Cooperating for sustainable development

On the occasion of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, SDMed Observation, Planning & Eco-innovation presents the International Conference

"Nature & Culture-based strategies and solutions for cities and territories"

An idea whose time has come !

26, 27 & 28  November 2018

Main Venue : Panteion University, 136, Syggrou Ave., Athens

Click here to check the sponsorship opportunities 

Conference Website now OPEN ! : www.echopolis.eu

The rich natural and cultural heritage is a defining element of place identity.It brings communities together and builds shared understandings of the places we live in. It is also a very useful territorial resource,  key component of the territorial capital of regions that can enhance social cohesion, employment and economic growth and stimulate place-based policies. Since 2018 is the European Year of Cultural Heritage, events are planned all over Europe to encourage people to discover and engage with Europe’s cultural and natural attractions, so as to enhance our sense of a European belonging. The European Year is an occasion to reflect on the place that cultural and natural heritage occupies both in our lives and for territorial development and to often alert about the need to protect such unique values for the future generations.

It is thus evident that nature and culture as an indivisible whole is an idea whose time has come ! This means that natural and cultural heritage should be recognized, understood, planned and managed together !  This may be besides create efficeincy of place-based policies.  In this context, natural and cultural attractiveness of cities and territories and the achievements of culturally and nuturally creative cities, territories and nations  will be fully discussed in the international Event entitled "Nature and Culture-based strategies and solutions for cities and territories : an idea whose time has come !" organised by the international non-profit entreprise “SDMed Observation Planning and Eco-Innovation” and supported by Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences and the School of Applied Arts and Culture of the University of West Attica, on 26, 27 & 28 November 2018, in Athens. 

Nature and culture-based solutions are often less costly, more resilient and more effective in the long term, they can create jobs and economic growth, they can promote frugality of cities and territories.

The event is not strictly European. All the nature and culture science, policy and business world meets here ! It brings together scientists and cities and territories from all over the world that plan or implement innovative nature and culture-based solutions, to create a world-wide forum of exchange. Scientists, academia, policy-makers, representatives of cities and regions together with entreprises, private and social ones and citizens will meet in order to discuss key themes like :

1. 1. Natural and Cultural Heritage (tangible and intangible) as Strategic Territorial Development Resources
   2. Linking natural and cultural heritage 
   3. Natural and cultural heritage : planning, management, governance, marketing, funding
   4. Marine natural and cultural heritage - Maritime spatial planning and cultural values
   5. Cultural heritage, archaeological sites, monuments and lighting
   6. Soundscapes, Lightscapes, Nightscapes as elements of the culture of the places
   7. Shaping places with nature and culture
   8. New mapping and surveying technologies

Special emphasis will be given to the Mediterranean region with its rich natural and cultural diversity, both terrestrial and marine.

Thus, the Conference will also host the MED Social & Creative community featured by TALIA (Territorial Appropriation of Leading-edge Innovation Actions), the Interreg-MED Programme's horizontal project promoting the coherence and impact of modular projects addressing the topics of Cultural and Creative Industries and Social Innovation. The community aims at connecting social and creative innovators in the Mediterranean to consolidate and share new models of development. Besides two other INTERREG-MED projects namely BLUEISLANDS and ALTER ECO endorse the Event and will actively participate by organising an special SESSION.

Furthermore, a key issue to be discussed is about soundscapes considered as part of natural and cultural heritage also as a follow-up of the ECHOPOLIS International 2013 & ECHOPOLIS National 2017 forums organised by SDMED in the past years. 

The heritage and identity character of urban soundscapes and landscapes has been recognized recently. An example is the inscription of the Jemaa El Fna Square on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage that has introduced or encouraged a new heritage register based on the consideration of oral expressions as they unfold in the urban space. More generally, sounds are part of the cities and the places, part of their sensorial landscape, of their identity. They are one of the urban markers, just like the visual landscape. The relationship between soundscapes, heritage and attractiveness (including tourism) remains to be further explored.

The Conference is addressed to scientists and practitioners from all the traditional disciplines dealing with natural and cultural heritage ob earth and in the marine environment (territorial planners, architects, landscape architects, engineers, light and sound designers, geographers, historians, oceanographers…) but also to computer scientists/engineers, digital humanities researchers, creative industries-heritage professionals, museum specialists, human-computer interaction practitioners, and creative industries professionals.

To open a wide public discussion on these issues and reveal best practices, the International Meeting is calling for contributions, that is papers on research/technological development and concrete case-studies in the following areas :

Thematic areas 

The event will be developed in 3 full conference days 26, 27 & 28 November 2018  with the following 8 thematic areas :

v             1st Thematic area : Natural and tangible and intangible Cultural Heritage as   Strategic Territorial Development Resources

• Natural and cultural heritage as strategic territorial resources
• Natural and cultural heritage as resources that can boost economic growth and jobs 
• Territorial aspects of natural and cultural heritage – role in territorial cohesion 
• Societal aspects of natural and cultural heritage – role in social cohesion
• Natural and cultural heritage to encourage dialogue between different cultures
• Natural and cultural heritage to encourage dialogue between generations
• European Green Belt and TEN-G (Transeuropean Networks- Green)

v             2nd Thematic area : Linking natural and cultural heritage 

• Culture as ecosystem service
• Culture as main driver in influencing ecosystems and biodiversity and in shaping landscapes
• Natural and cultural heritage as defining element of European identity.
• Natura 2000 Network and ecosystem services
• Natura 2000 sites associated with cultural sites
• Natura 2000 and tourism, recreation and/or spiritual reflection
• Natura 2000 and historical and archaeological sites
• Natura 2000 and cultural sites in cities
• Natura 2000 and Green Infrastructure 
• Spiritual value of Natura 2000 sites
• Inspirational values of Natura 2000
• Natural and cultural tourism
• Natural and cultural values of landscapes
• Natural and cultural heritage and regeneration of deprived areas

v              3rd Thematic area :  Natural and cultural heritage : legal frameworks, planning, management, governance, marketing, funding

• Harmonised legal frameworks for protection
• Integrated management approaches, plans and planning tools
• New information technologies
• Synergies and collaboration opportunities in terms of planning and management
• Modes of management of integration of nature and culture across Europe
• Evolutionary governance and Natura 2000
• Innovative approaches to raising public awareness of nature conservation
• Natural and cultural heritage and the role of non-governmental organisations
• Engagement and empowerment of local residents and stakeholders
• Monitoring impacts of activities ( e.g tourism) on the overall sustainability
• Natural and cultural heritage and city/region branding
• Natural and cultural heritage and urban/territorial attractiveness
• Educational and volunteering issues linked with natural/cultural heritage interplay
• Participatory governance of natural and cultural heritage
• Biodiversity and culture in terms of policies and funding opportunities
• Methodologies to better integrate biodiversity and cultural landscapes management
• Natural and cultural tourism

v            4th Thematic area : Marine natural and cultural heritage - Maritime spatial planning and cultural values

• Marine natural and cultural heritage, planning and management
• Maritime Spatial Planning and marine antiquities 
• Maritime Spatial Planning and cultural values
• Marine antiquities and diving tourism  
• Marine Natura 2000 and Marine Protected areas
• Marine Protected Areas in the Areas Beyond National Juridictions
• Marine natural and cultural heritage and marine tourism
• Marine cultural heritage and local development of insular communities  
• Marine ecosystems and underwater noise pollution 

v             5th Thematic area : Cultural heritage, archaeological sites, monuments and sensory landscapes  

• Lighting design of archaeological sites and monuments
• Lightscapes and cultural / archaeological sites
• Sound, soundscapes and cultural / archaeological sites
• LED and low-cost lighting in archaeological sites
• Lighting and highlighting of artworks, lighting and museum spaces
• Presentation of realized projects for the rehabilitation and promotion of archaeological sites - Emphasis on sensory landscapes ( lighting, sound design..)

v             6th Thematic area : Soundscapes, Lightscapes, Nightscapes as elements of the culture of the places   

• Innovations to Improve and create natural and cultural attractiveness
• Sound and Lighting environment of monuments
• Noise and light pollution and their Impact on natural and cultural attractiveness and tourism
• Soundscapes, Lightscapes, Cultural Heritage and Tourism
• Sound and Lighting Cultural Heritage and Soundscapes / Lighscapes
• Acoustic ecology and protection of biodiversity and of natural and cultural heritage
• Urban innovations involving specific population groups (eg immigrants and refugees) to promote dialogue between cultures.

  7th Thematic area : Shaping places with nature and culture 

• Cultural capital of public space
• Public space  and cultural differences
• Designing public space with nature and culture
• Connected public spaces
• Digital networking of public spaces
• Media facades/active facades
• Lighting in public space
• Acoustics in smart cities - urban soundscapes
• Small urban spaces
• Smart urban equipment
• Urban mapping / visual maps, sound maps  
• Cultural heritage and sustainable developement - use of RES
• Urban Green infrastructure
• Green gentrification 

   8th Thematic area :  New mapping and surveying technologies for natural and cultural heritage – Geographic Information Systems

• Digital and 3-D reconstruction /modeling
• Computational photography  
• Virtual augmented reality and other techniques in cultural, historical and natural heritage
• Mixed reality and gamified interaction technologies in cultural heritage and creative industries
• Integrated historical maps and archeological data using digital technologies
• Underwater and submarine photography – Marine diving technologies.
• Earth observation systems, tools, data – GIS - PPGIS

Please submit your abstract in the format specified below through the e-mail:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to the attention of Mr Nikiforos Zampetakis. The submission of the abstracts is now open. Deadline of submission [Extended] : July 14, 2018

For the Abstract Submission Guidelines, the Selection criteria, the full papers and other details please visit the ECHOPOLIS website : www.echopolis.eu 

Publish your full paper !

Due to time constraints, it will be possible for the full papers to be submitted after the completion of the conference in order to be included in the electronic and/or printed version of the Conference Proceedings that will be issued on January 2019. Other possibilities of publication of the presented arcticles were agreed as follows : 

Please download below : 

Call for papers                  Press release