When defining a landscape, it is essential to consider the visual and spatial elements that make it unique. It involves more than just observing the nature or location; it involves the synthesis of both aspects. Natural, rural, urban, or peri-urban areas are transformed surfaces influenced by a society’s cultural projection, creating distinctive territories where streets, buildings, parks, ravines, mountains, and roads serve as anchors for inhabitants in that environment.
To support and enhance future landscape policies in Europe, the European network of universities dedicated to landscape studies and education (Uniscape) was established in 2008, in alignment with the principles of the European Landscape Convention (Florence, 2000). This network comprises 56 member universities from 15 European countries, including establishments such as La Laguna and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, along with research centres and private foundations promoting landscape studies and research.
The incumbent president of Uniscape is Juan Manuel Palerm, a Canarian architect and professor of Architectural Projects at the School of Architecture of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Under his leadership, this scientific network is convening in Tenerife next week to host its annual assembly and an international congress where leading experts will deliberate on the crucial topic of the relationship between people and the landscape in today’s society.
Honoring a Legacy
Palerm shared with DIARIO DE AVISOS that the upcoming congress, scheduled from 8th to 12th July at the CajaCanarias Cultural Space in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, will feature approximately 50 experts delving into the relationship between individuals and the landscape, their lifestyles, customs, and advancements. “Additionally, we aim to pay tribute to Pedro García Cabrera, who, in 1930, penned his essay ‘Man in Function of the Landscape,’ advocating for a comprehensive understanding of the Islands’ landscape.”
According to the Uniscape president, “the predominant challenge in the current landscape scenario, be it at the European, Spanish, or Canary Island scale, is the fragmentation and lack of alignment between the three entities capable of effectively managing and planning landscapes: science, governments, and citizens.”
Palerm highlights that “the compartmentalisation of public administrations hinders the involvement and input of scientists and citizens towards optimal spatial development, resulting in persistent contradictions in landscape planning, whether for tourism or nature conservation, leading to enduring urban conflicts that are challenging to resolve.”
The expert further notes that “choosing the Canary Islands as the venue for the Uniscape international congress was strategic, given the Archipelago’s status as a landscape design paradox laboratory, not only within its boundaries but also across Europe, where political or technical decisions often impede scientific reflections for appropriate actions in various locations and territories.”
