In future, politicians, business and civil society will be working together to create better-designed cities, villages and landscapes. The second Conference of European Ministers of Culture, which was held at the invitation of President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset from 14 to 16 January 2023, saw the launch of the Davos Baukultur Alliance. The Alliance will be chaired for five years by Switzerland, with its secretariat operating within the World Economic Forum.
Ministers of culture from 31 European countries along with civil society organisations and major companies from the building and real estate industry have come together in Davos to launch the Davos Baukultur Alliance, a network for dialogue among all parties at the international level.
The Alliance proposes to meet the global challenges of planning and construction through high-quality Baukultur. Its aim is the sustainable, quality-oriented management of buildings, infrastructure, public spaces and landscapes for the benefit of all. The Alliance pursues the goals set out in the Davos Declaration “Towards a high-quality Baukultur for Europe”, which was adopted in 2018, and is based on the criteria laid down in the Davos Baukultur Quality System. Many countries, as well as the European Commission, have incorporated the goals into their Baukultur policy, architectural strategies and urban agendas.
“Good Baukultur has never been as important as it is today. There can be no sustainable development without it”, said Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation, in his opening speech. The promotion of high-quality Baukultur, he went on, is an indispensable part of achieving a swift energy transition; but it also helps to combat increasing overdevelopment and enables cities and villages to evolve to meet the needs of an inclusive and diverse society.
Working groups within the Alliance will discuss issues such as the circular economy, energy-efficient renovations and a certification system, and jointly develop proposals for how to proceed. Switzerland will chair the new Davos Baukultur Alliance for the first five years. Its secretariat is based within the World Economic Forum and will act as an interface to the private sector.
In launching the Davos Baukultur Alliance, Switzerland is further advancing its commitment to Baukultur. The involvement of the building and real estate sector and the partnership with the WEF will secure broad recognition of the objective of high-quality Baukultur among all participants. An initial event is planned during the opening of the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which takes place from 20 May to 26 November 2023 under the title “The Laboratory of the Future”.
Last modification 19.01.2023
