ECHOPOLIS 2018
Nature and culture-based strategies and solutions for cities and territories : an idea whose time has come ! 26 - 28 NOVEMBER 2018, ATHENS, GREECE


WHAT IS ECHOPOLIS CONFERENCE 2018
Where The Nature and Culture Science, Policy and Business World Meets
To celebrate the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, SDMed Observation, Planning & Ecoinnovation in collaboration with Panteion Univesity of Social and Political Sciences, Department of Economics and Regional Development and the University of West Attica, School of Applied Arts and Culture, organise the International Event entitled “Nature and Culture-based strategies and solutions for cities and territories : an idea whose time has come !, on November 26-28, 2018, in Athens, Greece. The event was put under the aegis of both the Ministry of Economy and Development, the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy.
The European Year is an occasion to reflect on the place that cultural and natural heritage occupies both in our lives and in 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 !
ECHOPOLIS 2018 is very blue !! Placed under the aegis of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy it focuses on Maritime Spatial Planning. The Conference recognises that MSP is also a creative social and cultural procedure that enhances attractiveness of marine spaces and especially of insular territories and communities. Insular territories worldwide are strongly encouraged to present their plans, initiatives, policies and success stories. At the Conference they will have the possibility to meet with experts to discuss opportunities that arise from the Marine Spatial Planning procedure.
INSULEUR (The European Network of Insular Chambers) is Endorser of the Event. The multi-use concept and its applications will also be fully discussed with an emphasis on combinations integrating Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH).
Maritime spatial plans and their cultural dimensions will be fully discussed due to the recent compliance, with Law 4546/2018 in Greece of the European Directive 2014/89/EU that established a framework for MSP and the perspective of elaboration and consolidation of maritime spatial plans until 2021.
This discussion is a follow-up of the previous ESPON-on-the-Road Transnational Conference about Blue growth and land-sea interaction, organised by Panteion University under the quality of ESPON Contact Point 2007-2013 in collaboration with SDMed Observation, Planning & Ecoinnovation, in November 2014, in Piraeus.

WHAT IS ECHOPOLIS CONFERENCE 2018
Where active on Nature and Culture-based initiatives cities and regions meet
The event is not strictly European. It is aiming at bringing together scientists and cities and territories from all over the world that plan or implement innovative nature and culture-based solutions, thus creating a world-wide forum of exchange of their success stories.
However the Mediterranean region with its rich natural and cultural diversity, both terrestrial and marine will be very present ! The Event will 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. TALIA together with two other INTERREG-MED projects, BLUEISLANDS and ALTER ECO will lead an impressive INTERREG-MED Session !
The Conference is addressing to scientists and practitioners from all the traditional disciplines dealing with natural and cultural heritage (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.


WHAT IS ECHOPOLIS CONFERENCE 2018
A 1-day ECHO-CULTURE Session as follow-up of ECHOPOLIS 2013 focusing on sounds and soundscapes as cultural heritage
In the context of this inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary Event, focus will be put on intangible cultural heritage and its role in shaping cities and places and creating attractiveness of cities and regions in Europe and world-wordwide.
SOUNDSCAPES considered as part of natural and cultural heritage will be broadly discussed during a 1-DAY ECHO-CULTURE Session, also as a follow-up of the very successful ECHOPOLIS International 2013 & ECHOPOLIS National 2017 forums organised by SDMED in the past years.
The heritage and identity character of urban soundscapes and other landscapes ( lighscapes, nightscapes…) was recently fully recognized both in literature and in practice. 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. Nevertheless, the relationship between soundscapes, heritage and attractiveness (including tourism) remains to be further explored.
Who's Speaking ?

Maguelonne Déjeant-Pons
Executive Secretary of the European Landscape Convention Secrétaire exécutive de la Convention européenne du paysage Council of Europe / Conseil de l'Europe

STELLA KYVELOU
Associate Professor, Deputy Head of the Dpt of Economic and Regional Development, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, ex.ESPON Contact Point in Greece 2007-2013
Panteion University

Nikos Leandros
Professor of Economics in the Dpt of Communication, Media and Culture at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Vice Rector for Financial Planning and Development

Akin Ersoy
Associate Professor at the Department of Archaeology of the Dokuz Eylul University-İZMİR and Director of Ancient Smyrna Excavations in İzmir (2007 - current ).

ANTONIOS ROVOLIS
Associate Professor,Panteion University, Head of the Institute of Urban Environment and Human Resources.

Sofia Avgerinou-Kolonia
Professor, National Technical University of Athens,President, Association of Greek Urbanists and Planners

Panos Lolonis
Rural and Surveying Engineer, NTUA, M.A. and a Ph.D. in Geography, Univ. of Iowa, Head of the Geospatial Information Department at the Hellenic Cadastre

Camelia Voinea
Ass.Professor, Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest, Director of the European Research Centre for the Analysis and Modelling of Political Culture (EPCAM).

Alex M. Deffner
Professor, Department of Planning and Regional Development, University of Thessaly, Director of the Laboratory of Tourism Planning, Research and Policy, Director of the Postgraduate Program ‘Tourism and Culture Planning and Development’

Yiannis G. Matsinos
Professor, Director Ecosystems Management Sector, Director Acoustic Ecology Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean
Travel Information
Venue
Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences
136, Syggrou Ave., Kallithea
Athens, 17671
Transport
The venue is accessible by Metro station FIX and by car
There will be limited possibility of parking
Hotel & Restaurant
Suggested hotels and restaurants near the Venue
will be announced soon.
- Full attendance
- Conference material
- Welcome cocktail
- Light Lunch Buffet
- Coffee Breaks
- Closure cocktail
- Certificate
- Workshops
- Round Tables
- Cultural events
- Full attendance
- Conference material
- Welcome cocktail
- Light lunch buffet
- Coffee Breaks
- Closure cocktail
- Certificate
- Workshops
- Round Tables
- Cultural events
- Entrance
- Conference Programme
- Certificate
- Plenary sessions
- Workshops
- Round Tables
- Networking events
- Selected Cultural events
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Aspects of Marine Spatial Planning and Governance: Adapting to the Transboundary Nature and the Special Conditions of the Sea
26 - 28 NOVEMBER, 2018
Panteion University, 136, Syggrou Ave., Athens, Kallithea 176 71