LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

RESEARCH

Special emphasis is given to our educational and research activities. Therefore, a detail list of research programs, as well as educational seminars, are presented below.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

The practice has a broad range of research interests involving qualitative and quantitative methodologies of landscape character assessment, methodologies about the evaluation of tourism impacts upon the landscape, as well as policies and methods for raising awareness among the civil society, private organisations, and public authorities about the value of landscapes and their protection.

"Geo-Ergon Paideia - Start Up Farm: Skills for future ecofarmers", Erasmus+, through the Greek State Scholarship Foundation

Research and teaching the subject: “Brand my Land”. University of the Aegean, Department of the Environment (2016 - 2018)

The main objective of “Geo-Ergon Paideia” project is to attract young people from rural areas to get involved in the agricultural sector and possibly preserve and invest on their family assets. The project will provide incentives, experience, experiential learning and interactive courses in order to develop skills and abilities which will help in their evolution as Farmers Entrepreneurs with ecological identity. The project focuses in secondary school students, just before reaching the point of choosing their future profession. For more, visit URL: https://eclass.aegean.gr/modules/document/index.php?course=RU103&openDir=/59dbccd2PoPF

Culture and nature: the European heritage of sheep farming and pastoral life (CANEPAL)

Research upon the following areas: “Landscape” and “Transhumance roads”. PRISMA Ltd (2010- 2014)

The project addresses different aspects of cultural heritage, such as handicrafts, vernacular architecture, oral tradition and music, traditional lifestyles, food processing and cooking, landscape features. The aim is to highlight the common European heritage relating to shepherding with all its implications for the present day society, now that this occupation has been undervalued, leading shepherds to social exclusion. Remoteness and social isolation has created a lifestyle and a public image of the shepherd as a “different” person. The project aims to re-instate the cultural, economic and social value of pastoral life and shepherding, by illustrating the importance of the cultural heritage surrounding it. For more, visit URL: http://www.prismanet.gr/canepal/en-10-research-topics/en-5-landscape

"ΜΕDSCAPES. Development of Landscape Character Assessment as a tool for effective conservation of natural heritage in the Eastern Mediterranean", (ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin-2007-2013)

Project Manager & Scientific Assistant for the University of the Aegean, Department of Geography (2013-2015)

MedScapes Project brings together eight partners from four countries for this two-year project: Cyprus, Greece, Jordan and Lebanon. Each country is represented by one non-governmental organization NGO and one University, and are led by the Laona Foundation for the Conservation and Regeneration of the Cypriot Countryside. The project aims to support stronger protection of and reduced risk to the landscape heritage through the introduction of an integrative landscape character assessment (LCA) framework for enhanced and sustainable territorial planning and decision-making. The project’s specific objective is (a) to develop and apply a best-practice methodology for identifying, mapping and assessing Landscape Character in pilot areas, and (b) to promote the results as a tool for sustainable land use decision-making and landscape-scale protection of the natural and cultural heritage in the East Mediterranean context. For more, visit URL: Περισσότερα, στο δικτυακό τόπο: http://www.enpi-medscapes.org/index.php/en/

COST (FP1204 EL): "Green Infrastructure approach: linking environmental with social aspects in studying and managing urban forests" (Domain: Forests, their Products and Services)

MC Substitute Member in Management Committee Meetings (2012-2016)

More information on URL: http://www.greeninurbs.com/

Making European Policy Popular through Challenge, Learning, Innovation, Cooperation: An experiment on the Landscape Convention / E-CLIC

Research upon: A) Good practices in implementation of landscape policies. Greek case studies and B) A Greek policy review. Organizer: PRISMA Ltd with the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union (2012-2015)

The main concern of E-CLIC is to change peoples’ perception of EU policies, make them more familiar to the non-professional and encourage people to assess the impact of such policies upon their lives and everyday activities. Moreover, E-CLIC tried innovative methods to involve people in policy making and policy assessment, taking advantage of the power of ICTs and the internet, and focusing on the European Landscape Convention (ELC) as a “pilot case” of European policy with a direct impact on the environment and economy of all human communities. For more, visit URL: https://www.e-clicproject.eu/el/.

COST (IS 1204 EL) "Tourism, Wellbeing and Ecosystem Services (TObeWELL)

MC Substitute Member in Management Committee Meetings (2012-2016)

For more, visit URL: http://www.tobewell.eu/.

PUBLICATIONS

Katerina Gkoltsiou has written articles in many journals and she is giving lectures about landscape design and research. Listed below, some of the most significant publications.