultureand nature allows the former to exploitthe latter without ceremony Individualsand groups seen as being endowed withenterprise and thought armed withweapons and techniques and enjoying allrights have created a law-free realm inwhich everything is at their disposal andthey owe nothing except their labourThis culture has grown up in the free hotelthat nature offers It is a culture that is active aware intel-ligent productive free full of senseorganised legitimate ethical useful his-torical collective subjective valuableand so on and contrasts with nature that

is passive necessary lacking in sensewithout history rights and value In sci-ence subjective beings learn aboutobjects in the arts talent gives form tomatter at the workplace engineers andworkers transform the inert breederschefs and butchers work with living fleshThis culture made up of all possible socialcontracts excludes nature from all thosecontracts and in so doing lives on it as aparasite

Symbiosis and natural contract The history of law within this cultureshows us that in antiquity only wealthyadult males born into certain selectedfamilies could act lawfully in the courtsand political assemblies they enjoyedthe status of ldquosubjects of lawrdquo whichexcluded from that privilege women chil-dren foreigners slaves ndash indeed almostall the rest of the population To put itsimply the history is that of the gradualslow acquisition of the same status by allthose who had been excluded Oncefreed they became bit by bit ldquosubjects oflawrdquo Not only may they no longer betreated unlawfully but they also partici-pate in law-making themselves and inwhat might be called the signing if onlyvirtually of the social contracts whichgovern their group At the present timeno one may any longer refuse anyonethe status of ldquosubject of lawrdquo I upset many people by once suggestingthat ldquonaturerdquo which has until now had norights should under the title of ldquonaturalcontractrdquo at length be given this same sta-tus of subject of law The old parasitismthe one-sided contract in which we takeeverything without giving anything whilethe other side gives everything butreceives nothing would become a sym-biosis based on reciprocal exchange Thus redefined the term nature reac-quires its literal sense the things and peo-ple yet to be born The status of subjectof law thereby extends from natural andexisting things to natura those to comewe should make a further leap and agreethis new natural contract with naturaeand naturi the girls and boys of futuregenerations Asking them to share in ourcurrent decisions would make no senseunless these potential worlds and thesehumans yet to be born acquired the sta-tus of subjects of law and unless we signeda contract with them even though theyare absent as a transcendental precon-dition of knowledge and action A sort of

ldquovirtual contractrdquo that guarantees the nat-ural contract The entire world and allthings sit in the court that will decide onthe births to come

A new international institution Lying in the bottom of a boat on a lakethe solitary philosopher Jean-Jacques wasrelishing his existence between heavenand earth among the birds and thefoliage and this same Rousseau a citizenof Geneva signed his Social Contract vir-tually at least with his peers present andpast But neither the throng nor the statewas acknowledged in nature and nei-ther flora nor fauna were acknowledgedin law On the one side were things andon the other men Still today our teach-ing and our decisions maintain this dan-gerous divide the social sciences ignorethe physical sciences and day-to-day pol-itics neglects the planet However notonly do we live in the world but we nowalso weave with it links so changing andclose that it enters into our contracts ifpolitics is concerned with our polis thenthat polis that city now embraces thewhole universeThe UN the World Health Organisation(WHO) Nato the Food and AgricultureOrganisation (FAO) Unesco the WorldBank the Red Cross and so on ndash interna-tional organisations ndash govern human rela-tions as though we neither lived on norwere changing the Earth We fight overthe occupation of land and possession ofsources of water or oil and we appropri-ate codes cells seeds and species If likeanimals we foul what we intend to makeour own niche global pollution will showhow far we can go with our appropriationndash and will no doubt bring it to an end I pro-pose the creation of a new institution thatmight be called WAFEL (Water Air FireEarth Live) in which Homo politicus offersshelter to the elements and the livingbeings that have finally become subjectsof law and can no longer be appropriatedbecause they form the common peaceablehabitat of humanity Our cultures face grave dangers and wemust take the decision to live in peace inorder to safeguard nature and in peacewith nature in order to save ourselves

Michel SerresPhilosopher

Last published book RameauxEditions Le pommier 239 rue Saint Jacques

F- 75005 Paris

Nature seenthrough culture

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

sO

B

ata

gli

ni

Anemone by Jacopo Ligozzi (1546-1626)

7n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D

De

lfin

oS

un

set

While the monotheistic religions havealways sought to develop and strengthentheir followersrsquo faith this faith has itselfchanged greatly over the centuriesIn Christianity the emphasis has rightfrom the outset been on an intensecommunion between on the one handman and God and on the other manand his fellow men brothers and sis-ters The special ties which man mustpreserve with nature have only recentlybeen genuinely highlighted eventhough they are enshrined in the veryfirst chapter of the Bible However thetraditional interpretation was erro-neous warped to the advantage of manand it was in 1989 during the aggior-namento of the Christian Churches thatthe whole area of Christian responsi-bility was rethought and extended to allsectors of activity including the humanrelationship with natureThe first European Ecumenical Assem-bly in Basle in 1989 defined in unam-biguous terms the primordial role tobe shouldered by the Churches in civilsociety contributing to such widelyvarying fields as the economy and edu-cation communication and cultureand social welfare and human rightsThe ethical approach should be uni-versally prioritised particularly at thepresent time when far too often a kindof neo-liberal globalisation is leadingto thoughtless plundering of naturalresources unacceptable intensificationof inequality and the standardisationof cultural identitiesAboriginal (ldquonativerdquo) peoples who untilonly recently were considered ldquoprim-itiverdquo have avoided these pitfalls thanksto their exceptionally strong relationshipwith nature of which they considerthemselves an integral part A goodexample is given by what the Indiansof the Amazonian jungle in Brazil aresaying ldquoA self-proclaimed civilised soci-ety is guided only by market values Itconsiders the Earth as a means of pro-duction or even an object of specula-tion a commodity to be bought andsold For native peoples on the otherhand the Earth is neither a trading itemor an instrument for profit or even justtheir means of subsistence The Earthis the basis of their culture the root oftheir families and social organisationand the source of their relationship withthe supernatural The Earth is thecultural soil in which their ancestorslive and restrdquoPax Christi has long been aware of thewealth of the various ethical approaches

of the different human societies Thiswas the reason for the organisationrsquosfive symposiums from 1995 to 2001which were attended by representa-tives of all forms of religion and spiri-tuality and where Christians mixed withAustralian Aborigines Buddhists withrationalists and Muslims with agnos-tics The aim was to gain enrichmentfrom the various testimonies with aview to improving our coexistence andsolidarity while at the same time retain-ing individual cultural spiritual and othertypes of identities At the first of thesymposiums which saw the adoptionof the ldquoKlingenthal Appealrdquo the repre-sentative of the Baharsquoi religion quotedthe words of the founder of his religionBaharsquoursquollah spoken some 150 yearsago ldquoCivilisation so highly praised bythe best qualified representatives of thearts and sciences will bring great illsupon mankind if we let it overstep thebounds of moderationhellip Civilisationwhich produces so much good whereit remains moderate will if taken toexcess become an equally plentifulsource of evilhelliprdquo What foresightBeing aware of the deterioration of nat-ural resources at the hands of an evergreedier Homo economicus the partic-ipants at the aforementioned first sym-posium affirmed that ldquohellip the situationof the environment is so serious todaythat we consider that we should acttogether and unite our efforts so thatour different spiritual and culturalapproaches far from constitutingobstacles or brakes to co-operationcan rather be sources of enrichmentrdquo(Klingenthal Appeal)Whatever our spirituality might be thefundamental aim must be to open upand listen to the Other so that togetherwe can develop the necessary basesfor human well-being The economicand social dimension as well as humandignity remain the mainstays of humanwelfare but the cultural heritage whichis still too often seen as a luxury isincreasingly proving vital As for Naturewe should be thinking not only of suchmaterial resources as petroleum wineor aspirin but also of the unquantifi-able benefits of a beautiful landscapeor sunrise

Jean-Pierre RibautPresident of the Commission on

Creation and Sustainable DevelopmentPax Christi France

27 rue Rabieacute F-33250 Pauillac

jeanpierreribauwanadoofr

Nature culture and spirituality

Sh

ar

ed

v

ie

ws

8 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In classical drama comedy requires fora happy end while tragedy stipulates thedeath of the main character HoweverAnton Chekhovrsquos remark indicates TheCherry Orchard as a comedy Yes it is thesaddest comedy ever written in Russ-ian all its personages remain alive andfeel quite happy but the lovely Orchard(the title character) dies Dedicatedsolely to human relations Chekhovrsquosplay was a landmark in Russian litera-ture nature was no longer just a staticbackground but a reliable and trustfulfriend vulnerable to betrayalMuch has been said about the impactnatural environment has on nationalculture In Russia one could find explicitexamples of this impact From the pointof view of a spatial planner even thelocation and design of Russian histori-cal cities reflects the specific propertiesof Russian landscape spaciousness gen-tly sloping topography rich vegetationAs a rule a community emerged on thehillside facing the confluence of tworivers and then grew like an unwindingspiral Abundance of wood resulted inprevalence of timber construction whilespaciousness favoured low-density urbandevelopment less vulnerable to firesStone construction was not so commoninsufficient supply resulted in the rulethat only the most vital urban servicesshould enjoy the benefits of stone wallsnamely defence and religion TheCitadel or Kremlin was more an Acrop-olis of the ancient world than a sover-eignrsquos stronghold of western EuropeBeing the best protected parts of settle-ments Kremlins hosted cathedrals andaccumulated pieces of material cultureTimber predominated in civil construc-tion until the time of Peter the GreatUnfortunately wood is not a durablematerial which is why it is useless togo to Russia in search of an ldquoundis-turbedrdquo medieval town like Carcassonnein France or Bergamo in Italy

No antagonistic contradictionsUntil the Industrial Revolution therewere no antagonistic contradictionsbetween urban and rural ways of lifeas urban dwellers and their rural com-patriots had similar opportunities forprivate construction agriculture andrecreation Moreover relatively smallcentrendashperiphery distances in urbancommunities did not prevent citizensfrom direct contacts with native land-

scape sufficiently to provide for creativeinspiration which then materialised intoliterature folklore fine arts and handi-crafts Speaking about the people of Russia itis appropriate to mention that from thevery beginning of its history Russia hasbeen a multinational and thus a multi-cultural state Each nation is charac-terised by its own attitude towardsnature and landscape its own uniqueapproach to them Even in a new placein different natural surroundings peo-ple look for opportunities to use theirtraditional skills and thus search for theirown niche Centuries of living in theneighbourhood taught our ancestorsmutual respect and tolerance Apart fromeconomic symbiosis cultural exchangeconsiderably enriched all participants InRussia the conglomerate of variousnational cultures and traditions couldbe found everywhere from loan wordsto the art of cookeryThe situation began to change in thenineteenth century when the demandfor a highly concentrated labour forceresulted in intensive urbanisation Rightangles and circles though ideal in plan-ning and design appeared to deprivecommunities of their traditional indi-viduality At the very start of that processRussiarsquos leading novelists pointed to thedefinite correlation between broken tiesbetween people and nature on the onehand and dehumanisation and degra-dation of culture on the other Thosewho know the Russian literature of thenineteenth and early twentieth centuriescan easily find that gloomy mood in thenovels by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky TheRevolution of 1917 aggravated the trendthe state policy of rapid industrialisa-tion combined with elimination of indi-vidual farming led to depopulation ofrural areas and excess concentration ofpeople in a few industrial newly built orreshaped agglomerations For severaldecades nature was treated like a treas-ury ldquodestined to serve the peoplerdquoUnfortunately the tremendous size ofthe country and abundance of naturalriches supported the illusion of inex-haustibility It would be unjust to denynumerous nature-protecting measuresundertaken during the Soviet period ofour history creation of national parksand wildlife reserves legal penaltiesfor environmental pollution use ofwaste etc However on a mass scale

ldquoeconomic interestsrdquo predominated Asimilar attitude towards the historicalheritage resulted in intended or unpre-meditated destruction and abandon-ment of old religious and civil buildingsestates and even communities carelessintrusions into historical landscapes lossof traditional arts and handicrafts

Changing situationNow the situation changes the right toproperty inevitably requires responsi-bility and thus ndash action The revival ofindividual construction especially in thecountryside and new architectural solu-tions developed recently in Moscowand several other cities prove that Rus-sians have saved their cultural traditionand in particular their traditional tastefor nature However we are still far froma successful solution of ecological prob-lems from a healthy environment thatcould support a level of culture suffi-cient in its turn to provide for efficientprotection of common heritage Thepractical task for today is to restore directpublic access to genuine natural andcultural values This cannot be achievedthrough insulated isles of undisturbednature and well-guarded museums onlyEnvironmental protection shall becomea feature of everyday life At present Russia is among the mosturbanised nations with 73 of its citi-zens living in cities Evidently urbani-sation is irreversible and it is useless tomourn for the ldquowooden Russiardquo of thepast But that does not mean that accessto natural beauty no longer exists Euro-pean experience has proved that evenin most industrialised regions peoplecan enjoy a healthy environment Thedecisive step to be made now is to turnfrom individual private action to publicIn this connection the recently pro-

A fragile friendship

M

Ku

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a

Russian landscape

9n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

claimed reform of local self-governmentis destined to optimise the size of munic-ipalities and make them more attachedto specific local problems enhance pub-lic representation in local legislative bod-ies and thus raise their prestige andresponseThe practical aspects need co-ordinatedaction Needless to say the role of spa-tial planners will increase dramaticallyThe principal precondition for success-ful environment-friendly spatial devel-opment is the humanist imperativenature is your friend and friends shallnot be betrayedIn Russia novelists painters and com-posers have been always aware of thefragile ties between man and natureThey know how to contribute to natureprotection today Spatial planners shouldbe grateful for their advice

Konstantin AnanitchevInstitute for Urban-Planning

Main Department for Architecture andUrban Planning of Moscow Region

7 Stoleshnikov LaneMoscow Russian Federation

glavarh1mailru

Heritage is a system of accepted val-ues and assets created and preservedby the society with the aim to pass it tothe next generation It absorbs thecultural stratum of the social sphereand is a precondition of its vitality andsustainable development in analogyto the genetic code of the biologicalspecies Every landscape possessessome heritage assets However in her-itage conservation practice and landmanagement these are specific out-standing landscapes that acquire thestatus of protected areas Every land-scape might be identified by referenceto the cultural landscape conceptCultural landscape is an output of thetargeted interaction of culture andnature and therefore it serves as anideal model for solution of the prob-lems between nature and societyCultural landscape conservation andmanagement in Russia is based on asystem of legislation and managementacts on nature conservation culturalheritage protection the rational use ofnatural resources land and urbanconstruction regulation The key her-itage laws are the Law on Strictly Pro-tected Natural Areas (1994) and the Lawon Cultural Heritage Sites (monumentsof history and culture) of the Peoples inthe Russian Federation (2002)

Categories for the protectedThe Law on Strictly Protected NaturalAreas (1994) comprises a continuinglist of the categories for protected areasand is aimed at the specification of thelegal norms for existing protected areas(zapovedniks national parks naturalparks monuments of nature zakazniksspas recreational and medicinal sitesbotanical gardens and dendrologicalparks) It is possible to establish newcategories of protected natural areasbut their specific legal regulations at thenational level are not enforced Amongthe mentioned categories national parksplay a particular role for cultural land-scape protection This is due to the factthat their legal establishment objectivesinclude conservation and restoration ofhistorical and cultural objects It is thenational parks where the most viableexamples of a harmonious interactionbetween man and nature are repre-sented in the specific cultural landscapetypes Several national parks in Russiahave elaborated special programmeson conservation of cultural landscapes

Legal recognition of cultural landscapesThe Law on Cultural Heritage Sites (mon-uments of history and culture) of thePeoples in the Russian Federation reg-ulates the legal norms on tangible her-itage sites subdividing them intoindividual monuments ensembles andsites ndash by analogy with the typologyproposed by the Convention for the Pro-tection of the World Cultural and Nat-

ural Heritage (World Heritage Conven-tion) In a number of sites the culturallandscapes are represented ndash the firstand as yet the only example of culturallandscapes having legal status at nationallevel One of the key notions in this lawis the subject for protection ndash ie thelist of assets that are not to be destroyedchanged or modified by human activ-ity Economic activity is limited to ensurethat the objects or site are protected Inthe Russian legislation there is no suchcultural heritage category as the ldquohis-torical and cultural protected areardquo Infact these territories do exist ndash they aremuseum-reserves established by gov-ernmental acts By their functions andinstitutional type they are similar tonational parks and play a most impor-tant role in the conservation of the her-itage ndash estates of the aristocracymonasteries urban rural and archae-ological landscapes and battlefields arerepresented in the museum-reserveswith exceptional diversityWith regard to immanent values in thelandscapes andor in the environmentthere is insufficient legal developmentthough essential prerequisites for suchregulation exist within the system ofurban planning and development aswell as in the currently established legalprocedures of environmental impactassessment and historical and culturalexpert appraisalEvery society embodies a system of val-ues where the landscape has its ownplace Social cataclysms in the twenti-eth century have destroyed the tradi-tional vision where landscape as a placefor living subsistence and social accom-plishment had comprised a significantsphere While traditional community isintrinsically connected to its physicalenvironment transformed into thecultural landscape semantically satu-rated and enriched and used for culturalself-identification through its historicalcontents the modern society is char-acterised by poor environmental per-ception and segregation from anythingbeyond individual property With dem-ocratic institutions still poorly devel-oped the landscape subject to generallaws and treated as a consumer com-modity finds its destiny determined bytechnocratic decisions and profitableinvestments If a society does not per-ceive its traditional landscape as anintrinsic cultural asset and a basic pre-requisite for sustainable developmentit has no future The revelation and clar-ification of the cultural landscape as anational heritage is a crucial task to beconsidered and implemented at all lev-els of territorial management and landuse in Russia

Marina KuleshovaRussian Research Institute for Natural

and Cultural Heritage 2 Kosmonavtov str

129366 Moscow Russian Federationheritagemtu-netru

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia

Dif

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10 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In Europe the territory is no longer nat-ural It has been changed fundamentallyby the hand of man by building andcultivation After a long process of trans-formation territory becomes a ldquogreatconstructionrdquo with its own history and itsown language a great focus of culture agreat and complex work of art consider-ing its scale the fruit of many civilisa-tions Like all constructions its languageis expressed through signs This languageand its signs are the values that shape itsidentity If the language is lost construc-tion is interruptedThe landscape and the natural and culturalheritage which we might call the ldquoterri-torial heritagerdquo are the language andsigns that describe the territory From aterritorial and sustainable angle thesesigns acquire a strategic value and explainits history and its values but above allthey set the rules for its transformationThis strategic value of the ldquoterritorial her-itagerdquo was brought to the fore in Euro-pean thinking on territorial developmentmainly in the European Union and theCouncil of Europe

Innovative guidanceThe thinking has gone beyond the theo-retical approach and has taken tangibleform as a series of documents (Commu-nity Spatial Development Model (EU1999) Guiding Principles for SustainableDevelopment of the European Continent(Council of Europe 2002) and EuropeanLandscape Convention (Council of Europe2000)) which despite the fact that theyare not binding form a common andinternational frame of reference to definethe treatment of heritage and landscape

on the basis of this new ldquoterritorial dimen-sionrdquo These documents do not proposenew tools but provide innovative guid-ance for the better use of conventionalheritage and landscape managementtoolsThe basis is the new ldquosustainable spatialdevelopmentrdquo concept which is definedaccording to the application of two rela-tively recent basic principles the princi-ple of territorial cohesion (combined witheconomic and social cohesion) and theprinciple of sustainable development(Ljubljana Declaration 13th CEMAT Sep-tember 2003) Developing these princi-ples calls for the simultaneous study offour aspects in order to understand andapply the policies environmental eco-nomic social and cultural These newcriteria alter the traditional sectoralapproaches abolishing the isolation ofthese policies that has generally beenrespected up to now in order to tackleheritage and landscapeIn accordance with these principles oneof the territorial aims under considera-tion for Europe is ldquocreative innovativeand intelligent development of the terri-torial heritage and the landscaperdquo with aview to highlighting regional identity andpreserving diversity as fundamental fac-tors in development

Landscape and heritageare essential factors in spatial developmentConsequently landscape and heritage areessential factors in spatial developmentwith special featuresBecause they are capable of showing thestate of the territory and because they

can be objectively described they are animportant tool for standardisation of spa-tial models This is one of the aims of theESPON project The Role and SpatialEffects of Cultural Heritage and Identity They are an important factor in citizensrsquoquality of life and environment Heritageand landscape factors both urban andrural become meaningful only in asso-ciation with the use of territory They arealso economic assets and an opportunityfor regions and local communities withregard to their pulling power for eco-nomic activities other than tourism hencethe importance of increasing the aware-ness of the population and of its partici-pation in recognising it The EuropeanRural Heritage Observation Guide CEMAT2003 is a good exampleLandscape and heritage are dynamic inother words they have been transformedand are transformable which keeps themfrom being regarded as ldquofossilsrdquo Theypresent a dual challenge conservationand creative management This involvesapplying the principle of ldquoactive conser-vationrdquo with new forms of managementincorporating the three conventionaltypes of operation protection conser-vation and restoration supplemented bymore modern techniques In additionheritage must be regarded as an integralpart of the system like routes or corridorswith regard to the concept of ldquositerdquo orldquomonumentrdquo in the context of integratedspatial development strategiesAll these aspects strengthen a new rela-tionship involving heritage landscapeand spatial developmentBy way of summary it is important toemphasise their strategic role for diag-nosis and action on the territory and inthe city secondly their European dimen-sion requiring action on larger spatialscales such as the interregional ortransnational level and lastly the needfor new forms of management incorpo-rating active participation by citizens

Margarita OrtegaGeneral Secretariat for Territory

and BiodiversityMinistry of the Environment

Plaza de S Juan de la Cruz sn E-28071 Madrid

MOrtegammaes

In Spain

We

iss

Su

nse

t

Villarubia la Mancha

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

Dif

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12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

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s

tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

fe

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a

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ro

ac

he

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

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18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

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e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

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Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

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24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

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er

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ag

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

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nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

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er

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

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er

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ag

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nd

p

ed

ag

og

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A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

7n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D

De

lfin

oS

un

set

While the monotheistic religions havealways sought to develop and strengthentheir followersrsquo faith this faith has itselfchanged greatly over the centuriesIn Christianity the emphasis has rightfrom the outset been on an intensecommunion between on the one handman and God and on the other manand his fellow men brothers and sis-ters The special ties which man mustpreserve with nature have only recentlybeen genuinely highlighted eventhough they are enshrined in the veryfirst chapter of the Bible However thetraditional interpretation was erro-neous warped to the advantage of manand it was in 1989 during the aggior-namento of the Christian Churches thatthe whole area of Christian responsi-bility was rethought and extended to allsectors of activity including the humanrelationship with natureThe first European Ecumenical Assem-bly in Basle in 1989 defined in unam-biguous terms the primordial role tobe shouldered by the Churches in civilsociety contributing to such widelyvarying fields as the economy and edu-cation communication and cultureand social welfare and human rightsThe ethical approach should be uni-versally prioritised particularly at thepresent time when far too often a kindof neo-liberal globalisation is leadingto thoughtless plundering of naturalresources unacceptable intensificationof inequality and the standardisationof cultural identitiesAboriginal (ldquonativerdquo) peoples who untilonly recently were considered ldquoprim-itiverdquo have avoided these pitfalls thanksto their exceptionally strong relationshipwith nature of which they considerthemselves an integral part A goodexample is given by what the Indiansof the Amazonian jungle in Brazil aresaying ldquoA self-proclaimed civilised soci-ety is guided only by market values Itconsiders the Earth as a means of pro-duction or even an object of specula-tion a commodity to be bought andsold For native peoples on the otherhand the Earth is neither a trading itemor an instrument for profit or even justtheir means of subsistence The Earthis the basis of their culture the root oftheir families and social organisationand the source of their relationship withthe supernatural The Earth is thecultural soil in which their ancestorslive and restrdquoPax Christi has long been aware of thewealth of the various ethical approaches

of the different human societies Thiswas the reason for the organisationrsquosfive symposiums from 1995 to 2001which were attended by representa-tives of all forms of religion and spiri-tuality and where Christians mixed withAustralian Aborigines Buddhists withrationalists and Muslims with agnos-tics The aim was to gain enrichmentfrom the various testimonies with aview to improving our coexistence andsolidarity while at the same time retain-ing individual cultural spiritual and othertypes of identities At the first of thesymposiums which saw the adoptionof the ldquoKlingenthal Appealrdquo the repre-sentative of the Baharsquoi religion quotedthe words of the founder of his religionBaharsquoursquollah spoken some 150 yearsago ldquoCivilisation so highly praised bythe best qualified representatives of thearts and sciences will bring great illsupon mankind if we let it overstep thebounds of moderationhellip Civilisationwhich produces so much good whereit remains moderate will if taken toexcess become an equally plentifulsource of evilhelliprdquo What foresightBeing aware of the deterioration of nat-ural resources at the hands of an evergreedier Homo economicus the partic-ipants at the aforementioned first sym-posium affirmed that ldquohellip the situationof the environment is so serious todaythat we consider that we should acttogether and unite our efforts so thatour different spiritual and culturalapproaches far from constitutingobstacles or brakes to co-operationcan rather be sources of enrichmentrdquo(Klingenthal Appeal)Whatever our spirituality might be thefundamental aim must be to open upand listen to the Other so that togetherwe can develop the necessary basesfor human well-being The economicand social dimension as well as humandignity remain the mainstays of humanwelfare but the cultural heritage whichis still too often seen as a luxury isincreasingly proving vital As for Naturewe should be thinking not only of suchmaterial resources as petroleum wineor aspirin but also of the unquantifi-able benefits of a beautiful landscapeor sunrise

Jean-Pierre RibautPresident of the Commission on

Creation and Sustainable DevelopmentPax Christi France

27 rue Rabieacute F-33250 Pauillac

jeanpierreribauwanadoofr

Nature culture and spirituality

Sh

ar

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8 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In classical drama comedy requires fora happy end while tragedy stipulates thedeath of the main character HoweverAnton Chekhovrsquos remark indicates TheCherry Orchard as a comedy Yes it is thesaddest comedy ever written in Russ-ian all its personages remain alive andfeel quite happy but the lovely Orchard(the title character) dies Dedicatedsolely to human relations Chekhovrsquosplay was a landmark in Russian litera-ture nature was no longer just a staticbackground but a reliable and trustfulfriend vulnerable to betrayalMuch has been said about the impactnatural environment has on nationalculture In Russia one could find explicitexamples of this impact From the pointof view of a spatial planner even thelocation and design of Russian histori-cal cities reflects the specific propertiesof Russian landscape spaciousness gen-tly sloping topography rich vegetationAs a rule a community emerged on thehillside facing the confluence of tworivers and then grew like an unwindingspiral Abundance of wood resulted inprevalence of timber construction whilespaciousness favoured low-density urbandevelopment less vulnerable to firesStone construction was not so commoninsufficient supply resulted in the rulethat only the most vital urban servicesshould enjoy the benefits of stone wallsnamely defence and religion TheCitadel or Kremlin was more an Acrop-olis of the ancient world than a sover-eignrsquos stronghold of western EuropeBeing the best protected parts of settle-ments Kremlins hosted cathedrals andaccumulated pieces of material cultureTimber predominated in civil construc-tion until the time of Peter the GreatUnfortunately wood is not a durablematerial which is why it is useless togo to Russia in search of an ldquoundis-turbedrdquo medieval town like Carcassonnein France or Bergamo in Italy

No antagonistic contradictionsUntil the Industrial Revolution therewere no antagonistic contradictionsbetween urban and rural ways of lifeas urban dwellers and their rural com-patriots had similar opportunities forprivate construction agriculture andrecreation Moreover relatively smallcentrendashperiphery distances in urbancommunities did not prevent citizensfrom direct contacts with native land-

scape sufficiently to provide for creativeinspiration which then materialised intoliterature folklore fine arts and handi-crafts Speaking about the people of Russia itis appropriate to mention that from thevery beginning of its history Russia hasbeen a multinational and thus a multi-cultural state Each nation is charac-terised by its own attitude towardsnature and landscape its own uniqueapproach to them Even in a new placein different natural surroundings peo-ple look for opportunities to use theirtraditional skills and thus search for theirown niche Centuries of living in theneighbourhood taught our ancestorsmutual respect and tolerance Apart fromeconomic symbiosis cultural exchangeconsiderably enriched all participants InRussia the conglomerate of variousnational cultures and traditions couldbe found everywhere from loan wordsto the art of cookeryThe situation began to change in thenineteenth century when the demandfor a highly concentrated labour forceresulted in intensive urbanisation Rightangles and circles though ideal in plan-ning and design appeared to deprivecommunities of their traditional indi-viduality At the very start of that processRussiarsquos leading novelists pointed to thedefinite correlation between broken tiesbetween people and nature on the onehand and dehumanisation and degra-dation of culture on the other Thosewho know the Russian literature of thenineteenth and early twentieth centuriescan easily find that gloomy mood in thenovels by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky TheRevolution of 1917 aggravated the trendthe state policy of rapid industrialisa-tion combined with elimination of indi-vidual farming led to depopulation ofrural areas and excess concentration ofpeople in a few industrial newly built orreshaped agglomerations For severaldecades nature was treated like a treas-ury ldquodestined to serve the peoplerdquoUnfortunately the tremendous size ofthe country and abundance of naturalriches supported the illusion of inex-haustibility It would be unjust to denynumerous nature-protecting measuresundertaken during the Soviet period ofour history creation of national parksand wildlife reserves legal penaltiesfor environmental pollution use ofwaste etc However on a mass scale

ldquoeconomic interestsrdquo predominated Asimilar attitude towards the historicalheritage resulted in intended or unpre-meditated destruction and abandon-ment of old religious and civil buildingsestates and even communities carelessintrusions into historical landscapes lossof traditional arts and handicrafts

Changing situationNow the situation changes the right toproperty inevitably requires responsi-bility and thus ndash action The revival ofindividual construction especially in thecountryside and new architectural solu-tions developed recently in Moscowand several other cities prove that Rus-sians have saved their cultural traditionand in particular their traditional tastefor nature However we are still far froma successful solution of ecological prob-lems from a healthy environment thatcould support a level of culture suffi-cient in its turn to provide for efficientprotection of common heritage Thepractical task for today is to restore directpublic access to genuine natural andcultural values This cannot be achievedthrough insulated isles of undisturbednature and well-guarded museums onlyEnvironmental protection shall becomea feature of everyday life At present Russia is among the mosturbanised nations with 73 of its citi-zens living in cities Evidently urbani-sation is irreversible and it is useless tomourn for the ldquowooden Russiardquo of thepast But that does not mean that accessto natural beauty no longer exists Euro-pean experience has proved that evenin most industrialised regions peoplecan enjoy a healthy environment Thedecisive step to be made now is to turnfrom individual private action to publicIn this connection the recently pro-

A fragile friendship

M

Ku

lesh

ov

a

Russian landscape

9n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

claimed reform of local self-governmentis destined to optimise the size of munic-ipalities and make them more attachedto specific local problems enhance pub-lic representation in local legislative bod-ies and thus raise their prestige andresponseThe practical aspects need co-ordinatedaction Needless to say the role of spa-tial planners will increase dramaticallyThe principal precondition for success-ful environment-friendly spatial devel-opment is the humanist imperativenature is your friend and friends shallnot be betrayedIn Russia novelists painters and com-posers have been always aware of thefragile ties between man and natureThey know how to contribute to natureprotection today Spatial planners shouldbe grateful for their advice

Konstantin AnanitchevInstitute for Urban-Planning

Main Department for Architecture andUrban Planning of Moscow Region

7 Stoleshnikov LaneMoscow Russian Federation

glavarh1mailru

Heritage is a system of accepted val-ues and assets created and preservedby the society with the aim to pass it tothe next generation It absorbs thecultural stratum of the social sphereand is a precondition of its vitality andsustainable development in analogyto the genetic code of the biologicalspecies Every landscape possessessome heritage assets However in her-itage conservation practice and landmanagement these are specific out-standing landscapes that acquire thestatus of protected areas Every land-scape might be identified by referenceto the cultural landscape conceptCultural landscape is an output of thetargeted interaction of culture andnature and therefore it serves as anideal model for solution of the prob-lems between nature and societyCultural landscape conservation andmanagement in Russia is based on asystem of legislation and managementacts on nature conservation culturalheritage protection the rational use ofnatural resources land and urbanconstruction regulation The key her-itage laws are the Law on Strictly Pro-tected Natural Areas (1994) and the Lawon Cultural Heritage Sites (monumentsof history and culture) of the Peoples inthe Russian Federation (2002)

Categories for the protectedThe Law on Strictly Protected NaturalAreas (1994) comprises a continuinglist of the categories for protected areasand is aimed at the specification of thelegal norms for existing protected areas(zapovedniks national parks naturalparks monuments of nature zakazniksspas recreational and medicinal sitesbotanical gardens and dendrologicalparks) It is possible to establish newcategories of protected natural areasbut their specific legal regulations at thenational level are not enforced Amongthe mentioned categories national parksplay a particular role for cultural land-scape protection This is due to the factthat their legal establishment objectivesinclude conservation and restoration ofhistorical and cultural objects It is thenational parks where the most viableexamples of a harmonious interactionbetween man and nature are repre-sented in the specific cultural landscapetypes Several national parks in Russiahave elaborated special programmeson conservation of cultural landscapes

Legal recognition of cultural landscapesThe Law on Cultural Heritage Sites (mon-uments of history and culture) of thePeoples in the Russian Federation reg-ulates the legal norms on tangible her-itage sites subdividing them intoindividual monuments ensembles andsites ndash by analogy with the typologyproposed by the Convention for the Pro-tection of the World Cultural and Nat-

ural Heritage (World Heritage Conven-tion) In a number of sites the culturallandscapes are represented ndash the firstand as yet the only example of culturallandscapes having legal status at nationallevel One of the key notions in this lawis the subject for protection ndash ie thelist of assets that are not to be destroyedchanged or modified by human activ-ity Economic activity is limited to ensurethat the objects or site are protected Inthe Russian legislation there is no suchcultural heritage category as the ldquohis-torical and cultural protected areardquo Infact these territories do exist ndash they aremuseum-reserves established by gov-ernmental acts By their functions andinstitutional type they are similar tonational parks and play a most impor-tant role in the conservation of the her-itage ndash estates of the aristocracymonasteries urban rural and archae-ological landscapes and battlefields arerepresented in the museum-reserveswith exceptional diversityWith regard to immanent values in thelandscapes andor in the environmentthere is insufficient legal developmentthough essential prerequisites for suchregulation exist within the system ofurban planning and development aswell as in the currently established legalprocedures of environmental impactassessment and historical and culturalexpert appraisalEvery society embodies a system of val-ues where the landscape has its ownplace Social cataclysms in the twenti-eth century have destroyed the tradi-tional vision where landscape as a placefor living subsistence and social accom-plishment had comprised a significantsphere While traditional community isintrinsically connected to its physicalenvironment transformed into thecultural landscape semantically satu-rated and enriched and used for culturalself-identification through its historicalcontents the modern society is char-acterised by poor environmental per-ception and segregation from anythingbeyond individual property With dem-ocratic institutions still poorly devel-oped the landscape subject to generallaws and treated as a consumer com-modity finds its destiny determined bytechnocratic decisions and profitableinvestments If a society does not per-ceive its traditional landscape as anintrinsic cultural asset and a basic pre-requisite for sustainable developmentit has no future The revelation and clar-ification of the cultural landscape as anational heritage is a crucial task to beconsidered and implemented at all lev-els of territorial management and landuse in Russia

Marina KuleshovaRussian Research Institute for Natural

and Cultural Heritage 2 Kosmonavtov str

129366 Moscow Russian Federationheritagemtu-netru

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia

Dif

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s

10 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In Europe the territory is no longer nat-ural It has been changed fundamentallyby the hand of man by building andcultivation After a long process of trans-formation territory becomes a ldquogreatconstructionrdquo with its own history and itsown language a great focus of culture agreat and complex work of art consider-ing its scale the fruit of many civilisa-tions Like all constructions its languageis expressed through signs This languageand its signs are the values that shape itsidentity If the language is lost construc-tion is interruptedThe landscape and the natural and culturalheritage which we might call the ldquoterri-torial heritagerdquo are the language andsigns that describe the territory From aterritorial and sustainable angle thesesigns acquire a strategic value and explainits history and its values but above allthey set the rules for its transformationThis strategic value of the ldquoterritorial her-itagerdquo was brought to the fore in Euro-pean thinking on territorial developmentmainly in the European Union and theCouncil of Europe

Innovative guidanceThe thinking has gone beyond the theo-retical approach and has taken tangibleform as a series of documents (Commu-nity Spatial Development Model (EU1999) Guiding Principles for SustainableDevelopment of the European Continent(Council of Europe 2002) and EuropeanLandscape Convention (Council of Europe2000)) which despite the fact that theyare not binding form a common andinternational frame of reference to definethe treatment of heritage and landscape

on the basis of this new ldquoterritorial dimen-sionrdquo These documents do not proposenew tools but provide innovative guid-ance for the better use of conventionalheritage and landscape managementtoolsThe basis is the new ldquosustainable spatialdevelopmentrdquo concept which is definedaccording to the application of two rela-tively recent basic principles the princi-ple of territorial cohesion (combined witheconomic and social cohesion) and theprinciple of sustainable development(Ljubljana Declaration 13th CEMAT Sep-tember 2003) Developing these princi-ples calls for the simultaneous study offour aspects in order to understand andapply the policies environmental eco-nomic social and cultural These newcriteria alter the traditional sectoralapproaches abolishing the isolation ofthese policies that has generally beenrespected up to now in order to tackleheritage and landscapeIn accordance with these principles oneof the territorial aims under considera-tion for Europe is ldquocreative innovativeand intelligent development of the terri-torial heritage and the landscaperdquo with aview to highlighting regional identity andpreserving diversity as fundamental fac-tors in development

Landscape and heritageare essential factors in spatial developmentConsequently landscape and heritage areessential factors in spatial developmentwith special featuresBecause they are capable of showing thestate of the territory and because they

can be objectively described they are animportant tool for standardisation of spa-tial models This is one of the aims of theESPON project The Role and SpatialEffects of Cultural Heritage and Identity They are an important factor in citizensrsquoquality of life and environment Heritageand landscape factors both urban andrural become meaningful only in asso-ciation with the use of territory They arealso economic assets and an opportunityfor regions and local communities withregard to their pulling power for eco-nomic activities other than tourism hencethe importance of increasing the aware-ness of the population and of its partici-pation in recognising it The EuropeanRural Heritage Observation Guide CEMAT2003 is a good exampleLandscape and heritage are dynamic inother words they have been transformedand are transformable which keeps themfrom being regarded as ldquofossilsrdquo Theypresent a dual challenge conservationand creative management This involvesapplying the principle of ldquoactive conser-vationrdquo with new forms of managementincorporating the three conventionaltypes of operation protection conser-vation and restoration supplemented bymore modern techniques In additionheritage must be regarded as an integralpart of the system like routes or corridorswith regard to the concept of ldquositerdquo orldquomonumentrdquo in the context of integratedspatial development strategiesAll these aspects strengthen a new rela-tionship involving heritage landscapeand spatial developmentBy way of summary it is important toemphasise their strategic role for diag-nosis and action on the territory and inthe city secondly their European dimen-sion requiring action on larger spatialscales such as the interregional ortransnational level and lastly the needfor new forms of management incorpo-rating active participation by citizens

Margarita OrtegaGeneral Secretariat for Territory

and BiodiversityMinistry of the Environment

Plaza de S Juan de la Cruz sn E-28071 Madrid

MOrtegammaes

In Spain

We

iss

Su

nse

t

Villarubia la Mancha

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

Dif

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he

s

12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

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s

tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

fe

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ro

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he

s

16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

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18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

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e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

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Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

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24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

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ag

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ag

og

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

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er

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ag

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og

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

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og

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

8 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In classical drama comedy requires fora happy end while tragedy stipulates thedeath of the main character HoweverAnton Chekhovrsquos remark indicates TheCherry Orchard as a comedy Yes it is thesaddest comedy ever written in Russ-ian all its personages remain alive andfeel quite happy but the lovely Orchard(the title character) dies Dedicatedsolely to human relations Chekhovrsquosplay was a landmark in Russian litera-ture nature was no longer just a staticbackground but a reliable and trustfulfriend vulnerable to betrayalMuch has been said about the impactnatural environment has on nationalculture In Russia one could find explicitexamples of this impact From the pointof view of a spatial planner even thelocation and design of Russian histori-cal cities reflects the specific propertiesof Russian landscape spaciousness gen-tly sloping topography rich vegetationAs a rule a community emerged on thehillside facing the confluence of tworivers and then grew like an unwindingspiral Abundance of wood resulted inprevalence of timber construction whilespaciousness favoured low-density urbandevelopment less vulnerable to firesStone construction was not so commoninsufficient supply resulted in the rulethat only the most vital urban servicesshould enjoy the benefits of stone wallsnamely defence and religion TheCitadel or Kremlin was more an Acrop-olis of the ancient world than a sover-eignrsquos stronghold of western EuropeBeing the best protected parts of settle-ments Kremlins hosted cathedrals andaccumulated pieces of material cultureTimber predominated in civil construc-tion until the time of Peter the GreatUnfortunately wood is not a durablematerial which is why it is useless togo to Russia in search of an ldquoundis-turbedrdquo medieval town like Carcassonnein France or Bergamo in Italy

No antagonistic contradictionsUntil the Industrial Revolution therewere no antagonistic contradictionsbetween urban and rural ways of lifeas urban dwellers and their rural com-patriots had similar opportunities forprivate construction agriculture andrecreation Moreover relatively smallcentrendashperiphery distances in urbancommunities did not prevent citizensfrom direct contacts with native land-

scape sufficiently to provide for creativeinspiration which then materialised intoliterature folklore fine arts and handi-crafts Speaking about the people of Russia itis appropriate to mention that from thevery beginning of its history Russia hasbeen a multinational and thus a multi-cultural state Each nation is charac-terised by its own attitude towardsnature and landscape its own uniqueapproach to them Even in a new placein different natural surroundings peo-ple look for opportunities to use theirtraditional skills and thus search for theirown niche Centuries of living in theneighbourhood taught our ancestorsmutual respect and tolerance Apart fromeconomic symbiosis cultural exchangeconsiderably enriched all participants InRussia the conglomerate of variousnational cultures and traditions couldbe found everywhere from loan wordsto the art of cookeryThe situation began to change in thenineteenth century when the demandfor a highly concentrated labour forceresulted in intensive urbanisation Rightangles and circles though ideal in plan-ning and design appeared to deprivecommunities of their traditional indi-viduality At the very start of that processRussiarsquos leading novelists pointed to thedefinite correlation between broken tiesbetween people and nature on the onehand and dehumanisation and degra-dation of culture on the other Thosewho know the Russian literature of thenineteenth and early twentieth centuriescan easily find that gloomy mood in thenovels by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky TheRevolution of 1917 aggravated the trendthe state policy of rapid industrialisa-tion combined with elimination of indi-vidual farming led to depopulation ofrural areas and excess concentration ofpeople in a few industrial newly built orreshaped agglomerations For severaldecades nature was treated like a treas-ury ldquodestined to serve the peoplerdquoUnfortunately the tremendous size ofthe country and abundance of naturalriches supported the illusion of inex-haustibility It would be unjust to denynumerous nature-protecting measuresundertaken during the Soviet period ofour history creation of national parksand wildlife reserves legal penaltiesfor environmental pollution use ofwaste etc However on a mass scale

ldquoeconomic interestsrdquo predominated Asimilar attitude towards the historicalheritage resulted in intended or unpre-meditated destruction and abandon-ment of old religious and civil buildingsestates and even communities carelessintrusions into historical landscapes lossof traditional arts and handicrafts

Changing situationNow the situation changes the right toproperty inevitably requires responsi-bility and thus ndash action The revival ofindividual construction especially in thecountryside and new architectural solu-tions developed recently in Moscowand several other cities prove that Rus-sians have saved their cultural traditionand in particular their traditional tastefor nature However we are still far froma successful solution of ecological prob-lems from a healthy environment thatcould support a level of culture suffi-cient in its turn to provide for efficientprotection of common heritage Thepractical task for today is to restore directpublic access to genuine natural andcultural values This cannot be achievedthrough insulated isles of undisturbednature and well-guarded museums onlyEnvironmental protection shall becomea feature of everyday life At present Russia is among the mosturbanised nations with 73 of its citi-zens living in cities Evidently urbani-sation is irreversible and it is useless tomourn for the ldquowooden Russiardquo of thepast But that does not mean that accessto natural beauty no longer exists Euro-pean experience has proved that evenin most industrialised regions peoplecan enjoy a healthy environment Thedecisive step to be made now is to turnfrom individual private action to publicIn this connection the recently pro-

A fragile friendship

M

Ku

lesh

ov

a

Russian landscape

9n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

claimed reform of local self-governmentis destined to optimise the size of munic-ipalities and make them more attachedto specific local problems enhance pub-lic representation in local legislative bod-ies and thus raise their prestige andresponseThe practical aspects need co-ordinatedaction Needless to say the role of spa-tial planners will increase dramaticallyThe principal precondition for success-ful environment-friendly spatial devel-opment is the humanist imperativenature is your friend and friends shallnot be betrayedIn Russia novelists painters and com-posers have been always aware of thefragile ties between man and natureThey know how to contribute to natureprotection today Spatial planners shouldbe grateful for their advice

Konstantin AnanitchevInstitute for Urban-Planning

Main Department for Architecture andUrban Planning of Moscow Region

7 Stoleshnikov LaneMoscow Russian Federation

glavarh1mailru

Heritage is a system of accepted val-ues and assets created and preservedby the society with the aim to pass it tothe next generation It absorbs thecultural stratum of the social sphereand is a precondition of its vitality andsustainable development in analogyto the genetic code of the biologicalspecies Every landscape possessessome heritage assets However in her-itage conservation practice and landmanagement these are specific out-standing landscapes that acquire thestatus of protected areas Every land-scape might be identified by referenceto the cultural landscape conceptCultural landscape is an output of thetargeted interaction of culture andnature and therefore it serves as anideal model for solution of the prob-lems between nature and societyCultural landscape conservation andmanagement in Russia is based on asystem of legislation and managementacts on nature conservation culturalheritage protection the rational use ofnatural resources land and urbanconstruction regulation The key her-itage laws are the Law on Strictly Pro-tected Natural Areas (1994) and the Lawon Cultural Heritage Sites (monumentsof history and culture) of the Peoples inthe Russian Federation (2002)

Categories for the protectedThe Law on Strictly Protected NaturalAreas (1994) comprises a continuinglist of the categories for protected areasand is aimed at the specification of thelegal norms for existing protected areas(zapovedniks national parks naturalparks monuments of nature zakazniksspas recreational and medicinal sitesbotanical gardens and dendrologicalparks) It is possible to establish newcategories of protected natural areasbut their specific legal regulations at thenational level are not enforced Amongthe mentioned categories national parksplay a particular role for cultural land-scape protection This is due to the factthat their legal establishment objectivesinclude conservation and restoration ofhistorical and cultural objects It is thenational parks where the most viableexamples of a harmonious interactionbetween man and nature are repre-sented in the specific cultural landscapetypes Several national parks in Russiahave elaborated special programmeson conservation of cultural landscapes

Legal recognition of cultural landscapesThe Law on Cultural Heritage Sites (mon-uments of history and culture) of thePeoples in the Russian Federation reg-ulates the legal norms on tangible her-itage sites subdividing them intoindividual monuments ensembles andsites ndash by analogy with the typologyproposed by the Convention for the Pro-tection of the World Cultural and Nat-

ural Heritage (World Heritage Conven-tion) In a number of sites the culturallandscapes are represented ndash the firstand as yet the only example of culturallandscapes having legal status at nationallevel One of the key notions in this lawis the subject for protection ndash ie thelist of assets that are not to be destroyedchanged or modified by human activ-ity Economic activity is limited to ensurethat the objects or site are protected Inthe Russian legislation there is no suchcultural heritage category as the ldquohis-torical and cultural protected areardquo Infact these territories do exist ndash they aremuseum-reserves established by gov-ernmental acts By their functions andinstitutional type they are similar tonational parks and play a most impor-tant role in the conservation of the her-itage ndash estates of the aristocracymonasteries urban rural and archae-ological landscapes and battlefields arerepresented in the museum-reserveswith exceptional diversityWith regard to immanent values in thelandscapes andor in the environmentthere is insufficient legal developmentthough essential prerequisites for suchregulation exist within the system ofurban planning and development aswell as in the currently established legalprocedures of environmental impactassessment and historical and culturalexpert appraisalEvery society embodies a system of val-ues where the landscape has its ownplace Social cataclysms in the twenti-eth century have destroyed the tradi-tional vision where landscape as a placefor living subsistence and social accom-plishment had comprised a significantsphere While traditional community isintrinsically connected to its physicalenvironment transformed into thecultural landscape semantically satu-rated and enriched and used for culturalself-identification through its historicalcontents the modern society is char-acterised by poor environmental per-ception and segregation from anythingbeyond individual property With dem-ocratic institutions still poorly devel-oped the landscape subject to generallaws and treated as a consumer com-modity finds its destiny determined bytechnocratic decisions and profitableinvestments If a society does not per-ceive its traditional landscape as anintrinsic cultural asset and a basic pre-requisite for sustainable developmentit has no future The revelation and clar-ification of the cultural landscape as anational heritage is a crucial task to beconsidered and implemented at all lev-els of territorial management and landuse in Russia

Marina KuleshovaRussian Research Institute for Natural

and Cultural Heritage 2 Kosmonavtov str

129366 Moscow Russian Federationheritagemtu-netru

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia

Dif

fe

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nt

a

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ro

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10 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In Europe the territory is no longer nat-ural It has been changed fundamentallyby the hand of man by building andcultivation After a long process of trans-formation territory becomes a ldquogreatconstructionrdquo with its own history and itsown language a great focus of culture agreat and complex work of art consider-ing its scale the fruit of many civilisa-tions Like all constructions its languageis expressed through signs This languageand its signs are the values that shape itsidentity If the language is lost construc-tion is interruptedThe landscape and the natural and culturalheritage which we might call the ldquoterri-torial heritagerdquo are the language andsigns that describe the territory From aterritorial and sustainable angle thesesigns acquire a strategic value and explainits history and its values but above allthey set the rules for its transformationThis strategic value of the ldquoterritorial her-itagerdquo was brought to the fore in Euro-pean thinking on territorial developmentmainly in the European Union and theCouncil of Europe

Innovative guidanceThe thinking has gone beyond the theo-retical approach and has taken tangibleform as a series of documents (Commu-nity Spatial Development Model (EU1999) Guiding Principles for SustainableDevelopment of the European Continent(Council of Europe 2002) and EuropeanLandscape Convention (Council of Europe2000)) which despite the fact that theyare not binding form a common andinternational frame of reference to definethe treatment of heritage and landscape

on the basis of this new ldquoterritorial dimen-sionrdquo These documents do not proposenew tools but provide innovative guid-ance for the better use of conventionalheritage and landscape managementtoolsThe basis is the new ldquosustainable spatialdevelopmentrdquo concept which is definedaccording to the application of two rela-tively recent basic principles the princi-ple of territorial cohesion (combined witheconomic and social cohesion) and theprinciple of sustainable development(Ljubljana Declaration 13th CEMAT Sep-tember 2003) Developing these princi-ples calls for the simultaneous study offour aspects in order to understand andapply the policies environmental eco-nomic social and cultural These newcriteria alter the traditional sectoralapproaches abolishing the isolation ofthese policies that has generally beenrespected up to now in order to tackleheritage and landscapeIn accordance with these principles oneof the territorial aims under considera-tion for Europe is ldquocreative innovativeand intelligent development of the terri-torial heritage and the landscaperdquo with aview to highlighting regional identity andpreserving diversity as fundamental fac-tors in development

Landscape and heritageare essential factors in spatial developmentConsequently landscape and heritage areessential factors in spatial developmentwith special featuresBecause they are capable of showing thestate of the territory and because they

can be objectively described they are animportant tool for standardisation of spa-tial models This is one of the aims of theESPON project The Role and SpatialEffects of Cultural Heritage and Identity They are an important factor in citizensrsquoquality of life and environment Heritageand landscape factors both urban andrural become meaningful only in asso-ciation with the use of territory They arealso economic assets and an opportunityfor regions and local communities withregard to their pulling power for eco-nomic activities other than tourism hencethe importance of increasing the aware-ness of the population and of its partici-pation in recognising it The EuropeanRural Heritage Observation Guide CEMAT2003 is a good exampleLandscape and heritage are dynamic inother words they have been transformedand are transformable which keeps themfrom being regarded as ldquofossilsrdquo Theypresent a dual challenge conservationand creative management This involvesapplying the principle of ldquoactive conser-vationrdquo with new forms of managementincorporating the three conventionaltypes of operation protection conser-vation and restoration supplemented bymore modern techniques In additionheritage must be regarded as an integralpart of the system like routes or corridorswith regard to the concept of ldquositerdquo orldquomonumentrdquo in the context of integratedspatial development strategiesAll these aspects strengthen a new rela-tionship involving heritage landscapeand spatial developmentBy way of summary it is important toemphasise their strategic role for diag-nosis and action on the territory and inthe city secondly their European dimen-sion requiring action on larger spatialscales such as the interregional ortransnational level and lastly the needfor new forms of management incorpo-rating active participation by citizens

Margarita OrtegaGeneral Secretariat for Territory

and BiodiversityMinistry of the Environment

Plaza de S Juan de la Cruz sn E-28071 Madrid

MOrtegammaes

In Spain

We

iss

Su

nse

t

Villarubia la Mancha

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

Dif

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he

s

12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

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he

s

tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

re

nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

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y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

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ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

9n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

claimed reform of local self-governmentis destined to optimise the size of munic-ipalities and make them more attachedto specific local problems enhance pub-lic representation in local legislative bod-ies and thus raise their prestige andresponseThe practical aspects need co-ordinatedaction Needless to say the role of spa-tial planners will increase dramaticallyThe principal precondition for success-ful environment-friendly spatial devel-opment is the humanist imperativenature is your friend and friends shallnot be betrayedIn Russia novelists painters and com-posers have been always aware of thefragile ties between man and natureThey know how to contribute to natureprotection today Spatial planners shouldbe grateful for their advice

Konstantin AnanitchevInstitute for Urban-Planning

Main Department for Architecture andUrban Planning of Moscow Region

7 Stoleshnikov LaneMoscow Russian Federation

glavarh1mailru

Heritage is a system of accepted val-ues and assets created and preservedby the society with the aim to pass it tothe next generation It absorbs thecultural stratum of the social sphereand is a precondition of its vitality andsustainable development in analogyto the genetic code of the biologicalspecies Every landscape possessessome heritage assets However in her-itage conservation practice and landmanagement these are specific out-standing landscapes that acquire thestatus of protected areas Every land-scape might be identified by referenceto the cultural landscape conceptCultural landscape is an output of thetargeted interaction of culture andnature and therefore it serves as anideal model for solution of the prob-lems between nature and societyCultural landscape conservation andmanagement in Russia is based on asystem of legislation and managementacts on nature conservation culturalheritage protection the rational use ofnatural resources land and urbanconstruction regulation The key her-itage laws are the Law on Strictly Pro-tected Natural Areas (1994) and the Lawon Cultural Heritage Sites (monumentsof history and culture) of the Peoples inthe Russian Federation (2002)

Categories for the protectedThe Law on Strictly Protected NaturalAreas (1994) comprises a continuinglist of the categories for protected areasand is aimed at the specification of thelegal norms for existing protected areas(zapovedniks national parks naturalparks monuments of nature zakazniksspas recreational and medicinal sitesbotanical gardens and dendrologicalparks) It is possible to establish newcategories of protected natural areasbut their specific legal regulations at thenational level are not enforced Amongthe mentioned categories national parksplay a particular role for cultural land-scape protection This is due to the factthat their legal establishment objectivesinclude conservation and restoration ofhistorical and cultural objects It is thenational parks where the most viableexamples of a harmonious interactionbetween man and nature are repre-sented in the specific cultural landscapetypes Several national parks in Russiahave elaborated special programmeson conservation of cultural landscapes

Legal recognition of cultural landscapesThe Law on Cultural Heritage Sites (mon-uments of history and culture) of thePeoples in the Russian Federation reg-ulates the legal norms on tangible her-itage sites subdividing them intoindividual monuments ensembles andsites ndash by analogy with the typologyproposed by the Convention for the Pro-tection of the World Cultural and Nat-

ural Heritage (World Heritage Conven-tion) In a number of sites the culturallandscapes are represented ndash the firstand as yet the only example of culturallandscapes having legal status at nationallevel One of the key notions in this lawis the subject for protection ndash ie thelist of assets that are not to be destroyedchanged or modified by human activ-ity Economic activity is limited to ensurethat the objects or site are protected Inthe Russian legislation there is no suchcultural heritage category as the ldquohis-torical and cultural protected areardquo Infact these territories do exist ndash they aremuseum-reserves established by gov-ernmental acts By their functions andinstitutional type they are similar tonational parks and play a most impor-tant role in the conservation of the her-itage ndash estates of the aristocracymonasteries urban rural and archae-ological landscapes and battlefields arerepresented in the museum-reserveswith exceptional diversityWith regard to immanent values in thelandscapes andor in the environmentthere is insufficient legal developmentthough essential prerequisites for suchregulation exist within the system ofurban planning and development aswell as in the currently established legalprocedures of environmental impactassessment and historical and culturalexpert appraisalEvery society embodies a system of val-ues where the landscape has its ownplace Social cataclysms in the twenti-eth century have destroyed the tradi-tional vision where landscape as a placefor living subsistence and social accom-plishment had comprised a significantsphere While traditional community isintrinsically connected to its physicalenvironment transformed into thecultural landscape semantically satu-rated and enriched and used for culturalself-identification through its historicalcontents the modern society is char-acterised by poor environmental per-ception and segregation from anythingbeyond individual property With dem-ocratic institutions still poorly devel-oped the landscape subject to generallaws and treated as a consumer com-modity finds its destiny determined bytechnocratic decisions and profitableinvestments If a society does not per-ceive its traditional landscape as anintrinsic cultural asset and a basic pre-requisite for sustainable developmentit has no future The revelation and clar-ification of the cultural landscape as anational heritage is a crucial task to beconsidered and implemented at all lev-els of territorial management and landuse in Russia

Marina KuleshovaRussian Research Institute for Natural

and Cultural Heritage 2 Kosmonavtov str

129366 Moscow Russian Federationheritagemtu-netru

Cultural landscape as the heritage of Russia

Dif

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10 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In Europe the territory is no longer nat-ural It has been changed fundamentallyby the hand of man by building andcultivation After a long process of trans-formation territory becomes a ldquogreatconstructionrdquo with its own history and itsown language a great focus of culture agreat and complex work of art consider-ing its scale the fruit of many civilisa-tions Like all constructions its languageis expressed through signs This languageand its signs are the values that shape itsidentity If the language is lost construc-tion is interruptedThe landscape and the natural and culturalheritage which we might call the ldquoterri-torial heritagerdquo are the language andsigns that describe the territory From aterritorial and sustainable angle thesesigns acquire a strategic value and explainits history and its values but above allthey set the rules for its transformationThis strategic value of the ldquoterritorial her-itagerdquo was brought to the fore in Euro-pean thinking on territorial developmentmainly in the European Union and theCouncil of Europe

Innovative guidanceThe thinking has gone beyond the theo-retical approach and has taken tangibleform as a series of documents (Commu-nity Spatial Development Model (EU1999) Guiding Principles for SustainableDevelopment of the European Continent(Council of Europe 2002) and EuropeanLandscape Convention (Council of Europe2000)) which despite the fact that theyare not binding form a common andinternational frame of reference to definethe treatment of heritage and landscape

on the basis of this new ldquoterritorial dimen-sionrdquo These documents do not proposenew tools but provide innovative guid-ance for the better use of conventionalheritage and landscape managementtoolsThe basis is the new ldquosustainable spatialdevelopmentrdquo concept which is definedaccording to the application of two rela-tively recent basic principles the princi-ple of territorial cohesion (combined witheconomic and social cohesion) and theprinciple of sustainable development(Ljubljana Declaration 13th CEMAT Sep-tember 2003) Developing these princi-ples calls for the simultaneous study offour aspects in order to understand andapply the policies environmental eco-nomic social and cultural These newcriteria alter the traditional sectoralapproaches abolishing the isolation ofthese policies that has generally beenrespected up to now in order to tackleheritage and landscapeIn accordance with these principles oneof the territorial aims under considera-tion for Europe is ldquocreative innovativeand intelligent development of the terri-torial heritage and the landscaperdquo with aview to highlighting regional identity andpreserving diversity as fundamental fac-tors in development

Landscape and heritageare essential factors in spatial developmentConsequently landscape and heritage areessential factors in spatial developmentwith special featuresBecause they are capable of showing thestate of the territory and because they

can be objectively described they are animportant tool for standardisation of spa-tial models This is one of the aims of theESPON project The Role and SpatialEffects of Cultural Heritage and Identity They are an important factor in citizensrsquoquality of life and environment Heritageand landscape factors both urban andrural become meaningful only in asso-ciation with the use of territory They arealso economic assets and an opportunityfor regions and local communities withregard to their pulling power for eco-nomic activities other than tourism hencethe importance of increasing the aware-ness of the population and of its partici-pation in recognising it The EuropeanRural Heritage Observation Guide CEMAT2003 is a good exampleLandscape and heritage are dynamic inother words they have been transformedand are transformable which keeps themfrom being regarded as ldquofossilsrdquo Theypresent a dual challenge conservationand creative management This involvesapplying the principle of ldquoactive conser-vationrdquo with new forms of managementincorporating the three conventionaltypes of operation protection conser-vation and restoration supplemented bymore modern techniques In additionheritage must be regarded as an integralpart of the system like routes or corridorswith regard to the concept of ldquositerdquo orldquomonumentrdquo in the context of integratedspatial development strategiesAll these aspects strengthen a new rela-tionship involving heritage landscapeand spatial developmentBy way of summary it is important toemphasise their strategic role for diag-nosis and action on the territory and inthe city secondly their European dimen-sion requiring action on larger spatialscales such as the interregional ortransnational level and lastly the needfor new forms of management incorpo-rating active participation by citizens

Margarita OrtegaGeneral Secretariat for Territory

and BiodiversityMinistry of the Environment

Plaza de S Juan de la Cruz sn E-28071 Madrid

MOrtegammaes

In Spain

We

iss

Su

nse

t

Villarubia la Mancha

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

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12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

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tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

fe

re

nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

re

nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

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d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

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ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

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er

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ag

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

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nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

10 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

In Europe the territory is no longer nat-ural It has been changed fundamentallyby the hand of man by building andcultivation After a long process of trans-formation territory becomes a ldquogreatconstructionrdquo with its own history and itsown language a great focus of culture agreat and complex work of art consider-ing its scale the fruit of many civilisa-tions Like all constructions its languageis expressed through signs This languageand its signs are the values that shape itsidentity If the language is lost construc-tion is interruptedThe landscape and the natural and culturalheritage which we might call the ldquoterri-torial heritagerdquo are the language andsigns that describe the territory From aterritorial and sustainable angle thesesigns acquire a strategic value and explainits history and its values but above allthey set the rules for its transformationThis strategic value of the ldquoterritorial her-itagerdquo was brought to the fore in Euro-pean thinking on territorial developmentmainly in the European Union and theCouncil of Europe

Innovative guidanceThe thinking has gone beyond the theo-retical approach and has taken tangibleform as a series of documents (Commu-nity Spatial Development Model (EU1999) Guiding Principles for SustainableDevelopment of the European Continent(Council of Europe 2002) and EuropeanLandscape Convention (Council of Europe2000)) which despite the fact that theyare not binding form a common andinternational frame of reference to definethe treatment of heritage and landscape

on the basis of this new ldquoterritorial dimen-sionrdquo These documents do not proposenew tools but provide innovative guid-ance for the better use of conventionalheritage and landscape managementtoolsThe basis is the new ldquosustainable spatialdevelopmentrdquo concept which is definedaccording to the application of two rela-tively recent basic principles the princi-ple of territorial cohesion (combined witheconomic and social cohesion) and theprinciple of sustainable development(Ljubljana Declaration 13th CEMAT Sep-tember 2003) Developing these princi-ples calls for the simultaneous study offour aspects in order to understand andapply the policies environmental eco-nomic social and cultural These newcriteria alter the traditional sectoralapproaches abolishing the isolation ofthese policies that has generally beenrespected up to now in order to tackleheritage and landscapeIn accordance with these principles oneof the territorial aims under considera-tion for Europe is ldquocreative innovativeand intelligent development of the terri-torial heritage and the landscaperdquo with aview to highlighting regional identity andpreserving diversity as fundamental fac-tors in development

Landscape and heritageare essential factors in spatial developmentConsequently landscape and heritage areessential factors in spatial developmentwith special featuresBecause they are capable of showing thestate of the territory and because they

can be objectively described they are animportant tool for standardisation of spa-tial models This is one of the aims of theESPON project The Role and SpatialEffects of Cultural Heritage and Identity They are an important factor in citizensrsquoquality of life and environment Heritageand landscape factors both urban andrural become meaningful only in asso-ciation with the use of territory They arealso economic assets and an opportunityfor regions and local communities withregard to their pulling power for eco-nomic activities other than tourism hencethe importance of increasing the aware-ness of the population and of its partici-pation in recognising it The EuropeanRural Heritage Observation Guide CEMAT2003 is a good exampleLandscape and heritage are dynamic inother words they have been transformedand are transformable which keeps themfrom being regarded as ldquofossilsrdquo Theypresent a dual challenge conservationand creative management This involvesapplying the principle of ldquoactive conser-vationrdquo with new forms of managementincorporating the three conventionaltypes of operation protection conser-vation and restoration supplemented bymore modern techniques In additionheritage must be regarded as an integralpart of the system like routes or corridorswith regard to the concept of ldquositerdquo orldquomonumentrdquo in the context of integratedspatial development strategiesAll these aspects strengthen a new rela-tionship involving heritage landscapeand spatial developmentBy way of summary it is important toemphasise their strategic role for diag-nosis and action on the territory and inthe city secondly their European dimen-sion requiring action on larger spatialscales such as the interregional ortransnational level and lastly the needfor new forms of management incorpo-rating active participation by citizens

Margarita OrtegaGeneral Secretariat for Territory

and BiodiversityMinistry of the Environment

Plaza de S Juan de la Cruz sn E-28071 Madrid

MOrtegammaes

In Spain

We

iss

Su

nse

t

Villarubia la Mancha

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

Dif

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12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

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ro

ac

he

s

tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

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he

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

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nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

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ns

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er

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ag

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nd

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ed

ag

og

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

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ag

og

y

32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

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p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

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EU

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ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

11n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

People often claim that Norway is a smallcountry This is not true In a Europeancontext we are a big country ndash with a smallpopulationOne would think that such a low popula-tion density leaves us with ample livingspace However with a few exceptions(like the central south-east) people live onnarrow strips of land along the coast fjordsand valley bottoms Most of the country isjust wilderness and too rough for humansettlement ndash too high too steep or simplytoo far away In the past nature and culture were com-plementary Norwegians have been livingin and by nature for thousands of years ndashsubsisting on farming hunting and fish-ing (like in many other countries) This isfor example the case of the Vega archi-pelago ndash our latest newcomer on the WorldHeritage ListThe Vega archipelago is a cluster of dozensof islands centred on Vega just south of theArctic Circle The archipelago reflects theway fishermenfarmers over the past 1500 years have maintained a sustainableliving There is evidence of human settle-ment from the Stone Age onwards Todaythe islands bear testimony to a distinctivefrugal way of life based on fishing and theharvesting of the down of eider ducks ina tough environment ndash nature is ratherharsh and brutal in the north of Norway This close dependency on nature no longerexists Responsibilities and management areleft to sectoral and fragmental bureaucracies

Some examplesDespite our relatively spacious share ofland per capita there is harmful competi-tion over some minor parts of the territoryndash for example urban sprawl into scarcefarmland and recreational areas devel-opment impairing the coastal zone etcLikewise the quality of our urban devel-opment has received little attention It iswell below standard compared to that ofother countries One reason could just bethat most towns and cities have very highquality surroundings ndash with easy access tonature and outstanding landscape almosteverywhereChanges in agricultural production and thedisappearance of grazing animals causeloss of landscape quality the overgrowthof cultural landscape The wilderness andmountain areas are increasingly beingencroached on by various technical instal-lations new road intersections power linesor recreational facilities ndash splitting up nat-

ural habitats and chasing away their faunaPrivatisation and commercialisation areobstructing the publicrsquos right of accessIn future the environment must be man-aged as a whole Norwegian regional pol-icy aims at promoting all the small andlarge settlements around the country ndashbased on the local people natural resourcesand inherent advantages Therefore thecultural and natural heritage should beobvious parts of the strategies for futuredevelopment and change

Culture and nature unite in the landscapeWe should improve the landscape of ourtowns and villages and reverse the over-growth of cultural landscapes in the coun-tryside Raising the quality of the localenvironment will make our small and largesettlements more attractive both for livingand business developmentWilderness and mountain areas are likely tobe of even greater significance in the futureThe reputation of Norway as a provider ofseclusion and tranquillity must be maintained Designated areas are important for a num-ber of reasons ndash from the preservation ofbiological diversity and landscapes to pub-lic health benefits and tourism Today 10of mainland Norway is protected as nationalparks by 2010 the intention is to reach13-14From a central government position we areparticularly aiming tondash strengthen central government capacity

and cross-sector managementndash collaborate closely with research and

educational institutionsndash increase awareness among civil society

private organisations and public author-ities

ndash integrate landscape concerns into all rel-evant central government policies

ndash identify how local and regional authori-ties may implement the conventionthrough local and regional policies andplanning

ndash improve participation by the general pub-lic (including indigenous people and eth-nic minorities) and non-governmentorganisations

And in the complementary landscapeapproach people easily become veryenthusiastic

Audun MoflagMinistry of the Environment

Department for Regional PlanningPO Box 8013 Dep

N-0030 Osloaudunmoflagmddepno

F

Mu

lle

rB

ios

The well-known rock of Kirragg

Area 324 000 km2

Population 46 million (2004)Density 14 persons per km2

Area distribution as a percentage oftotal land area

Mountains Unproductive forest 74Bogs and wetlandLakes glaciers

Productive forest 22Agricultural land 3Urban land 1

Norway

Antagonism orcomplementarity in Norway

Dif

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12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

in-H

ub

ert

Bio

s

Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

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tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

re

nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

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esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

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A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

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EU

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ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

12 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

The climate and the landscape of Greecendash and its surrounding areas of the north-eastern Mediterranean ndash are mild Mt Olympus towers over the country at2917 metres temperatures may drop to-10ordmC in parts of Greek Macedonia andthere are sometimes violent storms inthe Aegean as immortalised in HomerrsquosOdyssey In general however the cli-mate is temperate landscapes retain adiverse character and moderate scaleand nature has been ndash and remains tosome extent ndash rich in biodiversity andresources Ancient Greeks deified nature asso-ciating gods and other lesser sacred figures ndash such as satyrs nymphs andnereids ndash with specific natural elementsThus Poseidon was venerated as thegod of the sea and Artemis as the god-dess of wild animals and hunting whilethe river god Acheloos was portrayedwith the head of a bull and the tail of aserpent Classical Greece was dottedwith sacred places ndash mountains grovesand springs Temples were built in placesof incredible natural beauty Water inparticular in all its forms from lakes torivers from springs to wetlands to thesea was considered particularly sacredand was deeply respected until nowa-days Small rural societies managed nat-ural resources with knowledge andrespect Thus through philosophy andpractice ancient Greeks faced natureand the gods associated with it not inawe but with familiarity There were of course instances of vio-lent human intervention such as the

draining of the large Copais lake by theMycenaeans in the thirteenth century BCfor cultivation the depletion of certainforests for wood needed for building mil-itary fleets or for agricultural purposesand the impact of frequent invasions andwars but these occurred mainly duringperiods of concentration of politicalpowerOnce the eastern Roman Empire becameChristianised many of the elements ofclassical Greek philosophy were incor-porated in the teachings of the new reli-gion while Neo-Platonism played a keyrole Classical temples were replaced byByzantine churches built in towns andvillages but also in secluded places wellintegrated with nature Monasteries werefounded in magnificent landscapes ason the Meteora megaliths Patmos Islandand the Mt Athos peninsula Hermitsresided in isolated caves in the VicosGorge of Pindos or on the rocky shoresof the Prespa lakesIn the Orthodox Christian Church thenotion of nature as Godrsquos creation becamewidely accepted This implied the sanc-tity of nature while humankind (Anthro-pos) was encouraged to use its resourcesbut manage it wisely as its shepherd forthe glory of the Lord Water was incor-porated in the rituals of the Church inbaptism and the aghiasmos (blessing ofthe waters) Thus until the twentieth century theinhabitants of the Greek peninsula and theAegean Islands lived mostly in harmonywith nature and their culture was inex-tricably related to it

Dramatically changed situationThe situation changed dramatically inthe past century Faced with greatpoverty and a stream of destitute Greekrefugees from Asia Minor especially after1922 and with support from westerncountries a vast programme of agricul-tural intensification was started leadingto a massive drainage of wetlands andthis signalled the beginning of an era ofdevelopment priorities The ravagescaused by the Second World War andthe ensuing civil uprising pushed thecountry back into poverty and laternecessitated fresh efforts In spite of thefinancial contribution of the Marshal Plandevelopment remained slow and itsimpact on Greek nature limited Animportant side effect was the abandon-ment of many rural areas and the con-centration of population in the largeurban centres Landscape transforma-tion rates dramatically increased afterthe entry of the country into the Euro-pean Community in 1981 due to the mas-sive inflow of funds most of them directedto heavy engineering projects often con-structed with total disregard to the natu-ral environment and cultural heritage Thus in contemporary Greece a countryof considerable affluence (per capitaincome was 12 798 euros in 2002) thelinks between people and nature have beensevered Urbanisation especially in thecoastal zones and the islands is spread-ing uncontrolled Rivers are being dammedwith negative impact on downstream wet-lands but also heavy damage to mountainlandscapes The cases of the Messochora

Kle

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Imerovigli on the island of Santorini

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

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tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

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Arg

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Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

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orl

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ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

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Bio

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Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

re

nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

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n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

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nB

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Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

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Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

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esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

13n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

dam on the Acheloos river and theThissavros dam on the Nestos river due toinsensitive design and construction arecharacteristic Bodies of water have becomeheavily polluted from industrial and domes-tic wastes and agricultural runoff Aquifersare being desiccated by legal and illegalpumping of water mainly for irrigation(which accounts today for 82 of fresh-water consumption) Mountain vegetationhas been depleted by clear cutting forestfires and overgrazing leading to soil ero-sion and siltation problems Overfishingthe use of destructive methods (such astrawling and dynamiting) and pollutionhave dramatically decreased marine liferesources Biodiversity is on the decreaseBut perhaps the most dangerous is the rup-ture between anthropogenic works ndash thatare part of contemporary culture ndash andnature For many people the totallyurbanised environment of concrete steelglass and tarmac with nature representedin the form of scraggly trees in dusty parksand squares seems to be their preferredchoice For example Athens the congestedand heavily polluted capital of Greece hasmore than 40 of the population of thecountry and about 70 of its economicactivities

Positive signsYet there are positive signs The largecities are abandoned during weekendsand vacations by most of their inhabi-tants in search of a more pleasant envi-ronment Young people express strongdissatisfaction with the choices made bythe older generations and are claiminga better and different quality of life Theyare increasingly involved in grass-rootsenvironmental movements The gov-ernment itself motivated by public dis-content but also by the tighteningenvironmental legislation of the Euro-pean Union has started taking ndash albeittimidly ndash measures to adopt sustainableguidelines for economic activities and tosafeguard the still rich cultural and nat-ural heritage of the country Civic soci-ety through many non-governmentalorganisations spread throughout thecountry is maturing now has a strongervoice and is starting to influence deci-sion makingMost important though is the growingunderstanding by people that the culturaland natural heritage is interconnectedthat it needs integrated management anda conservation approach and that it consti-tutes one of the major comparative advan-

Towards harmony between Anthroposand nature in Greece

Dif

fe

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ac

he

s

tages of the country in the global arenaeven on the economic levelSo there are signs and there is hope thatthe new generations in Greece can findtheir identity through a balance betweeninnovation and their natural and culturalheritage ndash that a new harmony betweenAnthropos and nature can be establishedbefore it is too late and the losses becomeirreversible

Thymio PapayannisMediterranean Institute for Nature

and Anthropos (Med-INA)MedWet Senior Advisor23 Voucourestiou Street

GR-10671 Athensthymiopmed-inaorg

wwwmed-inaorg]

M

Sch

rod

er

Arg

us

Bio

s

Athens

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

fe

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

re

nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

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n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

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og

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

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esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

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en

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er

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ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

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O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

14 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

Manrsquos relationship with a garden meansmore than simply altering the physicalenvironment A garden must offerpause for internal reflection and anopportunity for one to replenish onersquosconsciousness which thereby drawsinspiration from new relationships withthe world outsideCreating a garden is the supreme leisureactivity the transposition of the highesthuman conception of happiness as rep-resented by paradise ldquothe garden of eter-nal delightrdquo which is the reward formonotheistic believersForests rivers lakes and springs werealso considered to be places of enchant-ment invested with supernatural magicand confusionMythology recounts the labours of Her-cules son of Zeus who after many fab-ulous exploits had to secure the ldquogoldenapplesrdquo of the Hesperides the daughtersof the sunset The apples a wedding pres-ent from Gaea to Hera grew in a gardenat the edge of the world and were guardedby the Hesperides the daughters of AtlasThis garden of the Hesperides the mostancient and celebrated in the classical lit-erature of western civilisation was reput-edly located in MoroccoThe custom of burial in a garden basedon a supposed reciprocity between skyand earth is still quite widely practisedin Morocco It is a country in which nature

is adored venerated and praised for itsbenefits yet feared hated and rejectedon account of its dangers Moroccan oraltradition is rich in magical and super-natural stories set in forests by springsand so on

A cultural and social assetIn many countries nature ndash forests lakesrivers ndash is seen more as a culturaland social than an economic asset InMorocco for example the forestsare the private domain of the statethough user rights are granted to localpopulations The minister responsible for rivers lakesand forests manages nine million hectaresof natural landscape or 12 of the coun-tryrsquos land area They make up a sub-stantial part of our natural wealth andbiodiversityBut how can we persuade users facedas they are with the problems of makinga daily living that they must also beconcerned with maintaining this humanresource even though they lack the visionor the meansA concerted national and internationaleffort will be necessary to overcome theproblems faced by various groups of thepopulation who rely on the forest Indeveloping countries peoplersquos very exis-tence is closely dependent on their rela-tionship with nature

His Majesty Mohammed VI is well awareof this link By preserving trees he hassaid we preserve natural areas By pre-serving natural areas we preserve manAnd by preserving man we preserve theentire country If the tree suffers so doesthe country a living tree means that anation will surviveWhen faced with problems of employ-ment financial imbalances and othersocial and economic problems even deci-sion makers who are aware of the needto protect natural resources will betempted to ignore or bend conservationrules for short-term financial or politicalgain

Mohammed Alaoui BelrhitiConsul

Consulat geacuteneacuteral du Royaume du Maroc7 rue Erckmann Chatrian

F-67000 Strasbourgconsumastrasnoosfr

Gardens and forests in Morocco

Su

nse

tW

orl

d p

ictu

res

The orange tree villa in Marrakesh

C

Ru

oso

Bio

s

Cedars of the Middle Atlas mountains

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

re

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a

pp

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he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

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esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

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er

it

ag

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nd

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ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

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OU

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IL

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EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

15n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The horse that masterpiece of naturewas domesticated by man as long ago asseveral thousand years BC becoming acomponent of human culture in theprocessBelgium has always been renowned forits horses In 52 or 51 BC Julius Caesarwrote that the Treveri tribe in theArdennes had the strongest cavalry in allof GaulThis heavy breed of Flemish (north Bel-gian) horse known as a steed or chargerwas developed in the seventh centuryand featured in the Middle Ages as thepreferred mount for armoured knightsbe it in combat jousts or tournamentsIn 807 the gifts borne by Charlemagneto the Khalif of Baghdad included ldquoBel-gianrdquo horses Several kings of Englandimported Flemish stallions TypicallyKing Henry VIII in a temper was said tohave compared his fourth wife Anne ofCleves to a Flemish mare The writerWalter Scott had his hero Ivanhoe rid-ing a Flemish horseWith the use of gunpowder horsesbecame less important in battle andheavy horses were to take on a new andmajor role in agriculture Napoleonreturned to the use of heavy horses formilitary operations He consideredArdennes (south Belgian) horses as inde-fatigable and tolerant of sparse diets andused them to transport troops in his Russ-ian Campaign The Ardennes horses sur-vived the campaign and brought backwhat was left of the French armyAt the end of the nineteenth century Belgium enjoyed huge economic growthand a surge in agriculture in whichdraught horses played a crucial roleOne of the main attractions of the Uni-versal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 theBelgian draught horse ldquoBrillantrdquo won thegrand prix at the international horse showThat horse also won the top prizes at thechampionships in London (1879) Han-nover (1881) and Amsterdam (1884)Another Belgian draught horse ldquoRecircvedrsquoOrrdquo became the most famous draughthorse in history winning the world cham-pionships at the Universal Exhibition inParis in 1900 It was successes like thesethat made the Belgian draught horseknown as the best working horsethroughout the world

The prosperous yearsIn order to guarantee justifiable breed-ing on an industrial scale and protect and

improve the breed a Belgian draughtstudbook was established in 1886 In1919 by consent of King Albert I thestudbook gained the title of ldquoSocieteacuteRoyale du Cheval de Trait Belgerdquo Nat-ural elements such as the compositionof rural areas linked to cultural featuresand the know-how of breeders cametogether to make the Belgian draughthorse the best most powerful andstrongest draught horse in the world Thehorse was a precious asset to any farmbusiness as well as an important sourceof cheap energy and of currency earnedfrom plentiful exports In 1913 Belgiumexported 30 000 draught horses In 1929the draught horse ldquoEspoir de Quaregnonrdquowas sold for 1 million Belgian francs(equivalent to 555 750 euros today) andit cost 10 000 francs (5 557 euros attodayrsquos prices) to have that horse covera mare

The declineBelgian draught horses began to lose theireconomic importance in the 1950s whenthey were replaced by motorised trac-tion vehiclesFor almost a century the Belgian herdconsistently numbered some 250 000head By the 1980s only a few thousandremained The breed and above all thediversity of coat colours were disap-pearing there were no black or chestnutstallions leftAt that time several associations for theconservation of the Belgian draught horsewere founded including the Associationfor the Promotion of the Belgian DraughtHorse The association which has pub-lished a magazine on the draught horsefor the last ten years has worked to re-establish the seven main coat colours of

draught horses bay chestnut black irongrey roan red roan and dappled greyThe Belgian draught horse breed is pro-tected and promoted by the studbookrecognised by the state since 1891 It isalso promoted by cash incentives allo-cated by the government and official bod-ies financial and industrial sponsoringparticularly by breweries and the workof associations The Belgian draught horseis very popular abroad notably in Francethe Netherlands the United States andCanadaThe Belgian draught horse has lost all theeconomic value it once had but it is stillused in forestry particularly for log haul-ing A new future has opened up for it inthe sphere of leisure folk tradition andtourism with the horse featuring in pro-cessions and historic corteges where inturn it is gradually taking over from trac-tors for pulling floats It has also found avery popular new role in driving compe-titions traction contests and rides in cov-ered carriages and early horse-drawntramsIt should not be forgotten either that forcenturies and right up to the present daythe Belgian draught horse has been anendless source of inspiration for poetspainters and sculptorsAt last its presence in the landscape isonce again assured harnessing natureand culture a living natural and culturalmonument

Edgard GoedlevenOude Bertembosstraat

B-3060 Bertemedgardgoedlevenskynetbe

R

Pie

sse

ns

Mares of the De Greeff stables with the 2004 Belgian champion and vice-champion

The Belgian draught horse a living pieceof cultural and natural heritage

Dif

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16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

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18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

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UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

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Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

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Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

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24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

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Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

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Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

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Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

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n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

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lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

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p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

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ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

16 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The three fundamental concepts in indus-trialised Western civilisation are broughttogether here and even compared Anattempt will be made to find the mean-ing of these concepts and to show howthey interact they will be linked to theconcept of heritage which is at the rootof each of them After two centuries of material develop-ment by virtue of advances in scienceand technology but also due to uncon-trolled exploitation of natural resourcesindustrial societies today as if grippedby remorse or fear are giving naturemore than benevolent considerationsometimes going as far as the disciplesof ldquodeep ecologyrdquo to defend it We maybe surprised at the quietism that liesbeneath television programmes show-ing us to the accompaniment of theinevitable comments on ldquothe balance ofnaturerdquo small animals devoured bystronger animals the latter eaten by oth-ers more powerful than themselves andso on up to the great beasts that imposethe law of the jungle Beneath its attrac-tiveness is not the natural world also ndashor maybe above all ndash a fight to the deathWe will not yield either to the tempta-tion to regard nature as a cruel mother orto the illusion of the romantics for whomldquonature is here inviting you and lovingyourdquo (Lamartine) Nature follows an orderin which the human being is no morethan one factor among others At the endof the eighteenth century some west Euro-pean peoples amazingly managed tovanquish ndash and subsequently almost con-tinuously to keep at bay ndash plague famineand war those three scourges of pre-industrial society that also form part of thenatural order The question that thencomes to mind is where does the natu-ral world begin and where does it endIs it coterminous with the universe Com-bining the meanings that the Robert dic-tionary gives to the word might lead tothe following definition ldquoAll things visi-ble that exist in the universe withouthuman action (occur spontaneously with-out interference) following a pattern inaccordance with lawsrdquo In a very broadsense the concept of nature might alsocover the entire organic and inorganicworld only items manufactured by manforming no part of it

A concept difficult to defineThe concept of culture is just as difficultto define While it can readily be distin-

guished from the concept of nature eventhough any culture is influenced to a largeextent by the natural environment itmust still be distinguished from theconcept of civilisation which denotesldquothe entire range of social (religiousmoral aesthetic scientific or technical)phenomena common to a great societyor group of societiesrdquo Among the Robertdictionaryrsquos definitions of culture we willtake the one that seems to relate directlyto the subject in question ldquoThe entirerange of acquired knowledge that makesit possible to develop the critical facultytaste and judgementrdquo Information assim-ilated in the fields of science the artsand literature and the intellectual spec-ulation to which they give rise enableman to form an idea of truth beauty andgood and progressively to appreciate theorders that govern the world first thenatural world order then the order thatsocieties try to establish so as to live ina way that is as safe as comfortable andas fulfilling as possible The human beingestablishes this order by fighting naturewhen it is hostile but also by coming toterms with it when the struggle is unequalor when conscience dictates that natureis to be respected Thus an ever-growingamount of legislation on prevention andprotection from ldquoforeseeable naturalrisksrdquo has been passed in most EuropeancountriesAdmittedly pre-industrial revolutionsocieties in western Europe (like all for-mer societies) had to compromise withnature in order to survive but at thesame time the culture of the dominantelite showed itself in the building ofcities the laying out of gardens and theestablishment of parks which assumedthe mastery of certain inorganic andorganic elements in nature Did theseformer societies whose built works forman important part of our cultural her-itage and so still compel our admirationpractise a kind of regional planningDoubtless fortunate or unfortunate expe-riences taught them where to sow inorder to obtain a sufficient harvestwhere to build in order to live withoutbeing exposed to danger or where tobuild a road that was not too difficult touse This spontaneous planning of spaceled by practical experience was cer-tainly less deliberate than it is todayalthough for the military space hasalways been a fundamental element instrategy

PlanningThe European RegionalSpatial PlanningCharter adopted on 20 May 1983 in Tor-remolinos at the European Conferenceof Ministers responsible for Regional Plan-ning gives the following definitionldquoRegionalspatial planning gives geo-graphical expression to the economicsocial cultural and ecological policies ofsociety It is at the same time a scientificdiscipline an administrative techniqueand a policy developed as an interdisci-plinary and comprehensive approachdirected towards a balanced regionaldevelopment and the physical organisa-tion of space according to an overall strat-egyrdquo For his part Professor Jean Merlinsays this ldquoThe planning of space means

Town country and landscape planning

D i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h e s

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

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18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

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UN

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OF

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RO

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UR

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c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

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A f

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Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

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Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

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24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

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ag

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ag

og

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

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og

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

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og

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

17n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

its orderly arrangement it is a deliber-ate act whose aim is to create an orderedsituation considered in this respect tobe preferable to a situation arising fromthe spontaneous interplay of the partiesrdquo[Unofficial translation] But who are theparties in regionalspatial planning I thinkwe can distinguish four major groupsnature the mass of the population andamong the latter the dominant minoritiesand the techniciansWe have stressed the major role of naturean essential party The population as suchis an important party because peopleshape the territory by their innumerableactions and their work each day how-ever it must be acknowledged that thisdoes not necessarily amount to good plan-

ning The dominant minorities and thetechnicians ndash and these are often oneand the same ndash in this mass of peopleare in a better position than others toshape the environment Dominantminorities which readily imagine thatthey make up the elite may sway spatialand town planning by virtue of theirknowledge the power vested in them(whether political economic or intellec-tual) and the culture that they haveacquired often by virtue of holding thatpower Lastly technicians (in econom-ics law building architecture etc) indis-putably play a significant part in shapingthe natural and the man-made environ-ment It will perhaps be retorted that thisallocation of roles among the parties is infact what structures our industrialisedsocieties This is readily accepted whichleads me to propose the following defi-nition perhaps a little idealised ofregional planning ldquoThe spatial expres-sion of the choices made by dominantminorities in a democratic society in orderto ensure their survival and to make theirmembersrsquo time on this earth as pleasantas possiblerdquo

Shared valuesThis planning will vary according to thevalues to which society subscribesconcern for nature concern to giveregional and local authorities an oppor-tunity to develop even if they do not enjoya privileged situation in space willing-ness to set up human establishments inthe most suitable places so that fairnessand efficiency are reconciled in the allo-cation of resources etcThe establishment of the Pan-EuropeanEcological Network exemplifies the inter-actions that are developing betweennature culture and regional planningThis project the fruit of studies by sci-entific circles expresses their concernfor nature conservation not only in sitesof rich biodiversity but also in the natu-ral or semi-natural areas that surroundor link them parks banks of watercoursesand roadsides hedges groves pools dis-used routes etc Its chances of successdepend on its being carried out in co-ordination with regional planning policyThus the project has a cultural dimensionbecause its aim is to awaken in all parties(scientists government voluntary asso-ciations ordinary citizens and so on) aninterest in preserving the natural envi-ronment and support for a major project

for the protection of the common her-itageThis concept of heritage is at the heartof the relations that are developingbetween the concepts of nature cultureand regional planning Former societieshad an essentially practical conceptionof these they were assets that must notbe destroyed for fear of shortage andsometimes death This conception haslost none of its force today availablespace unpolluted air and pure water arenatural resources that will be ever morecostly to preserve in our producer-consumer societies They have becomemajor factors in humanityrsquos ldquocommonheritagerdquo In the nineteenth century theword acquired an additional meaningreferring to objects that perpetuate thememory of historical facts that demon-strate the permanence of the commu-nity to which people belong During thelast few decades the concept has broad-ened becoming in a sense so democra-tised that today it covers the entire rangeof beings and objects that societyconsiders should be sheltered from dete-rioration and destruction This extendedconcept of heritage is at the root of Arti-cle 1 of the Walloon Town and CountryPlanning and Heritage Code which statesldquoThe territory of the Walloon Region is thecommon heritage of its inhabitants TheRegion and other public authoritieshellipshall meet the requirements of heritageand environment in a sustainable wayhellipby managing the living environment care-fully using the soil and its resources spar-ingly and conserving and developing thecultural natural and landscape heritagerdquo

Danielle SarletMinistry of the Walloon Region

Direction geacuteneacuterale de lrsquoAmeacutenagement duTerritoire du Logement et du Patrimoine

1 rue Brigade drsquoIrlandeB-5101 Namur (Jambes)

dsarletmrwwalloniebe

B

Irrm

an

n

Gardens of the Villandry chacircteau (France)D

if

fe

re

nt

a

pp

ro

ac

he

s

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

VI

EW

PO

IN

TS

CO

UN

CIL

OF

EU

RO

PE

CO

NS

EIL

DE

LrsquoE

UR

OP

E

c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

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ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

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is S

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Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

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er

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ag

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nd

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ed

ag

og

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

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tio

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h

er

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p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

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ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

18 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

V I E W P O I N T S

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

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RO

PE

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UR

OP

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c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

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Art

amp B

uil

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Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

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esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

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ns

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er

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ag

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nd

p

ed

ag

og

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A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

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ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

19n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

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c Poster IRPA-KIK Bruxelles Per gentile concessione dellrsquoArchivo Fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

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Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

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Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

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24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

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er

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ag

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

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nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

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en

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ns

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er

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ag

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

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nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

20 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The Council of Europe the new buildingsA high-quality environmentis everyonersquos concernOne of the roles of an Organisation suchas ours is to find ways of putting its pol-icy aims into practice Attention must begiven to socio-economic and environ-mental factors and their interaction withoperational and cultural criteriaWe decided to lay down objectives prin-ciples and actions for high environmen-tal quality (HQE) when the internationalarchitecture competition was launched Our approach takes into account theentire life-cycle of a building from plan-ning to demolition including use andmaintenance the impact of which be iteither beneficial or harmful will last fordecades if not for centuries

G HedmanDirector of Logistics at the Council of Europe

gunillahedmancoeint

The role of the HighEnvironmental Quality Controller When two new buildings were erectedin Strasbourg the Council of Europedecided to call in the technical controlcompany Norisko Construction to ensurethat the environmental impact of the erec-tion of the buildings was taken intoaccount and made it a condition that theFrench approach as set out by the HQEregAssociation was usedThis association set up in 1996 is recog-nised as being a public utility It is madeup of public agencies and collective bod-ies (voluntary organisations and tradeunions) representing all those involvedin the construction industry clients proj-ect managers companies manufacturersof building products experts regionalnetworks etc who are grouped into fiveldquocollegesrdquo (advice and support projectmanagement owners companies andindustries and experts) Its aim is ldquotopromote improvement in the environ-mental quality of the built environmentfrom a sustainable development per-spective especially through environ-mental management of operationsrdquoIn practice the activities of the HQEregAssociation have led to the productionof documents containing a list of 14 so-called ldquoHQEreg targetsrdquo (see box) whichset out clearly the environmentalconcerns of the client and the principleof environmental management

Two main concernsIn effect the role of the HQEreg controllercentres around two main concerns1 Detailing the DEQE (deacutefinition explicite

de la qualiteacute environnementale ndash explicit

definition of environmental quality)reference system devised by the HQEregAssociation while helping clients toset the targets they regard as mostimportant and to quantify the per-formance levels that are to be the envi-ronmental goals of the operation andin keeping with the ldquotraditionalrdquo roleof a technical controller making surethat these goals are pursued

2 Detailing the rules of environmentalsite management in a similar way toa health and safety co-ordinator whois responsible for minimising risks tothe health of all those working on orvisiting the site

The definition of the priority targets andthe corresponding target values (drawnfrom the ldquoManual for owners and build-ing contractorsrdquo published by the Envi-ronment and Energy ManagementAgency and the 2002 HQEreg certifica-tion for the tertiary sector developed bythe CSTB (Scientific and Technical Cen-tre for the Building Industry)) has beena crucial part of the work Accountneeded to be taken of the followingndash aspects related to the historical context

in which environmental awarenessdeveloped which are the keys to anHQEreg approach that is acceptable to allsides recognition of architecturalresearch the need to take account ofthe needs and wishes of the users(especially at the Council of Europewhere people from widely differingbackgrounds work and who may havedifferent needs in terms of comfort-able temperature lighting sanitationetc) and the need to take account ofthe parameters for management ofnatural resources (recognising in par-ticular that the quest for greater com-fort means at the same time making aparticular effort in the area of energymanagement)

ndash the state of the art in environmentalscience although the thermal param-eters for a building are well known andwidely familiar in the form of variousEuropean certification systems (notablythat of the CSTB) the situation withregard to environmental characteris-tics is quite different since we onlyhave rough and ready tools for theseIt is now known that on averagendash fewer than 1 000 kWh of primary

energy are needed to produce onetonne of concrete plaster wood orbrick

ndash 4 000 to 6 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonneof glass or rock wool insulation

ndash 7 000 to 12 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of copper or steel

ndash 15 000 to 27 000 kWh of primaryenergy are needed to produce onetonne of PVC polyethylene expandedpolystyrene insulation or polyurethanefoam

ndash over 30 000 kWh of primary energyare needed to produce one tonne ofinox steel or aluminium

ndash and the proportion of recovered mate-rial in metals is 50 in the case ofsteels 70 in that of aluminium and80 in that of copper

In order to generate data about buildingsthat are more accurate and more easilyapplied it has proved necessary for thosein the relevant industries to completedeclaration forms that comply withstandard NF XP P01-010-1 and provideinformation about the environmentalcharacteristics of building products Todate these are not used by a sufficientlylarge proportion of building material man-ufacturersUltimately in the light of the constraintsthat applied the client agreed to the selec-tion of priority targets 1 4 6 8 9 10and 14 for the new building of the Euro-pean Directorate for the Quality of Med-icines and of priority targets 1 4 6 89 10 12 and 14 for the new General Pur-pose Building

H GambierSpecialist in environmental quality

of buildingsNorisko Construction Strasbourg Agency

11 Rue Jacob Mayer67 200 Strasbourg

hervegambiernoriskocom

1 Harmonious relationship betweenthe building and its immediateenvironment

2 Integrated choice of buildingprocedures and products

3 Low-nuisance sites 4 Energy management5 Water management6 Building waste management7 Maintenance 8 Hygrothermic comfort9 Acoustic comfort

10 Visual comfort11 Olfactory comfort12 Sanitary conditions 13 Air quality 14 Water quality

The fourteen targets

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Te

ch

nic

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ult

ur

e

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

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is S

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Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

yS

ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

nv

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er

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ag

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nd

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ed

ag

og

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

an

n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

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tio

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h

er

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p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

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ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

21n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The point of view of Art amp Buildrsquos architectsFounded in 1989 Art amp Build combinescreativity in terms of design andconception with rigour in terms of build-ing technologies Art amp Build constantlystrives to exploit the synergy produced bythese two inseparable components ofhigh-quality architectureArt amp Build considers that the primaryexpression of sustainable development isthe democratic debate catalysing creativeenergy based on respect for identitysocial exchange and the collective dimen-sion which are the mainstays of anyhumanist society The whole architec-tural approach consists in creating thespatial and cultural conditions for ensur-ing the development of these funda-mental values by imagining environmentsfor social life accommodating the poeticexpression of citizenshipEnvironment-friendly architectural designis geared to producing buildings that con-sume as little energy and produce as lit-tle pollution as possible It also strives toimprove the comfort of the individualsliving in and moving around these struc-tures which must be pleasant convivialand alive Art amp Build has been staunchlycommitted to this approach for manyyears now From this angle particularattention is given to the choice ofenvironment-friendly materials takingaccount of their full life-cycle (from manu-facturing to destruction ndash with potentialrecycling ndash through initial fashioningtransport utilisation and maintenance)In December 1999 our architectrsquos officeobtained a star on the ldquoEntreprise eacuteco-dynamiquerdquo label awarded by the IBGE(Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion delrsquoEnvironnement ndash Brussels Institute forEnvironmental Management) a statusconfirmed in 2003 with the award of asecond starIn July 2000 two of its associates PierreLallemand and Steven Beckers were pre-sented with the PLEA (Passive and LowEnergy Architecture) Award for theirarchitectural design used in renovating theBerlaymont building in BrusselsResearch is tending towards a specificideal namely ldquozero impactrdquo on the envi-ronment thanks to total energy auto-nomy and the processing of all waste

Steven Beckers Isidore Zielonka

ArtampBuildChausseacutee de Waterloo 2557

B-1060 Bruxellessbeartbuildbeiziartbuildbe

New premises for the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

The new headquarters of the EDQM inStrasbourg is aimed at reflecting the Direc-toratersquos increasingly important role in asociety in which quality is of the essenceSited just beyond the citycountry bound-ary currently formed by the canal andAlleacutee Kastner the new location requiresboth prominence and integration intothe surrounding landscapeThe EDQMrsquos new HQ is confined to oneexemplary building comprising three sep-arate parts that clearly define and spot-light the different functions dependingon their technical needs security arrange-ments and different modes of use labo-ratories offices and common areasThis building with its high environmen-tal standards enjoys reliable technolog-ical features and comprises all thenecessary embellishments (avoidingexcess) making it generally a high-performance low-maintenance facilityFor instancendash natural daylight and the combined

mode of environmental control (natu-ral ventilation andor air conditioning)are amenities that meet the relevantHigh Environmental Quality criteria

ndash the materials technology and layoutwere chosen with a view to savingenergy materials water and expendi-ture on upkeep Wastewater will betreated on the spot and used to irrigatethe roof gardens

ndash the main walls are designed to keepthe impact of outside climatic varia-tions on the temperature-controlled vol-ume to a minimum Each function isprocessed in such a way as to optimiseperformance

ndash the offices have curtain-wall claddingwith vertical silk-screen glass louvreboards which change direction with thesun in order to transmit diffuse naturaldaylight inside the office areas whilelimiting insolation

ndash the laboratory concourse is sur-rounded with a glass and stainlesssteel technological skin forming boththe wall and the roofing The skin isnaturally ventilated and protects theinside area from climatic conditionsand other outside impacts withoutcreating an entirely isolated envi-ronment that would require full airconditioning

Ima

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Deacute

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Art

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Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

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Art

amp B

uil

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Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

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24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

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Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

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Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

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Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

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Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

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ns

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er

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ag

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ag

og

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

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og

y

32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

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y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

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EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

Recognise the tfrom nature to

22 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

T e c h n i c a l c u l t u r e

The architectural approach to this newbuilding takes account of the main com-ponents of the urban landscape Theproject maximises the potential of thesurrounding area (micro-climate sunand wind direction presence of waterand vegetation nature of the sub-soiland climate) in order to increase generalcomfort and reduce operating costsThe whole premises benefit from natu-ral daylight Furthermore the meetingrooms have access to natural daylightas controlled by the atrium shell whichprevents the thermal disadvantages ofpossible false light and dazzle Interiorvegetation is used to unobtrusivelydivide up the inside space as a kind ofcontinuation of the parkGlass elements are of two different cat-egories vision (clear high-performanceinsulating glass) and diffusion andorprivacy (silk-screen glass covering about60 of the total area) Every other unitcomprises a solid insulating openingwindow The efficacy of the main wallas proposed facilitates precise controland optimises general comfort com-bining overall energy and individualcomfort

The user enjoys a constant controlledclimate with large quantities of freshair channelled through the floor (bymeans of displacement ventilation) upto ceiling level where it is reused to coolthe common areas corridors and atri-ums (substantial energy savings thanksto the outsideinside buffer area princi-ple) This principle also facilitates freecooling and rinsing of the building witha view to improving air quality Officesare cooled via passive chilled-beam ceil-ings combining all the requisite officeequipment thus freeing up all the restof the false ceiling for acoustic controland light diffusion The chilled ceilingcombined with the displacement venti-lation also facilitates composite func-tioning (natural ventilation beingprioritised off-season ie outsideextreme conditions) and helps eliminaterisks of condensation or energy wasteThe technical and architectural approachesare inseparable The architectural strandpresents a sober functional building thatcorresponds to the highest possible cri-teria in terms of image comfort con-viviality flexibility energy efficiency andmaintenance

The transition from nature to culture isnot always easy to recognise At firstsight nature could be said to mean allthat grows in the natural state whereasculture only includes things that are cre-ated by men In practice nature andculture constitute a more complex unionin which the two are intertwined andwhere it is not always easy to identify theorigin of what one seesThis is the notion that underlies ourdiploma project at the Oslo architectureschool in Norway The aim was to studythe relationship between nature and cul-ture the main focus being a proposedinformation centre on nature and cultureon the Haldenvassdraget river near theNorwegian-Swedish border This is a cul-tivated area around the canalised part ofthe Haldenvassdraget which onceformed the regionrsquos main log floatingthoroughfare It is also the site of theBrekke locks which include the highestlock in northern EuropeThe project focused on the relationshipbetween nature and human achieve-ments in the form of architecture Wewished to consider what form such acentre might take and how its architec-ture could influence the perception ofthe regionrsquos natural and cultural historyas well as the extent to which a natureinformation centre could improveunderstanding of the relationshipbetween nature and cultureOur main working methods throughoutthe process were to analyse and test ourideas and hypotheses in the form ofmodels The conceptual part of the workcontributed to the development of theformal language of the project the choiceof site and the level of detail Within theframework laid down at the outset wehave adopted a relatively free and intu-itive approach to our analysis Our find-ings have offered a starting point forfurther investigation We thought itimportant not to restrict the project toa particular form or site before estab-lishing a sufficiently clear notion andbroad basis to give it an identity

Nature culture and architecture ndashproducing an assessmentThe process concerns the whole geo-graphical area and the landscape in itsentirety rather than one or more specificlocations Throughout our work we havesought using both analytical and intu-itive approaches to assess this rela-

Ima

ge

Deacute

tro

is S

A f

or

Art

amp B

uil

d

Open to the urban environment the building is situated not far from public transport

New General Purpose Building

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

nic

al c

ult

ur

e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

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ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

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Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

nv

en

tio

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er

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nd

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ag

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

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y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

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ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

23n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

tionship between nature and culturewith reference to architecture Certainsites are criticalWe are particularly interested in thenotion of ldquotransitionrdquo When does anobject become part of culture and whendoes it once more become nature Inour approach we have used graphicaland physical presentations of our analy-ses a few examples of which are shownbelowDesign model illustrating our viewson relationships in natureThe model comprises fourteen pieceseach of which is a small separateconstructioncomposition The piecesare interdependent and functiontogether as a whole Each piece locks inplace encloses and immobilises anotherGraphical study of the naturendashculturetransitionWith the aid of photographs taken invarious locations around the Brekkelocks we identified what we considerto be natural as opposed to what iscultivated We realised that the morewe zoomed in the more the landscapesfaded away We have used this to estab-lish a physical model that is based ongraphics rather than traditional metricmeasures showing in variable valuesthe contrasts and incompatibilitiesbetween nature and culture in theregion The model has played a key rolein the choice of the site and the organ-isation of the area around the BrekkelocksThree abstract models in wood steeland concreteThese are composed of boxes of thesame size (14x14 centimetres) and inaccordance with the rules entire boxesmust be used The model demonstratesour interpretation of the essence of thematerials Here we see the model inconcrete which is heavy and solidConcrete offers several possibilities anda high degree of plasticity The modelis composed of two pieces which indi-vidually have no value but when assem-bled in a certain way form an integralwhole Design models on a 1500 scaleFour specific models were assessed Oneof the main aims was to determine howto decide between different locationsPieces of wood branches other particlesand earth are carried by the water Thechannel meanders at a certain point andthese objects are deposited at the

extreme point of the meander Theresulting configuration reflects our per-ception of the transformation from waterinto land

The buildingsThe three units at Brekke comprise amain building providing information onthe entire site and two exhibitions wherevisitors can apply all their sensory per-ceptions to develop their understand-ing of the subject One focuses on thelocks and has a cultural emphasis whilethe other is concerned with the deltabeyond the locks and is oriented towardsnatureCultural exhibition at the locksThis unmanned exhibition offers furtherinsight into the cultural aspects of thesite based essentially on different andchanging perceptions of it Using a sim-ple lift members of the public can dis-cover a variety of perspectives from adark room whose sole lighting comesfrom its windows through the gates ofthe locks to a position above the locksNatural exhibition in the deltaThis exhibition is also unstaffed andoffers visitors an account and a view ofthe natural forces at work The buildingis constructed of vertical concrete struc-tures in one of the deltas and these cre-ate a movement that amplifies the forcesthat first established the delta Visitorscan move about on these structures andobserve the water at work just belowtheir feetThe main buildingThe building reflects the processwhereby wood has been carried downby the water courses and deposited overtime It emphasises the relationshipbetween the cultivated world and natu-ral forces We aim to use a hierarchicalrelationship between materials and partsof the building to tell a story over timein which the first blocks that are laid arelinked to the earth and nature Theseare constructed in concrete and sunkinto the hill The other elements aresuperimposed on and fixed to the con-crete They are of wood and are moretransparent and linear The exhibition ispart of this complex and takes the formof a ramp that leads the public to thebottom of the building and then on to thesite outside Visits to Brekke can lastfrom fifteen minutes to a full day whichmakes it accessible to most of the pub-lic Activities such as the library

research offices and shops are on thesecond level to lighten the parts of thebuilding that border on the riverSituation model of the Brekke locksThe purpose of the study was to createa formal language reflecting our per-ception of the interaction betweennature and culture and to explain it intu-itively by activating all the sensory appa-ratus of the visiting public

Gunn Elisabeth AndresenFrank Kristiansen

Snoslashhetta ASSkur 39 Vippetangen

N-0150 Oslofdkfrankdenisyahoocom

transition culture

Kri

stia

nse

n

The complete model of the project (not built)

Te

ch

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al c

ult

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e

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

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Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

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Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

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Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

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Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

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ag

og

y

32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

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p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

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PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

24 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The European Landscape Conventionwhich came into force on 1 March 2004is the latest Council of Europe conven-tion on the European heritageGiven the importance of the Council ofEuropersquos role for the whole Europeancommunity the lack of a ldquolandscaperdquostrand in its battery of instruments bind-ing on its member states was seen as amajor omissionThe European Convention on the Pro-tection of the Archaeological Heritage(Valetta Convention) and the Conventionfor the Protection of the ArchitecturalHeritage of Europe (Granada Convention)had concentrated on the archaeologicaland architectural heritage and theConvention on the Conservation of Euro-pean Wildlife and Natural Habitats (BernConvention) on wild fauna and flora andnatural habitats This meant that some ofthe major components of the Europeannatural and cultural strand had been dealtwith but the overall framework was stillabsentSo it was no coincidence that the author-ities responsible for protecting our natu-ral and cultural heritage noticed this gapand the corresponding work began in theCongress of Local and Regional Authori-ties of Europe later moving on to theintergovernmental level on preparingthe European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence Convention) which was signed on20 October 2000

Building a united EuropeThis instrument covering both natureand culture is now applicable to the wholeEuropean landscape and all its variousexpressions It opens our eyes to the factthat the protection rehabilitation andpromotion of the overall landscape inaccordance with sustainable develop-ment criteria are quite simply a sinequa non for succeeding in the vital chal-lenge of building a united EuropeDuring the ministerial conference atwhich the convention was opened forsignature most of the European statestogether with a number of Europeanorganisations working to promote thelandscape and under the aegis of theCouncil of Europersquos Directorate Generalof Education Culture and Heritage Youthand Sport (DG IV) set out the precondi-tions for implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention at all levels (localregional and national) and with all therelevant partners and stakeholders (gen-

eral public administration appliedresearch and decision-making bodies)Many practical examples of modes ofimplementation have been presentedand made available to all interested par-ties (see website wwwcoeinteuro-peanlandscapeconvention) Furthermorean entire issue of the Council of EuropersquosNaturopa magazine in four different lan-guage versions has been given over tothis conventionSo this is the first real follow-up to Rec-ommendation 150 (2004) of the Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe to the Committee ofMinisters enabling the monitoring systemof the convention tondash guarantee an integrated approach to

the convention and ensure that the roleof local and regional authorities is dulytaken into consideration

ndash be sufficiently flexible for decisionstaken by the expert committees to bequickly translated into concrete actionin the field

The Congress recommends that theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope invite the member states whichhave not already done so to sign and rat-ify the European Landscape Conventionso that it can be rapidly implemented inthe whole of EuropeThe main advantage of the conventionis that it lays down the basic guidelinesfor minor and major development workanywhere in Europe in accordance withthe criteria of sustainable developmentand enhancement of citizensrsquo everydayliving environment This applies to alllandscapes because for each of us oureveryday landscape is precisely our land-scape no matter how ordinary it mayseem

ImplementationImplementation of the convention there-fore represents a challenge to all andmore particularly to those responsiblefor development work with direct or indi-rect repercussions on the landscape Engi-neers architects and decision-makingbodies are accordingly invited to roottheir action even more solidly in the pres-ent They are called upon to respect theexpression of our identity and culturalheritage by protecting and enhancingnatural and cultural landscapes It is acase of promoting diversity rather thanuniformity and encouraging creativitywhich is not necessarily synonymous

The European Landscape Convention synth

Ch

am

uss

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ipa

Plaza de Castilla in Madrid

Ak

g-i

ma

ge

s

Extract of ldquoLa meule de foinrdquo by C Monet (1886)

J M

P

azo

s

Calatayud in Aragoacuten

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

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n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

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ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

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nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

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er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

25n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

with monument making Their actionmust be based on the realisation thatrespect for the landscape is first and fore-most respecthellip for oneselfThe European Landscape Convention isclosely bound up with the Council ofEuropersquos priority field of activity namelyrespect for human rights The conven-tion requires all parties to undertake torecognise landscapes in law as an essen-tial component of the peoplersquos sur-roundings an expression of the diversityof their shared cultural and natural her-itage and a foundation of their identityIn this connection we should also men-tion the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the EuropeanContinent (Recommendation Rec(2002)1of the Committee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe) which highlight thespatial dimension of human rights anddemocracy

Proper implementation of the Conven-tion is a unique means of ensuring spa-tial planning considerations are takeninto account at all levels This is why theCommittee of Senior Officials of the Euro-pean Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for Regional Planning (CEMAT) isinvolved in monitoring Council of Europeactivities in this field in co-operation withthe Committee for the Activities of theCouncil of Europe in the field of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP)and the Steering Committee for CulturalHeritage (CDPAT)

Enrico BuergiChairman of the European

Landscape ConventionHead of the Nature and Landscape Division

Federal Office for the Environment Forestry and Landscape

Worblentalstrasse 68CH-3003 Bern

enricobuergibuwaladminch

d p e d a g o g y

esis of nature culture and human rights

The convention1 concerns all kinds of landscapes

(urban suburban agriculturalnatural)

2 is the first ever internationaltreaty dealing exclusively with thelandscape

3 advocates legal recognition of thelandscape

4 covers land water and sea areas5 covers urban suburban and natu-

ral areas6 is committed to protecting man-

aging and enhancing landscapesin accordance with specific needs

7 proposes an active role for the ordi-nary citizen

8 on accession statesndash define and implement their own

landscape policyndash set out nationwide landscape

quality objectivesndash secure the requisite resources for

actionndash integrate landscapes into their

spatial development town plan-ning social cultural and eco-nomic policies

ndash undertake to train specialists

The key assets of the European Landscape Convention

Co

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26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

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n

Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

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Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

26 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

ldquoNaturersquos above artrdquo said ShakespearersquosKing Lear suggesting that nature andart are antagonists with nature dictat-ing its conditions human life the needto understand the world and theattempts of art to reach beyond its lim-its In that respect King Lear appearsto be quite rightYet between nature and culture along-side that dichotomy there is also a pos-itive link the consideration of nature isin fact a cultural act In the earliestexpressions of human culture naturewas already the subject That much isevident from rupestral art the first actsto transform the intellectual perceptionof nature into art at the same time thebirth of the sacred That transformationwas made possible by a belief in themagical powers of images the mostancient examples of which date fromaround the same time as the earliestexpressions of human know-how Overthe history of humankind cultural rela-tions with nature have taken on increas-

ingly varied and diverse forms such asgarden art literary works ndash GoethersquosldquoMetamorphosis of plantsrdquo or ldquoJourneyto Italyrdquo for example ndash and culturaltourism which has origins going back tothe Middle Ages when the pilgrims onthe Santiago de Compostela route prob-ably inspired travellers on their GrandTourAttraction to nature has encouragedtravel and in turn travel has influencednature the age of discovery beginningwith the crossing of the Atlantic in thefifteenth century brought agriculturalproduce to Europe which transformedfarming and rural landscapes on the con-tinent The voyages of Portugalrsquos Vascoda Gama helped to enrich the diversityof known and cultivated plants inEuropeCultural interest in nature continues totake form through art today The worksof Paul Klee or ldquoLand Artrdquo are goodexamples This interest is also expressedin the perception of the aesthetic aspectsof given areas ie the landscape In thiscontext even agriculture has sometimeshad to adapt to new cultural needs linkedto nature It is no accident that agri-tourism and organic farming with theirmore respectful approach to naturehave been so successfulThe consideration of nature in terms oflaw ndash itself also a cultural act ndash has givenrise to a number of standard-settinginstruments (international conventionsnational laws and European Union leg-islation) The emphasis placed on natureby these instruments is not limited tonature in the strict sense of the term butalso to related subjects such as land-scape that are strongly linked to culturalexperience The Council of EuropersquosEuropean Landscape Convention is anoteworthy example

A reference textThe Council of Europersquos EuropeanCultural Convention of 1954 can serveas a reference text today for the pro-tection and enhancement of theseapproaches and interests The level ofappreciation of nature in the 1950swhen this international treaty wasadopted was very different to what it istoday At that time the need to deepenfriendship and understanding betweenpeoples stemming from the Europe-wide disaster of the Second World Wartook precedence Accordingly the pro-

visions of this fundamental legal instru-ment attach considerable importanceto the study of the languages historyand civilisation of the contracting partiesbut do not directly refer to natureCertainly co-operation between peo-ples remains the priority objective Butthe notion of ldquoculturerdquo and its impactmust be reconsidered in relation to thesocio-cultural changes in our societiesIn the economically and industriallydeveloped countries human beings areever further removed from nature andyet ndash or perhaps precisely for that rea-son ndash they feel a need to draw closer toit In the light of the European CulturalConventionrsquos chief aims of exchangeand co-operation activities to imple-ment it should try in future to cater forthat need This objective can be attainedonly through a cross-sectoral approachtaking in the activities already pursuedwithin the Council of Europe pro-grammes geared to sustainable spatialdevelopment the cultural heritage andcultural routesThe 50th anniversary of the EuropeanCultural Convention is a tremendousopportunity to discuss these newprospects so that nature can finally beestablished as a further focal point forexchange and co-operation between thepeoples of Europe

Roberta Alberotanzain collaboration with Alexandra WolframmChair of the Steering Committee for Culture

(CDCULT)Italian Institute for Culture

Rr Ismail Qemali 81 AL-Tirana

robertaalberotanzaesteriit

The European Cultural Conventionand nature

B

Irrm

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Basalt sculpture at the foot of Stromboli

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

rto

lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

lto

nB

ios

Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

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ag

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nd

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ag

og

y

32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

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tio

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h

er

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p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

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OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

27n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Over the past forty years Europeanintergovernmental co-operation in thefield of cultural heritage has produced alarge body of policy and reference textsThey were collected and published as apractical tool for policy makers in 2002(European Cultural Heritage Intergov-ernmental co-operation ndash collected textsCouncil of Europe 2002) together witha companion volume of synthesis andreview (Robert Pickard EuropeanCultural Heritage A review of policies andpractice Council of Europe 2002) Themost important are of course thosewhich impose legal obligations on stateswhich have ratified them namely theConvention for the Protection of theArchitectural Heritage of Europe(Granada 1985 ETS No 121) and theEuropean Convention on the Protectionof the Archaeological Heritage (Valetta1992 ETS No 143) which supersededthe London Convention on the archae-ological heritage (1969 ETS No 66)The Granada and Valetta conventionsare among the most widely supportedCouncil of Europe conventions To datethe Granada Convention has been rati-fied by 36 states and the Valetta Conven-tion by 31 whilst 11 are still bound bythe London Convention It is in the nature of conventions to drawupon and distil ideas which have gainedacceptance through first being expressedin less formal texts The central ideabehind the European Charter of theArchitectural Heritage (1975) was ldquointe-grated conservationrdquo namely that thephysical safeguarding of the majority ofour heritage can only be achievedthrough its integration and use in every-day life This demands taking heritagevalues into account in all areas of policybut particularly in spatial planning anddevelopment decisions and seeing theheritage as a collective responsibility Itbecame a central theme of both theGranada and Valetta conventions andis being further developed in the draft-ing of a framework convention on thevalue of cultural heritage for society

A common responsibilityThe Granada Convention requires statesto document and protect their architec-tural heritage and control works to itthrough procedures for authorisationIn applying the concept of integratedconservation states must ldquoinclude theprotection of the architectural heritage

as an essential town and country plan-ning objectiverdquo promoting and makingfinancial provision for its conservationIn response to widening public percep-tion of what is valuable the scope of theconvention extended beyond ldquomonu-mentsrdquo of ldquoconspicuousrdquo interest togroups of buildings of value for ldquotheirsetting in the urban or rural environ-ment and [for] the quality of liferdquo Statesmust foster the adaptation of old build-ings for new uses in the light of the needsof contemporary life The Valetta Convention aims to ldquopro-tect the archaeological heritage as asource of the European collective mem-ory and as an instrument for historicaland scientific studyrdquo It requires statesto maintain a national inventory des-ignate monuments and areas take themeasures necessary to protect themand provide for the reporting of chancefinds Excavations at least in protectedareas must be authorised and stepstaken to ensure that both excavationand conservation work are competentlyundertaken Crucially the Valetta Convention extendsthe concept of integrated conservationldquoto seek to reconcile and combine therespective requirements of archaeologyand development plansrdquo This requiresspatial planning and development strate-gies to take archaeological interests intoaccount so as to minimise harm to thearchaeological heritage Where preser-vation of remains in situ is not possiblesufficient financial resources (as well astime) must be provided normally bythe developer to facilitate prior exca-vation processing and publication ofthe results

Framework conventionThe evolving draft framework conven-tion is intended to recognise that peopleare increasingly taking a more holisticview of the historic dimension of theenvironment (or ldquocultural environmentrdquo)in which we all live and of its value tosociety The definition of what consti-tutes cultural heritage is being democ-ratised in the sense that the ldquobottomuprdquo judgments of all communities aboutwhat they value are being added to theldquotop downrdquo value judgments of expertsA wider definition of what constitutesheritage brings with it more complexjudgments about the potentially con-flicting values ndash both cultural and prac-

tical (ldquoutilitarianrdquo) ndash of elements of thatheritage to present and future genera-tionsThe draft therefore seeks to recognisethat the right to cultural heritage is inher-ent in the right to participate in culturallife as defined in the Universal Decla-ration of Human Rights to recogniseindividual and collective responsibilitytowards cultural heritage and to empha-sise that both the conservation of culturalheritage and its use have as their ulti-mate goals in society human develop-ment and quality of life It is intended toset out principles and obligationsconcerning the role of cultural heritagein the construction of a peaceful anddemocratic society and in the processesof sustainable development and the pro-motion of cultural diversity

Paul DruryFormer Chair of the Steering Committee

for Cultural Heritage (CD-PAT)The Paul Drury Partnership

23 Spencer RoadStrawberry Hill

GB-TwickenhamTW2 5TZpdrurypdpartnershipcom

Architecturaland archaeological heritage

d p e d a g o g y

Ba

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lom

ew

UN

PS

ipa

Rare Iron Age chariot and the skeleton of an adult malediscovered during excavations for the buildingof a highway in Yorkshire (United Kingdom)

Co

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28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

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Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

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Ciu

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Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

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Bra

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Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

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et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

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en

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er

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ag

e a

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ed

ag

og

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A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

28 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

Europersquos historic buildings and archae-ological sites represent not only a storeof knowledge about our human pastbut also a major asset for the conserva-tion and understanding of nature Old buildings and ruins provide habi-tats not always available locally offer-ing protection to flora and fauna andcreating micro-climates Much of theavailable ldquonaturalrdquo habitat in towns isbuilt and may even provide more ldquonat-uralrdquo circumstances ndash in the sense thatnature is left to take its course ndash thanheavily-managed parks and ldquourbangreen spacesrdquo In rural locations espe-cially where agricultural or forestrymonocultures have reduced the rangeof habitats archaeological sites offerldquoislandsrdquo of variety In landscapes whichhave undergone extensive agricultureldquoimprovementrdquo such as lowland Den-mark and Scotland protected historicsites may preserve tiny microcosms ofthe past appearance of the wider land-scape and one is as likely to meet abotanist or a lepidopterist as an archae-ologist

Fauna and floraThese sites provide living space for birdsanimals plants and insects Some suchas falcons also inhabit a wide range ofnatural sites but others such as barnowls and swifts are now adapted to lifealongside man Like Strasbourgrsquos famouswhite storks some species ldquonest urbanbut hunt wildrdquo whereas others such ashouse sparrows have converted to alife-style which is integrated with theirhuman neighbours ndash in technical termsthey have become commensal Nor are these phenomena limited tobirds Some species of rat and mouseare closely associated with human occu-pation Urban foxes are a problem inmany countries while some can boasturban wolves and urban pine-martensMany European species of bat rely onroof-spaces to maintain their geo-graphical range so all architects ndash work-ing on new buildings or in conservationndash have to be bat-conscious nowadaysSome national nature conservation agen-cies even employ specialist ldquobat offi-cersrdquo to work with builders Reptilestoo especially lizards are among conser-vation considerations for the conserva-tion architect or the archaeological sitemanagerPlants too colonise buildings Manyspecialised plants (which originallyevolved on natural rock faces) live onwalls taking advantage of different

aspects (sunnyshady wetdry) and alsothe presence of lime in mortar andcement Mosses and lichens includemany specialist species which are morelikely to be found on buildings than ldquointhe wildrdquo And of course both ldquowet rotrdquoand ldquodry rotrdquo are fungi trying to carryout their perfectly respectable naturalfunction in an inconvenient architec-tural setting ndash as the old saying goes ldquoaweed is a flower in the wrong placerdquoInsects too take advantage of buildingspaces safe from larger predators andalso find food ndash preying on each otheron plants and on human and animalwaste Some go beyond commensal sta-tus and are entirely human-dependentor parasitic My favourite species nameis a flea which occurs in the NorthAtlantic islands and rejoices in a Latinname which means ldquothe skin-lovingisland-hopperrdquo Outdoors snails favourlime-rich garden walls which are ldquosnailheavenrdquo ndash calcium carbonate for shell-building shade for temperature controlcrevices to hide from predators and aready food supply nearby

Priorities to be decidedWith the exception of a few ldquopestrdquospecies such as fleas pigeons and urbanfoxes this all sounds like a ldquowinwinrdquostory But of course there are occasionswhen conserving old buildings and ruinscomes into conflict with conserving nat-ural species and habitats and prioritiesneed to be decided Most archaeologists dislike large-scaleplanting of trees or even natural regen-eration of woodland because trees con-ceal ancient sites and their roots causedamage to buried deposits But wood-land can be managed to integrate these

sites into clearings which have naturalvalue for example for deer grazingConservation architects dislike vegeta-tion however attractive growing out ofldquotheirrdquo buildings roots exploit jointswhich open up to allow water penetra-tion leading to structural failure Per-haps most frustrating of all for theconservation architect is when (s)hetries to obtain matching stone to repairan important historic building only todiscover that the original quarry nowabandoned and overgrown is a desig-nated habitat ndash or even more galling aprotected site of geological importanceDespite these occasional problemsresponsible built heritage conservationagencies now recognise the natural aswell as the cultural significance of theldquobuilt heritagerdquo and follow the princi-ples of ldquojoined-up conservationrdquo andldquosustainable environmental manage-mentrdquo Also encouraging is the recipro-cal interest of nature conservationistsin the human aspects of their work rang-ing from what archaeology can tell themabout ancient species distribution andhabitat formation through to the impor-tance of conservation in meeting thesocial needs of modern communitiesAs the articles elsewhere in this issuemake clear the ldquobad old daysrdquo of single-focus conservation of only nature or onlythe built heritage are rapidly becominga thing of the past ndash and for once some-thing we are happy not to conserve

Noel FojutHistoric Scotland

GB- Edinburgh EH9 15 Hnoelfojutscotlandgsigovuk

Built heritage natural heritage

M

Bo

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Fleabane on a slate wall

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

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A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

29n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Landscape is a complex phenomenonwhich must be seen in the context of aparticular area and as it is socially per-ceived by its inhabitants in terms of therelationship between the individual andthe environment They view it as anaspect of their quality of life a linkbetween their everyday living condi-tions and the desires imagination andcreativity they directly wish to realiseor experienceLandscape is a geographical structure Itshistorical and natural antecedents andwhat it tells us about them and how itis now perceived both socially and aes-thetically together form a uniquedynamic changing and educational phe-nomenon Landscapes are constantlyevolving and cannot be understood withreference to pre-existing codes and rulesbut only through a process of experi-mentation and a developing network ofexchanges that can be referred to tooffer practical illustrationsThis was indeed the purpose of the Ate-lier dei Paesaggi Mediterranei (Mediter-ranean landscape workshop) whichidentified two main foci of landscaperesearch and activity ldquogoverned land-scaperdquo and ldquoparticipatory landscaperdquo

Governed and participatorylandscapesThese are two equally valid interpreta-tions of the European LandscapeConvention that have been applied intwo Italian local authorities involved inthe workshop Scansano and Pesciawhere the options for change and devel-opment are reflected in a land-use andstructure plan The ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachtends to be concerned with rules andprocedures for overseeing change usingtraditional methods such as draft plansaccompanied by information and con-sultation aimed at securing a consensusand the agreement of those concernedwith the options proposed by the localauthoritiesIt associates landscape with spatial andlocal and regional environmental plan-ning and is particularly valuable in unreg-ulated situations where there arepressing demands for land use for thepurposes of rapid development This isthe case in Scansano where agriculturalactivity is currently being radically trans-formed with a massive expansion ofvine growing as a monoculture inresponse to market pressures for tradi-tional wine products of high quality andat a reasonable price

The other approach is more concernedwith landscape as a social phenomenonThe landscape is seen as the historic wit-ness to transformations that have takenplace and the current witness to thoseunder way or still to come to be sup-ported and shared Landscape is anevolving biological social and psycho-logical process whose existence anddevelopment composition and decom-position acceptance or rejection aredirectly yet dynamically related to itsown existence development and com-position or to a sense of disequilibriumarising from a public perception of emo-tional and rational recomposition or frag-mentation Landscape thus becomesone element of a dynamic relationshipbetween two participating componentsndash the physical environment and the pop-ulation nature and man ndash in a state ofcontinuous transformation and discus-sion There are clear technical socialand management implications in suchan approach to landscape which thenbecomes the expression of local com-munity-based participative democracyThis creates a need for an ldquoexperimen-tal networkrdquo using a dynamic action-research approach that must continuallyadapt to and justify itself in terms of theparticular local circumstances estab-lishing shared values and participationIn the ldquogoverned landscaperdquo approachit is the actions of government over andabove more local factors that determinelocal and regional development albeiton the basis of consensus and consul-tation In the case of ldquoparticipatory land-scaperdquo those concerned ndash citizensadministrators and experts ndash have tooperate in the context of the transfor-mativendashformative dynamics of livingenvironments They are the protago-nists and the ldquoprocessrdquo takes the placeof ldquogovernment decisionsrdquoBoth options present clear limits andrisks but we have to explore further thenotions of research and experimenta-tion if we wish to construct modern land-scapes that are shared dynamic andsustainable

Maurizio CiumeiChair of the Mediterranean

Landscape Workshop Atelier del Paesaggio Mediterraneo

Via Sismondi ndash Villa SismondiI-51017 Pescia

dorialandivirgilioit

Landscape analysis in Italy

d p e d a g o g y

M

Ciu

me

i

Map showing possible developments in the study zone

Co

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30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

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er

it

ag

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nd

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ed

ag

og

y

32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

30 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

The field of heritage education in Swe-den is changing rapidly Thanks to anumber of initiatives over the past threeto four years the field has evolved andgrown in importance These develop-ments are in compliance with the Councilof Europersquos Recommendation No R (98)5 concerning heritage educationThere was a time when heritage educa-tion was understood as simply guidingchildren through museum exhibitionsOwing to new technologies and ways oflooking at history we now have a diverseset of educational tools that can beadapted to most situations in which soci-ety relies on its heritage and people needto be more aware of their role in theconstantly changing historic processBut even though heritage education isevolving it is important not to abandonreliable tried-and-trusted methods Totake the example of guided tours theyhave long proven to offer a number ofadvantages such as encounters withhistorical artefacts and real live humanbeings They offer a great deal of oppor-tunity for interactionIn August 2004 the Swedish heritagesector released a joint policy statement

the result of a project called OperationHeritage that had run for three yearsand involved both professionals and thegeneral public The discussion focusedon democracy and citizen participationin the shaping of a society characterisedby sustainable development and culturaldiversity The future focus will shift fromartefacts to people Heritage must beseen in a holistic perspective thatincludes multicultural aspects old aswell as new history tangible as well asintangible legacies of the past Suchchanges bring up new questions aboutwho is in charge of interpreting historythe premises on which the selection forconservation is based and whose his-tory is to be told They also challengeheritage education to find newapproaches

New educational methodsOperation Heritage developed new edu-cational methods One of the main objec-tives of these methods is to close thegap between educators and traditionalexperts at heritage institutions Educa-tion is moving from the periphery to thecentre from artificial to genuineresearch from a narrow to a broadergroup of people Part of the expertrsquos rolewill be to teach about or at least to beaware of the educational dimension inall heritage work But teaching must notbe seen as ldquofilling the general publicrsquosempty cup with knowledgerdquo Theexpertrsquos role is to establish a productivelearning atmosphere in which both theformal and informal educational sys-tems are characterised by a creativespirit of give and take Each member ofsociety must be inspired and affectedby both their common and individualheritage A lot of knowledge about ourcommon heritage is still undocumentedand unknown to society at large Thinkof all the exciting and important narra-tives about historic places that studentsare discovering These narrativesdeserve to be taken into account whenhistory is written and when decisionsare made that affect our environmentCombining the two processes of build-ing knowledge and making decisions isvery fruitful in promoting civic respon-sibilityIn order to further improve heritage edu-cation we must strive for broaderplatforms and better methods of com-munication documentation and access

to sources One interesting attempt tocreate such a platform was a projectentitled A Cultural Heritage Dialoguehttpwwwdesignchalmerssekulturarvsdialoginenglishhtml Two churcheswere constructed on the Internet as 3Dmodels During the project anyone couldenter the 3D world at any time and takepart in discussions about heritage Anumber of different groups wereinvolved Both experts and students ofdifferent ages enriched the effort withtheir perspectives on documenting pre-serving and sharing information aboutthe historic environmentOther key contributions to the evolutionof heritage education are activities atthe European Heritage Days a Councilof Europe project entitled Europe fromOne Street to the Other and Adopt aMemory of the Future (inspired by aPegasus Foundation project calledSchools Adopt Monuments)Universities and teacherrsquos colleges havestarted to offer courses in heritageeducation in recent years A number ofperspectives have emerged that demon-strate the potential of heritage as a pro-found source of interdisciplinaryknowledge archive education museumeducation cultural heritage educationetc Many of these disciplines overlapbut altogether they present clear evi-dence that the field is flourishing Weare pleased that Swedenrsquos National Cur-riculum strongly supports heritage edu-cation and that history will now be acore subject in the upper secondaryschoolsAlthough heritage education is certainlyimproving there is a long way to goWe must constantly share our experi-ences and identify new approachesCloser international co-operation is vitalto that effort

Mikael WahldeacutenNational Heritage Board of Sweden

Member of the Council of Europersquos Group ofSpecialists on Heritage Education

Box 5405S-114 84 Stockholm

mikaelwahldenraasehttpwwwraase

Teaching heritagein Sweden

M

Wa

hld

eacuten

Concrete is very common in the Bergsjoumln suburb of GoumlteborgDuring the ldquoAdopt a Memory of the Futurerdquo project students

studied the material closely and even attended a new ConcreteCrafts course They also participated actively in the renovationof a trolley stop near the school Here a student and municipal

commissioner G Johansson are laying the final school-madeslab at the inauguration ceremony in September 2001

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

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er

it

ag

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nd

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ag

og

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32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

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p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

31n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

In October 1999 the First NationalConference on Landscape in Romebrought together all central and localgovernments institutions associationsresearch institutes and experts from thevarious sectors This was an enormousproject prepared over many monthsas witness the two volumes of pro-ceedings and all the studies and cata-logues published on this occasion Thebackdrop was the draft European Land-scape Convention which was signed inFlorence the following yearThis time I worked on preparing theldquoLandscape communication educationand trainingrdquo session and introducedone of the basic reports The researchrested on two fundamental principleseducation is essential in order to developawareness of landscape itself and thetypical characteristics of landscape arethemselves a major resource for edu-cation All one has to do is to think aboutthe relationship between nature andculture and between aesthetic and eth-ical values about the role of feelings andmemory the space-time dynamic etcBy analysing certain experiments in Italyand in Europe we had come to the con-clusion that it is essential to developlandscape awareness and education notonly so that each citizen learns to takecare of it but also because the ldquouserdquo oflandscapes in education may contributeto overall education and training at var-ious levelsFive years have passed if we observe thesituation in Italy today comparing cur-rent data with those from research someyears ago we can say that the EuropeanLandscape Convention is bearing fruitldquoLandscape education and tourismrdquoldquoLandscape remembered and futurelandscape watching observing andplanningrdquo ldquoLAN ndash Landscape ArtNaturerdquo etc these are some of the titlesof the numerous projects and trainingseminars conducted in recent years bylocal institutions associations andschools But how important have theinnovations brought in by the conven-tion really been With what aims Withwhat methodologiesThe Council of Europersquos long experiencein heritage education in the sense ofldquoany trace of human activities in the nat-ural environmentrdquo (RecommendationNo R (98) 5 of the Committee of Min-isters to member states concerning her-itage education) leads me to highlight

the principal characteristic of Europeanlandscapes often described as a ldquomar-riage of nature and culturerdquo a relation-ship that encourages the developmentof awareness of onersquos own cultural iden-tity of the sense of belonging and atthe same time the habit and aptitudefor recognising and respecting diversityIn the landscape nature and culturecohabit dynamically this is a living her-itage continually developing whosedynamism comes from aspects both nat-ural and cultural a process determinedto a large extent by the individual or thecommunity Landscape education can-not fail to involve each individual in thelife and management of hisher terri-tory and motivate himher to assumesocial and civil responsibilities

A democratic visionof the landscapeAbove all I should like to stress certainparticularly novel and significant aspectsintroduced by the European LandscapeConvention as ldquoan area as perceivedby peoplerdquo a ldquodemocraticrdquo vision thatis not imposed from on high but forwhich the experience and point of viewof each person matters a place of lifeand individual and collective memoryThe latest heritage teaching projectlaunched by the Council of EuropeEurope from One Street to the Otherimplemented by over 20 countries inthe pilot phase certainly has aspects ofparticular interest and effectiveness inheritage teaching especially as regardsthe urban landscapeThe tool for teachers and pupils ndash trans-lated into eight languages ndash is rich inideas and suggestions The progressionbegins by bringing out of the childrsquos per-sonal experience the idea of a streetthe characters who frequent it and thefantasies that (s)he dreams up theredeveloping both hisher own recollec-tions and imagination this is the streetof the memory hisher own ldquolandscaperdquoA start is made on exploring the streetonly in the second phase entailing learn-ing to describe its atmosphere by dayand by night according to the seasonsthis a phase in which one ldquoobservesrecords and expresses an opinionrdquo Butas young Europeans go to school whatlandscape lies before them A criticalawareness develops little by little fromthe discoveries made ldquoThe problems inyour streetrdquo is the most obvious starting-

point for stressing the relationshipbetween heritage teaching and the form-ing of a European citizenship The childor adolescent has all the tools to hand forraising the problem of hisher streetorganising questions on the changes tobe made initiating a proposal and involv-ing him-herself in management fromsmall beginningsIn the final phase the work extends tocomparison with other streets otherschools other countries and other land-scapes sometimes the children actuallyhave the opportunity to see and visitother landscapes like the little Belgiansand MacedoniansOur Institute has evaluated the projectby analysing the process and the prod-ucts and by using questionnaires andinterviews to obtain the views of headsteachers and pupils in various countriesThe drawings by children to illustratethe question ldquoWhat is Europe to yourdquoare surprising Europe is often seen asa very beautiful landscape with the Euro-pean flag and where two children areshaking hands

Lida BranchesiMember of the Council of Europe Group

of Specialists on European Heritage Classesand Education

Researcher at INValSI (Istituto Nazionale diValutazione del Sistema dellrsquoIstruzione)

Villa FalconieriI-00044-Frascati-RMlbranchesiinvalsiit

Appreciating andevaluating a living heritage

d p e d a g o g y

L

Bra

nch

esi

Painting by a ten-year-old girl from Lithuania who took partin the project ldquoEurope from one street to the Otherrdquo andwho answered the question ldquoWhat is Europe in your opinionShow it with a sentence or a paintingrdquo

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

32 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

C o n v e n t i o n s h e r i t a g e a n

In 1991 as we know the Council ofEurope encouraged the organisationevery September of ldquoEuropean Her-itage Days (EHDs)rdquo Since then EHDshave become a regular event for mil-lions of EuropeansAll the evidence stresses the qualityof the encounter during these ldquodaysrdquowith a particularly attentive and inter-ested public seeking a better knowl-edge of the history of buildings theirartistic merit or the techniquesemployed to preserve them The ini-tiative obviously comes up to the highexpectations of a portion of EuropeansocietyThe organisers very quickly graspedwhat a tool the EHD might be Whocannot see that today heritage has cer-tainly become one of the preferredareas for cultural initiatives but alsoa symbolic space in which many issuescoexist ndash social economic and evensometimes in a frighteningly ambigu-ous way ldquoissues of identityrdquo In thesecircumstances using the wonderfulldquoleverrdquo this event provides to promotean open idea of heritage is a realresponsibility for the organisersToday the EHDs are not merely anannual event a short-lived ldquocommu-nication operationrdquo they can formpart of a global strategy for thoseresponsible for cultural policies As aspecial occasion in public action onheritage they are particularly suitablefor focusing the efforts of several part-ners or even bringing them togetheraround a common projectAn illustration of this strategy is pro-vided by the cross-border ldquoStorieshellipof materialsrdquo operation in 1997-99 inthe French-speaking area coveredby the Rhocircne-Alps region (France)French-speaking Switzerland and theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region (Italy)There are two points ndash apart from geo-graphical proximity and the commonlanguage ndash that must be made at theoutset of this operationndash firstly as studies among the public

show most of those attending EHDsto learn about heritage come as afamily and live a short distance away

ndash secondly in accordance with thewishes of the Council of Europe theevent is indeed held in the threecountries in September but on dif-ferent dates thus making it possibleto organise cross-border exchanges

A three-year programmeOn the strength of these findings theorganisers devised a three-year pro-gramme for the years 1997 to 1999entitled ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo whichwerendash intended for a young audience

(ages 8-12) and more generally forfamilies

ndash French-speaking and cross-bordernine French departments (the eight inRhocircne-Alps plus Jura in neighbour-ing Franche-Comteacute) four SuisseRomande cantons and the Val drsquoAostaAutonomous Region (Italy)

ndash designed to reveal the heritage notfrom a chronological or typologicalapproach but on the basis of materials

ndash devised at the outset for three yearswood in 1997 stone and earth in 1998and metal in 1999

In addition each year during the EHDthis programme linked the co-ordinatedorganisation of local activities (between60 and 120) to the widespread circu-lation (100 000 copies per year) of aspecial issue of the Guide du Moutard(Kidsrsquo Guide) entirely devoted to thematerial in question by way of exam-ples taken from the entire areaconcernedIn quantitative terms the operationproved especially positive the 270 orso events organised in three years wereattended by nearly 200 000 visitorsduring the EHD 280 000 copies of thethree special issues of the Guide duMoutard were circulated in nearly athousand different places there wereseveral hundred press articles on theoperation in the three countriesIn terms of quality the range of activ-ities organised during these three oper-ations speaks for itself of the richnessand variety of the approaches (cf box)One thing is certain the parties ndashcultural professional institutional ndashmade great efforts to deal with the subject-matter at their level and thepublic ndash young or not so young ndashresponded enthusiastically to the pro-posed discoveriesThe only drawbacks werendash the difficulty experienced everywhere

in bringing the schools into this pro-gramme

ndash the complexity of the proceduresinvolved in seeking funding and incarrying out a cross-border pro-gramme

ndash the uneven involvement of the vari-ous public authorities

Thanks to the ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquoprogramme tens of thousands of chil-dren and their families were able tohave access to high-quality informa-tion on the heritage of the cross-border area concerned However theoperation also gave rise to co-operation among heritage or culturalactivities professionals from the threecountries that continues to bear fruitas the EHDs testify every yearSuch a programme could never haveseen the light of day without the EHDthe event did not confine itself to beinga kind of annual rite the great heritagefestival extolled by the media it wasalso the starting-point for a joint andcontinuing cultural effort involving par-ties of different kinds in many capaci-ties from several countries borderingone anotherA word in conclusion Yves Lacostecould say ldquoThe first use of geographyis to make warrdquo With all those who areworking throughout Europe to ensurethat the knowledge of our common her-itage helps us to make better prepara-tion for the future we want to proclaimtoday that ldquoThe first use of history andheritage is to make peacehelliprdquo

Sylvie Berti-Rossi Media and Culture Association

CH-Lausannesberti-rossibluewinch

European Heritage Days a tool for cross-bo

Discovering the job of a wood sculptor

F

To

uch

et

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

33n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

Maria Cristina Ronc Regional Museum of Archaeology

Office of Education and DevelopmentI-Val drsquoAosta Autonomous Region

mroncregionevdait

Michel Kneubuumlhler Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural Affairs

Department (DRAC)Le Grenier drsquoabondance

6 quai St VincentF-69283 Lyon

michelkneubuhlerculturegouvfr

d p e d a g o g y

rder co-operation

The first section of the three-yearldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmedevoted to wood was an excellentillustration of the ldquonature andculturerdquo theme In the 60 or so sitesproposed for EHD 1997 ndash some invalleys others in the mountains oron the shores of lakes ndash familieswere able to explore the thousandand one facets of a materialomnipresent in the heritage of thiscross-border area

Walks led by foresters (Boulc-en-Diois Jussy Pellafol Verrayes etc)events proposed by museums (AigleAnnecy Lyon Nyon Saint-Pierreetc) visits to workshops for restora-tion of roof timbers (Aosta GenevaBourg-en-Bresse etc) learningabout Lake Geneva boatbuildingmethods (Morges Saint-GingolphThonon-les-Bains) meetings withprofessionals (Bonneville Monteacuteli-mar Rossiniegravere Saint-Nicolas Yver-don etc) exhibitions of sculpturesin wood or of furniture of specialinterest (Issogne Grenoble) demon-stration of log floating (Givors)

exceptional visits to the ARC-Nucleacuteart works (specialising in thetreatment of waterlogged timber)or French-speaking SwitzerlandrsquosDendrochronology Laboratory atMoudon etc ndash the yearrsquos eclecticprogramme was an invitation tolearn about wood in all its aspectsfrom plant life to all the uses thatman has invented since prehistorictimes for this material which warmsfeeds shelters and protects himhellipin a word helps him to live

To accompany this range ofproposals each visitor was givena copy of the special Guide duMoutard issue published for theoccasion 128 pages all about thematerial and dozens of suggestionsof ways of pursuing throughout theyear in this cross-border area theexploration of ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Internet sites for ldquoStorieshellip ofmaterialsrdquo (Histoires dehellip mateacuteriaux)wwwlemoutardfr or wwwculture govefrrhone-alpes (JEP ndash dossierspeacutecial Rhocircne-Alpesrubrique ldquojeunepublicrdquo)

ldquoStorieshellip of woodrdquo

Cf Leroy (Franccedilois) Publics et usagesdes Journeacutees europeacuteennes du patrimoineEnquecircte aupregraves des visiteurs de six sitesen Rhocircne-Alpes (18 et 19 septembre 1999)(The public and their use of EuropeanHeritage Days Survey of visitors to sixsites in the Rhocircne-Alps (18 and 19 Sep-tember 1999)) Final report March 2000(available in pdf format on site wwwcul-turegouvfrrhone-alpes The Rhocircne-Alps DRAC published a six-pagesummary of this survey in August 2000also available on the same site)Worth reading Les Journeacutees europeacuteennesdu patrimoine Les clefs drsquoun succegraves et lesdeacutefis de demain Rapport de synthegravese(European heritage days The keys tosuccess and the challenges of tomorrowConspectus) Brussels King BaudouinFoundation 1999 (International Collo-quium Brussels 22-24 April 1999)The ldquoStorieshellip of materialsrdquo programmewas put into effect by setting up a steer-ing committee consisting of the ValdrsquoAosta Autonomous Region for Italythe Medias and Culture Association(AMEC) for Switzerland and for Francethe Rhocircne-Alps Regional Cultural AffairsDepartment (Ministry of Culture andCommunication) Editions du Moutardspecialising in the creation of informa-

tion tools for young people and theLyons Association for the Promotion ofArchaeology in Rhocircne-Alps (ALPARA)a somewhat atypical body bringingtogether two public authorities two asso-ciations and a private firmIncidentally the ldquoStorieshellip of materi-alsrdquo programme received two awards in1998 the European Heritage Days Prizeawarded by the Council of Europe to theVal drsquoAosta Autonomous Region and inFrance the Grand Prix de la communi-cation publique awarded to the DRACRhocircne-AlpsFranco-Swiss co-operation on stained-glass window making during EHD 2002or Franco-Italian work on fortificationsin the Alps undertaken on the occasionof EHD 2003 may be cited in this respectCf Kneubuumlhler (Michel) Les Journeacuteeseuropeacuteennes du patrimoine 2000 Du bonusage de lrsquoeacuteveacutenement (The European Her-itage Days 2000 Making good use ofthe event) in Un preacutesent qui passeValoriser le patrimoine du XXe siegravecle (Apresent that is passing Developing thetwentieth-century heritage) Lyons Edi-tions du CERTU December 2001(Rhocircne-Alps architecture network Meet-ings at the La Tourette convent 1997-2000)

For more information

A guide dedicated to the materialstudied such as wood

Co

nv

en

tio

ns

h

er

it

ag

e a

nd

p

ed

ag

og

y

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

A T T H E C O U N C I L O F

34 n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

The European CulturalConvention 50 years onThe European Cultural Convention wasdesigned with the aim of encouragingmutual knowledge and reconciliationbetween European countries andwas adopted on 19 December 195448 states are now party to itPrinciples that are now widely acceptedsuch as lifelong education or access forall citizens to participation in culturallife originate in the convention Afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall the culturalco-operation fostered by the conventionplayed a major role in bringing togetherthe countries of western and easternEurope The activities and programmes devel-oped under the convention are a prac-tical illustration of the major values of theCouncil of Europe such as human rightsand democracyThese activities are a response to thehuge challenges of our age dialoguebetween cultures and communitiesconflict prevention and reconciliationsocial cohesion and combating racismand exclusionThe Council of Europe has worked tobring about a genuine ldquocultural democ-racyrdquo The cultural programmes of theCouncil of Europe are concerned withanalysis of the cultural policies pursuedby member states the development ofinnovative projects and action to pre-serve and enhance the cultural heritageIn the view of the Council of Europeculture is also a way of encouraging dia-logue between communities throughdiscovery of the values of ldquoOthersrdquo andawareness of how much we have in com-mon however much we may disagree

The Planta Europa Conferenceand the 25th anniversaryof the Bern Convention The Bern Convention has celebrated theanniversary of its opening for signatureat the Planta Europa Conference held inValencia Spain from 17 to 20 Septem-ber 2004The fourth European Conference on theConservation of Wild Plants was organ-ised by Planta Europa a network oforganisations concerned with preserv-ing Europersquos wild flora in partnershipwith the Valencia region (Generalitat

Valenciana) and the University of Valen-cia botanic garden The conference isheld every three years and is attendedby hundreds of experts from all overEurope Discussions focused on currentproblems facing plant conservation inEurope The participants also looked atprogress achieved sustainable devel-opment and the implementation of theEuropean Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion The strategy was launched by theCouncil of Europe and Planta Europa in2001 as a European response to the deci-sion of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity to develop a Global Strategyfor Plant ConservationThe Bern Conventionrsquos group of expertson plant conservation met on 19 Sep-tember The group was formed toimprove the conventionrsquos contributionto conservation in Europe particularlythrough recommendations and sugges-tions to the Standing Committee Thesame day to celebrate the conventionrsquosanniversary the Spanish environmentminister invited all those attending theconference to a reception in the Valen-cia botanic garden As an anniversarypresent the Bern Convention was givena special award by the botanic gardento mark its major contribution to natureconservation in Europe

A big step for Kyoto but a small one for the climateThe Russian governmentrsquos decision lastweek to approve ratification is clearly adecisive step towards the entry into forceof the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Changeconcerning the reduction of greenhousegas emissions It is a major step forwardin political terms Now that the protocolcan enter into force assuming the Dumaactually ratifies it in the coming monthsthe time has come for actionThe protocol amounts to nothing otherthan political recognition of one ofthe most serious challenges facinghumankind as a whole The role of politi-cians must now be to take practicalmeasures at international nationalregional and local level to cut green-house gas emissions Both the consumersociety of the most industrialised nationsand the development models for thetransition and emerging economies need

a fundamentally new approach basedon the limits our planet can bear with aview to sustainable development Theshrinking of glaciers and the increasingfrequency of disastrous floods with theirimpact on humankindrsquos vital resourcesare like alarm bells ringing out all overthe world it really is time to actIn a resolution adopted at its last part-session in 2004 (Global warmingbeyond Kyoto Resolution No1406(2004) 7 October 2004) the Parlia-mentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope proposes practical and urgentsolutions It calls on the governmentsand parliaments of the member statesto adopt the necessary legislative meas-ures and tax reforms in the energy sec-tors to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsthroughout Europe in particular by ratio-nalising their transport policies Theremust be no further delay in developingthe use of renewable energy resourcesand seeking alternatives to fossil fuels ina process in which all consumers mustbe directly involved as responsible citi-zens

European cultural heritage ndashIntergovernmental co-operationcollected textsCultural heritage is an unparalleled vec-tor of culture and personal fulfilment intodayrsquos context of globalisation itreflects the multitude of identities thatmake Europe unique in its diversitykeeping the uniform and the banal atbay and can also be a valuable meansof preventing conflictsThis volume contains a substantial bodyof Council of Europe reference textsdeveloped in this field covering a rangeof subjects including identification andinventory scientific research legal pro-tection physical conservation dissem-ination awareness-raising and teachingheritage management organisation andtraining The index and bibliography which havebeen added in this updated volumeallow readers to find topics quickly andto explore the issues further This volumeis accompanied by a second volume thatanalyses the Council of Europe texts inthe area and highlights the synergy thatexists between heritage policies in dif-ferent sectors

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

35n a t u r o p a N o 1 0 2 2 0 0 4

E U R O P E

This publication will be useful for allthose working in the field of cultural her-itage students and academics lawyersand anyone interested in discoveringmore about the role of heritage in every-day lifeFor more information httpbookcoeint

The European Landscape Convention (Flo-rence 20 October 2000) entered into forceon the 1 March 2004 By 20 October 2004it had been ratified by 14 states and signedby 15 more The convention work pro-gramme plans the organisation of infor-mation meetings in several countriesRomania having signed the conventionon 7 November 2002 the seminar heldin Tulcea (Romania) on the 6 and 7 Mayaimedndash to provide better information for

national regional and local authoritiesas well as the main actors within Roma-nia (academics architects persons incharge of institutes or NGOs) on theimplications and content of the conven-tion

ndash to identify and analyse the specific char-acteristics and needs of Romania

Tulcea Declaration of 7 May 2004 onSustainable Spatial Development andthe European Landscape ConventionI With regard to implementation of the

European Landscape Convention inRomania

taking account of the inestimable valueof Romaniarsquos landscapes and the key rolethey play in the well-being of the popula-tion and promoting sustainable tourismthat shows due regard for the cultural andnatural heritage the participants1 welcome the shared determination

shown by the representatives of threeRomanian ministries ndash TransportConstruction and Tourism Culture andReligion and Environment and WaterManagement ndash to co-operate in imple-menting the European LandscapeConvention which Romania ratified on7 November 2002

2 underline the importance of imple-menting without delay a national Strat-egy for the European LandscapeConvention initially geared tondash legal recognition of landscapendash the establishment and implementa-

tion of landscape policiesndash the establishment of procedures for

the participation of the general pub-lic local and regional authorities

ndash the integration of landscape into spa-tial and urban planning and culturalenvironmental agricultural socialand economic policies as well as inany other policies with possible director indirect impact on landscape

ndash the incorporation in spatial and urbanplanning policies of historical geo-logical and geomorphologic data andthe cultural and natural heritage

3 believe it is necessary ndash to include the issue of landscape in

Romanian education and trainingprogrammes and to involve the Min-istry of Education Research andYouth in implementing the EuropeanLandscape Convention

ndash to use the media to raise publicawareness and launch an informa-tion campaign on landscape

ndash to collect examples of best practicethat can be followed elsewhere

4 highlight the importance of promotingboth horizontal interdepartmental andinterdisciplinary co-operation and alsovertical co-operation between nationalregional and local authorities

5 call for the dissemination among thekey players in Romania of the ldquoGuideto the effects of the European Land-scape Convention on spatial and townplanningrdquo and the ldquoEuropean Rural Her-itage Observation Guide ndash CEMATrdquoboth of which have been published inRomanian in 2004 and Recommen-dation Rec (2002) 1 of the Committeeof Ministers of the Council of Europeon the Guiding Principles for Sustain-able Spatial Development of the Euro-pean Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT) tobe disseminated among the key play-ers in Romania

6 call for the organisation of nationalworkshops on the implementation ofthe European Landscape Conventioninvolving landscape experts architectsengineers geographers museologistsacademics local authorities and non-governmental organisations as well asa national forum of cultural and natu-ral heritage players

II With regard to the landscape of theDanube delta

the participants1 reiterate the importance of the Agree-

ment between the Ministry of Envi-ronment and Territorial Planning of theRepublic of Moldova the Ministry ofWaters Forests and Environmental Pro-tection of Romania and the Ministry ofthe Environment and Natural Resourcesof Ukraine on the co-operation in thezone of the Danube delta and LowerRiver Prut nature-protected areas pre-pared under the auspices of the Coun-cil of Europe and signed in Buchareston 5 June 2000 which specifically refersto landscape

2 take note of the current situation in theDanube delta which according to thereport by the UNESCOndashMAB missionand the Secretariat of the RamsarConvention seems to be critical andcall for it to be carefully studied throughan impact survey

3 believe that as the three countriesconcerned ndash Moldova Romania andUkraine ndash have now ratified the Euro-pean Landscape Convention Article 9on transfrontier landscapes should beimplemented through a joint pro-gramme for enhancing the landscapeof the Danube delta

III With regard to European co-operationthe participants hope that internationalpartnerships studies and projects can bedeveloped under the European LandscapeConvention which is a platform for co-operation

Information Seminar on the European Landscape Convention

AT

T

HE

C

OU

NC

IL

O

F

EU

RO

PE

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature

ISSN 0250 7072

Council of EuropeDirectorate of Culture and Cultural

and Natural Heritage Regional Planning and Landscape Division

F-67075 Strasbourg cedexFax 33-(0)3 33 41 37 51christianmeyercoeint

Web httpwwwcoeintnaturopaThe Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation whichwas founded in 1949 Its aim is to work towards a united Europebased on freedom democracy human rights and the rule of lawToday the Organisation comprises forty-six member states and isthus a privileged platform for international co-operation in many

fields such as education culture sport youth social and economicaffairs health and not least regional planning landscape

and natural and cultural heritageThe Naturopa magazine published since 1968 is intended

to raise awareness among European citizens and decision makersof the importance of sustainable development in Europe

by focusing on its unique heritageFrom 1968 to 2000 Naturopa concentrated on promoting nature

conservation sustainable management of natural resources and thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issuesSince 2001 Naturopa has progressively introduced new themes suchas cultural heritage and landscape preservation in a perspective of

sustainable development and enhancement of the quality of lifeNaturopa is published twice yearly in the two official languages

of the Organisation (English and French)In order to receive Naturopa or to obtain further

information on the Council of Europe please contactthe National Agency or the Focal Point for your country

(see list on httpwwwcoeintnaturopa)

Next issue Landscape in literature