Landscape Observatory of Crete
Participatory Landscape Mapping Event in Chania — 19 June 2026
On 19 June 2026, the Institute for Mediterranean Studies of the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (IMS–FORTH), the Natural History Museum of Crete – University of Crete, and the Decentralized Administration of Crete jointly organized an evening event entitled "Landscape Observatory of Crete: Landscape as a Dynamic Relationship between People and the Environment – Participatory Landscape Mapping Workshop" at the Centre for Mediterranean Architecture (CAM) in the Venetian Harbor of Chania.
Organized in the framework of the HORIZON-MSCA TOPIO project and the initiative for the establishment of the Landscape Observatory of Crete, the event brought together perspectives on landscape governance, environmental management, cultural heritage and public participation. Presentations addressed the principles of the European Landscape Convention, the European experience of Landscape Observatories, environmental and nature restoration actions in Crete, and the relationship between visual arts and landscape. The program also presented the proposed role of the Landscape Observatory of Crete as a mechanism for the long-term monitoring, understanding and participatory management of Cretan landscapes.
The event concluded with a Participatory Landscape Mapping Workshop, using Falasarna, one of TOPIO's case study areas, as the pilot landscape. Participants were invited to contribute to the identification and mapping of landscape values and distinctive characteristics, highlighting the importance of public participation in understanding and managing landscape change.
The event concluded with a Participatory Landscape Mapping Workshop, using Falasarna, one of TOPIO's case study areas, as the pilot landscape. Participants were invited to contribute to the identification and mapping of landscape values and distinctive characteristics, highlighting the importance of public participation in understanding and managing landscape change.
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