Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Danube

Date of latest update: 2025-12-17

Description

Description (EN):

Most of the Danube Region consists of rural landscapes with networks of rural villages having traditional architecture and land use that define its identity, but today a lack of planning and management capacities with respect to urban centers lead to the decay of these rural landscapes and their quality of living. Danube Ruralscapes aims to develop a common good practice model for rural town planning that can serve as a basis for national, regional and local-level public policies in the Danube Region area where national legislation and regional governance regulating heritage-based and sustainable rural planning are missing or not able to target village communities with limited resources and a lack of professional competences. The goal is to bring expertise and professional capacities in sustainable architecture, landscape planning, and heritage preservation to rural micro-regions, in village clusters with a potential for heritage-based, landscape-integrated, and climate-conscious construction. This initiative aims to boost regional attractiveness and the rural application of the sustainable development goals through unified and professionally supported development of the rural landscape by increasing institutional capacities through training, professional guidelines co-created with local stakeholders and a cooperation model between rural municipalities, stakeholders, and their civil society in micro-regions with united Ruralscapes. PSO1 aims for a model for developing sustainable Ruralscapes in the Danube Region, therefore creates a transnational Network of Knowledge for sustainable heritage-based rural architecture (O1.1) where the best professional knowledge from these fields will unite in order to study and plan ruralscapes. Transnational cooperation including the involved regions, architecture and landscape professionals at an academic level, the civil society, NGOs and development agencies will highlight the good and bad practices in the region, and formulate together a model for Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides for village communities in the Danube Region, a tool and policy basis that will be able to merge the most innovative planning and development knowledge with the local heritage-based challenges and potentials of village communities (O1.2). The toolkit will build on available knowledge of the partners and will continue developing the policy tools of "Architectural Manuals'' available in AT, CZ, HU and RO, up to now mostly born in top-down approaches. Danube Ruralscapes will apply an inclusive bottom-up approach in order to develop more inclusive and usable toolkits to be diffused in most countries of the Danube Region Area. In order to achieve this, Danube Ruralscapes must define the ideal multi level governance structure to give control to village communities in alliance with regional and professional networks (PSO2), enabling rural micro-regions to manage such professional tools without long term assistance from the project. Action Plans will give a framework for collaboration and management from the level of the village and its stakeholders to the regional center (O2.1), enabling the co-creation of the toolkit and policy recommendations. This process implemented and tested in 7 micro-regions will ultimately lead to policy-level recommendations for regional or national administrative and spatial planning authorities in each country (O2.2). In order to arrive to such solutions, the innovative approach iles in the piloting of the model in 6 countries (O3.2), enabling a bottom-up co-creation process, a continuous refinement based on real feedback, and 7 “Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides” to be implemented in real life (O3.1).These guidelines will not only focus on the built heritage but also highlight the visibility and development potential of regional identity, traditional building techniques and the most innovative sustainability driven material culture, public space development and landscape management. Their goal is to give a comprehensive tool to village communities for the sustainable development of more liveable and attractive rural landscapes where new generations will want to live and have pride in their sustainable and heritage-based Ruralscapes (PSO3). Professional partners will assist local and regional governments in creating easily understandable formats for the guidelines and will facilitate their testing in pilot projects, and provide expert support during interventions not typically accessible in those regions. Local mentoring of village municipalities and stakeholders who develop the built environment (enterprises, institutions, and the local private builders) will take place by academic and professional experts in sustainable architecture, heritage reconstruction, town and landscape planning, effectively increasing the capacities of stakeholders from the rural areas of the Danube Region.

Expected Achievements (EN):

How to bring globally high levels of professional expertise for the development of the rural built environment, which is the most adequate tool that offers solutions for rural areas of the Danube region? The objective is to create a transnational Network of Knowledge for sustainable heritage-based rural architecture (O1.1) where the best professional knowledge from these fields will unite in order to study and plan Ruralscapes. Transnational cooperation of the targeted regional actors, academic professionals in architecture and landscape planning, civil society organisations and development agencies will highlight the good and bad practices in the region, and formulate together a model for Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides for village communities in the Danube Region, a tool and policy basis that will be able to merge the most innovative planning and development knowledge with the local heritage-based challenges and potentials of village communities (O1.2). Danube Ruralscapes will apply an inclusive bottom-up approach in rural micro-regions in order to develop more inclusive and usable toolkits to be diffused in most countries of the Danube Region Area. In order to achieve this, Danube Ruralscapes must define the ideal multi level governance structure to give control to village communities in alliance with regional and professional networks, enabling rural micro-regions to manage such professional tools without long term assistance from the project. Action Plans will give a framework for collaboration and management from the level of the village and its stakeholders to the regional center (O2.1), enabling the co-creation of the toolkit and policy recommendations. This process implemented and tested in 7 micro-regions will ultimately lead to policy-level recommendations for regional or national administrative and spatial planning authorities in each country (O2.2). The objective is to give a comprehensive tool to village communities for the sustainable development of more livable and attractive rural landscapes where new generations will want to live and have pride in their sustainable and heritage-based Ruralscapes. Guidelines tested in 7 micro-regions will not only focus on the built heritage but also highlight the visibility and development potential of regional identity, traditional building techniques and the most innovative sustainability driven material culture, public space development and landscape management, much needed by rural communities having no access to these remote and small localities. The innovative approach lies in piloting the model for developing sustainable Ruralscapes in the Danube Region on-site in village clusters in 6 countries (O3.2), enabling a bottom-up co-creation process, a continuous refinement based on real feedback, and 7 “Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides” to be implemented in real life (O3.1).

Project outputs: Network of Knowledge for sustainable heritage-based rural architecture in the Danube region(EN)
A model for Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides for village communities in the Danube Region(EN)
Action Plans defining regional cooperation frameworks to bring architectural competences to rural clusters
(EN)
Policy recommendations for National Agencies on the development of Ruralscapes in heritage areas(EN)
Architecture and Identity Guides as local guidelines in pilot areas
(EN)
Pilot actions for the implementation of Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides(EN)
Strengthened urban-rural linkages in planning (EN)

Thematic information

Governance, partnership Cultural heritage and arts Rural and peripheral development

Priority: (VI-B_D_4) Priority 4 - A better cooperation governance in the Danube Region

Priority specific objective: ISO6.6. Other actions to support better cooperation governance (all strands)

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO6 (ISO1) A better cooperation governance

Type of intervention: 171 Enhancing cooperation with partners both within and outside the Member State

Partners (15)

Lead Partner: Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem

Partner’s ID if not PIC: HU 17783305

Department: Department of Urban Planning and Design

Address: Műegyetem rakpart, 1111 Budapest, Hungary

Department address: Műegyetem rakpart, 1111 Budapest, Hungary

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.bme.hu

Total budget: EUR 385 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 308 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 77 000.00

Consiliul Județean Mehedinți

Name: Consiliul Județean Mehedinți

Partner’s ID if not PIC: RO 4337344

Address: Str. Traian, 220132 Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://www.cjmehedinti.ro/

Total budget: EUR 82 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 65 600.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 16 400.00

Громадська Організація Агентство Сталого Розвитку та Європейської Інтеграції Єврорегіон Нижній Дунай

Name: Громадська Організація Агентство Сталого Розвитку та Європейської Інтеграції Єврорегіон Нижній Дунай

Partner’s ID if not PIC: UA132111563

Address: Svyato-Nikolska str., 68600 Izmail, Ukraine

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.asdei.od.ua

Total budget: EUR 101 500.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 81 200.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 20 300.00

Općina Kneževi Vinogradi

Name: Općina Kneževi Vinogradi

Partner’s ID if not PIC: HR35938293122

Address: Hrvatske Republike, 31309 Kneževi Vinogradi, Croatia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.knezevi-vinogradi.hr

Total budget: EUR 63 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 50 400.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 12 600.00

Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku Građevinski i arhitektonski fakultet Osijek

Name: Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku Građevinski i arhitektonski fakultet Osijek

Department: Department for Architecture and Urban Planning

Partner’s ID if not PIC: HR04150850819

Address: Vladimir Prelog , 31000 Osijek, Croatia

Department address: Vladimir Prelog , 31000 Osijek, Croatia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.gfos.unios.hr/

Total budget: EUR 101 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 80 800.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 20 200.00

Asociația Ivan Patzaichin – Mila 23

Name: Asociația Ivan Patzaichin – Mila 23

Partner’s ID if not PIC: RO27839692

Address: Nufarului, 827062 Mila 23, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://rowmania.ro

Total budget: EUR 120 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 96 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 24 000.00

Асоциацията на дунавските общини „Дунав“

Name: Асоциацията на дунавските общини „Дунав“

Partner’s ID if not PIC: BG114107675

Address: Knyazheska St., 7000 Ruse, Bulgaria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://www.adodunav.org/en

Total budget: EUR 60 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 48 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 12 000.00

Национален туристически клъстер "Българският пътеводител

Name: Национален туристически клъстер "Българският пътеводител

Partner’s ID if not PIC: BG176488025

Address: r.d. Zona B-5 bl. 10, entr. B , 1303 Sofia, Bulgaria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.bg-guide.org/en

Total budget: EUR 120 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 96 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 24 000.00

Ordinul Arhitecților din România

Name: Ordinul Arhitecților din România

Partner’s ID if not PIC: RO14083510

Address: Pictor Arthur Verona, 010312 Bucuresti, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.oar.archi

Total budget: EUR 77 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 61 600.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 15 400.00

Universitatea de Arhitectură și Urbanism "Ion Mincu"

Name: Universitatea de Arhitectură și Urbanism "Ion Mincu"

Partner’s ID if not PIC: RO4283996

Address: Academiei, 010014 Bucuresti, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.uauim.ro/

Total budget: EUR 127 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 101 600.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 25 400.00

Univerzitet u Beogradu - Arhitektonski fakultet

Name: Univerzitet u Beogradu - Arhitektonski fakultet

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SR 07032480

Address: Bulevar kralja Aleksandra, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.arh.bg.ac.rs/en

Total budget: EUR 120 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 96 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 24 000.00

Regionalna razvojna agencija Braničevo-Podunavlje d.o.o.

Name: Regionalna razvojna agencija Braničevo-Podunavlje d.o.o.

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SR 20505044

Address: Stari korzo, 12000 Požarevac, Serbia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://www.rra-bp.rs/

Total budget: EUR 80 050.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 64 040.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 16 010.00

Universitatea Politechnica Timişoara

Name: Universitatea Politechnica Timişoara

Partner’s ID if not PIC: RO 23690201

Address: Piaţa Victoriei , 300006 Timişoara, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.upt.ro

Total budget: EUR 116 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 92 800.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 23 200.00

Pest Vármegye Önkormányzata

Name: Pest Vármegye Önkormányzata

Partner’s ID if not PIC: HU15731319

Address: Városház utca, 1052 Budapest, Hungary

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: http://www.pestmegye.hu

Total budget: EUR 119 250.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 95 400.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 23 850.00

Kortárs Építészeti Központ

Name: Kortárs Építészeti Központ

Partner’s ID if not PIC: HU 18189223142

Address: Bartók Béla út, 1111 Budapest, Hungary

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.kek.org.hu

Total budget: EUR 103 835.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 83 068.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 20 767.00

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Mehedinți County Council

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

Public Organization Agency of Sustainable Development & European Integration Lower Danube Euroregion

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

Municipality Kneževi Vinogradi

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

University Josip Juraj Strossmayer Osijek Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture Osijek

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

Ivan Patzaichin – Mila 23 Association

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

Association of Danube River Municipalities "Danube"

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

National Tourism Cluster "Bulgarian Guide"

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

Romanian Order of Architects

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

University of Belgrade - Faculty of Architecture

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

Regional Development Agency "Braničevo-Podunavlje" Ltd.

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

Politehnica University of Timişoara

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

Pest County Municipality

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Partners and Projects info

Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem

Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

Project acronym: Danube Ruralscapes

Project ID: DRP0301249

Project start date: 2025-04-01

Project end date: 2027-09-30

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

DANUrB (Interreg DTP-3-433-2.2) 2017-2019 and
DANUrB+ (Interreg DTP1-249-2.2) 2020-2022 (EN) | Danube Ruralscapes starts to pilot and implement policies for the development of rural built environments in 7 pilot micro-regions all along the Danube because of the immense experience and knowledge base from DANUrB. DANUrB+ aimed to reactivate underused cultural heritage and resources in shrinking settlements of Danube river’s peripheral and border regions, to create new possibilities to make its towns and regions more attractive for culture based tourism. It built on the results of the DANUrB project which established a Cultural Promenade along with a consistent Strategy, a functional Platform based on a wide Cultural Network, helped by thematic Tours. Such DANUrB tools were found to be most useful in rural and border regions, where the decaying socio-economic situation can only rely for development on the special resources of the Danube. DANUrB+ created a dense network of stakeholders and projects along the Danube, and its main objective was the capacity building of local stakeholders in order to enable them to cooperate locally and inter-regionally for the valorization of their Danube-related heritage with local actions under a unified brand strong enough to increase local prosperity and international tourist attractiveness. Just like the DANUrB and DANUrB+ projects, Danube Ruralscapes aims to bring down-to-earth strategic goals to real stakeholders with action plans and actions usable in rural situations. PPs BME, PCM, UBGD, UAUIM, UPT, etc. connect the two projects; therefore, Danube Ruralscapes PPs have a great experience in the work methodology presented and in transnational cooperation.
Therefore DANUrB International Association is an ASP of the project, enabling us to use the DANUrB Platform, an interactive platform to manage stakeholders, heritage and projects in the Danube region, which is valuable for Danube Ruralscapes because of the immense database that the partnership will not have to rebuild again, using it for this project a well.
(EN), COL “Center for Renovation of Common Architectural Heritage”, Interreg ATCZ (EN) | COL was focused on developing the cross-border region of Austria (Lower Austria) and the Czech Republic (South Moravia) and their common heritage, having its goal to research and develop a scientific methodology for the renovation of common heritage and renovate two objects on both sides of the border as examples of good practice. City of Znojmo (CZ) was a partner in the COL project who renovated a part of the Louka Monastery into a multifunctional conference space, which is now a show-case for successful renovation. The experience from this ATCZ Interreg project gave important insights for conceiving Danube Ruralscapes, as the two heritage sites renovated were not embedded enough in a trans-border cooperation and governance framework, therefore stakeholders focused on the singular heritage project, but less on the international connections and identity. Danube Ruralscapes builds on this experience.
UWK university of Krems is ASP of Danube Ruralscapes partly because of its involvement in COL, therefore this project will bring the partnership and its stakeholders to a study trip in AT and CZ to study the good practices partly set up by COL. (EN), Danube Cultural Conferences, New European Bauhaus on the Danube (EN) | Danube Ruralscapes partners (e.g. KÉK) have been part of the NEB Danube Lab. They run the program series Danube Cultural Conferences where some of the PPs already participated and it is an option to keep up the cooperation. Widening the possibilities will contribute to the EUSDR P3 related to tackling real cooperation between running EU projects and initiatives.
As the Danube Ruralscapes project builds on the core principles of New European Bauhaus, and it pilots its solutions along the Danube, cooperation with. and participation in the Danube Cultural Conferences is essential, both projects will gain a lot of knowledge from each other, and the conferences are the best platforms to disseminate PSO1 objectives to an international and DRP area audience. (EN), European Capital of Culture Veszprém-Balaton 2023 (EN) | Some of the Danube Ruralscapes partners are part of an ECC project of 2023 in the Veszprém-Balaton area of Hungary, where they are responsible for building an ecosystem of sustainable tourism with actors from different governance levels (TÁJTÉKA). Experience and knowledge gathered there will be contributing to the Danube Ruralscapes project, as the local collaborative ecosystems of village communities and the heritage and landscape based approach to sustainable development in rural areas is a common topic, that was very innovative in the history of ECoC-s, and will have a similar innovative factor in many of the DRP countries. (EN), Architectural guidelines for integration into local rural environment (Romanian Order of Architects - OAR) (EN) | The series of architectural guidelines for integration into the local rural environment developed by OAR aimed at preserving rural traditions, cultural landscapes, and improving quality of life in rural Romania. The guidelines offer straightforward rules and present a set of clear examples, supporting beneficiaries in choosing the right design when building in the rural areas. These guidelines are freely accessible and serve as essential resources for sustainable rural development.
Danube Ruralscapes builds on this initiative, developing with new bottom-up approaches and community-scale approaches these Architectural guides, to be considered direct antecedents of our guides and policies. The synergy is assured by the integration of OAR into the partnership, making it responsible at a transnational level for the output of the Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides (O3.1).
See C.2.7. for details (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 775 635.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 420 508.00

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 80.00%

Co-financing sources:

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Workshop between PPs and ASPs to define common challenges in Danube ruralscapes
Workshop between PPs and ASPs to work out a model suitable for all DRP rural areas
Rural Innovation policy framework presented in a transnational meeting
Media dissemination Package
Thematic booklets on the heritage and landscapes of Rural micro-regions
Educational material for local stakeholders and NGOs
Social media and web page presence of the Knowledge Network on rural architecture and landscapes
Organization of joint workshops for promotion and presentation of local values of micro-regions
Organization of joint trainings between rural professionals specialized in sustainable architecture
Summer school and student exhibition to learn sustainable building techniques in villages
Roadmap for sustainable capacity building activities
Joint capacity-building materials
Architecture design-thinking guidelines
Sustainable architectural solution workshops
Webinar on innovative construction methods
Regional conferences to present good and bad practices and solutions for rural development
Regional conferences to present the concept of Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides
International conference to present the values of rural communities in the Danube Region
International conference to present the Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides
International database of case studies considering geographical particularities
Report on the principles, general and specific, resulting from the case studies
Illustrative good and bad practices: a chapter for Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides
On-site trip to learn about AT and CZ good practices in relation to architectural guides
Trip to a rural area in HU integrated to the kick-off event to study the effect of Guidelines
Trip to a rural area in RO integrated to a partner meeting to study the effect of Guidelines
Presentation translated to 7 languages for stakeholders about the study trip experiences
Toolkit for heritage management
Toolkit for sustainable architecture practices
Toolkit for sustainable landscape practices
Meetings between project partners and ASPs to prepare professional work
Transcript of the professional consultations for guidelines of architectural management
Framework of the rural-urban-regional governance structure at professional meetings
Workshop organization on ethics, values and heritage of the Danube rural landscape and architecture
Workshop on water, space, accessibility of the danubian rural space
Workshop on energy efficiency and climate neutrality in architecture and planning policies
Workshop organization on food and health within the Danube ecosystems
Workshop organization on social inclusion and stakeholder involvement in rural ecosystems
Micro-regional event planning Guide
Workshop on Eco-friendly Architecture Projects
Ruralscapes Eco-Days
Sustainable development compendium
Joint events for local participants to explain and promote project goals
Workshops for local governments and stakeholders on architectural management methods
Competence development courses for local actors
Events with community participation to discuss the content of identity guides
Stakeholder Engagement and Workshop Reports
Policy Recommendation Papers
Executive Summary and Advocacy Toolkit
Database of policies and guidelines
Policy Gap Analysis Reports
Booklet of selected guidelines and legislations
Creating booklets presenting the piloting process for local communities
Publications showing the integration the pilots’ results into the national architectural regulations
On-site joint events to disseminate the results of the pilot actions for experts and general public
Digital Platform and Repository
the Draft of seven Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides
documenting the results of stakeholder workshops on guides
Preparatory workshop for defining methods, tools and the design of surveys adopted for micro-regions
Adapting the DANUrB Platform for the data collection on local heritage and stakeholders
On-site research reports on elements of the local architecture in different micro-regions
Cross-sectional survey on the community perception on heritage and landscape qualities.
Synthesis booklet of the surveys explaining the results and perspectives
Mapping local stakeholders
and stakeholder partnerships in the Platform
Community-driven event organization for local stakeholder partnerships
Meeting reports and proposals for PPs, in order to include the conclusions in the guidelines
Workshops for local governments and stakeholders on effective usability of the Identity Guides
Courses for local actors for developing better competences to implement the methods in the Guides
Joint events with community participation to show the new planning and design elements of the Guides
Evaluation Questionnaires for the legibility of the Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides
Local surveying results of interviews and “focus group” workshops
Feedback report for the legibility of the Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides
Building camp by BME on social and community aspects of sustainability in rural landscapes
Building camp organized by UBGD on public space in rural landscapes
Building camp organized by UAUIM on recycle and re-use of local materials
Building camp organized by UPT on energy efficiency, food production in rural settlements
Building camp organized by GRAFOS on landscape heritage development
Professional consultations between PPs and ASPs on the implementation of the Identity Guides
Quality control procedure for ongoing developments, taking into account the principles of the Guides
Joint event to open the renovated or newly developed constructions to the general public
Conference for local government employees
Assisting and monitoring local government decision-making
Mentoring of the monitoring process by municipalities on private building activities
Website of municipalities of the micro-regions disseminating the results of the pilot actions
Presentations of the transnational network of knowledge for local experts and general audience
Events to present the common architectural heritage of the Ruralscape for local communities
Gamification of the project's main topics for better comprehensibility
Interactive communication procedures in Facebook groups

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyDanubeRegion The project contributes significantly to the EUSDR by fostering sustainable rural development through a comprehensive approach that aligns with multiple Priority Areas, particularly PA 10, then PA 2, PA 3, PA 6, and PA 7. It strengthens governance structures by equipping local municipalities and stakeholders with sustainable planning tools. It fosters professionalization through the development of Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides, contributing to transparent public administration and cross-border capacity building. Additionally, it enhances cooperation between local actors, NGOs, and academic institutions, providing scalable governance models and policy recommendations (PA 10 Action 1, Target 1.1 & 1.2; Action 2 Target 2; Action 5 Target 5; Action 7 Target 7.2; Action 8). The project also integrates energy-efficient solutions into rural planning, promoting renewable energy sources such as biomass and solar energy (PA 2). It facilitates knowledge-sharing and capacity-building to support the transition to low-carbon rural landscapes. Moreover, by preserving and promoting cultural heritage, the project contributes to sustainable tourism growth (PA 3). It fosters regional collaboration through the promotion of innovative cultural and nature-based tourism products, thus reinforcing the cultural identity of the Danube region. (Action 3, 4, 6). The project emphasizes biodiversity conservation and sustainable land use by integrating environmental considerations into rural planning (PA 6). It facilitates access to environmental data and promotes the adoption of green infrastructure and ecosystem-based approaches. Danube Ruralscapes enhances cooperation among universities, research organizations, and SMEs by creating a transnational knowledge network (PA 7 Action 3). This collaboration fosters innovation and strengthens the capacity of local stakeholders to implement sustainable rural development practices.
EuropeanGreenDeal The project aligns with the European Green Deal's ambition to transform the EU into a resource-efficient economy by promoting preservation and adaptive reuse, resulting in ecological architecture and landscaping practices. Central to our initiative is the development of Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides, which serve as blueprints for sustainable development, integrating eco-friendly building materials, renewable energy sources, and encouraging the use of natural elements.
Community engagement and participatory governance are also key aspects of our project, echoing the Green Deal's call for inclusive and just transitions. By building an international network of experts, it will be possible to disseminate sustainable architecture solutions at the scale of buildings, public spaces and landscapes in rural areas that contribute to ecological integrity, and bolster climate resilience in these vital landscapes.
The project also aims to contribute to the European Green Deal's social targets by tackling inequality and energy poverty in underdeveloped border microregions along the river. The project helps to prioritize energy efficiency measures for vulnerable groups and energy poor households by promoting eco-friendly and inexpensive construction and renovation methods, and by spreading energy-efficient operation methods (e.g. heating and cooling). The EU’s legally binding climate target of social support for citizens and small businesses is supported by the promotion of local building technologies implemented by local workers and experts. Knowledge transfer of good and bad practices by experts in design and construction can also contribute to better job opportunities in border microregions. Proposing the use of local building materials also contributes to the open and fair trade for resilient short supply chains.
TerritorialAgenda2030 Following EU policies based on the principles of territorial cohesion and development, the renewed Territorial Agenda 2030 represents an important link towards Cohesion based on European, transnational and macro-regional territorial integration that goes beyond the traditional national level. The Territorial Agenda underlines the importance of and provides orientation for strategic spatial planning and calls for strengthening the territorial dimension of sector policies at all governance levels.
In line with this Danube Ruralscapes aims to develop a common model for rural village planning by increasing institutional capacities for territorial and macro-regional governance. As stated in the Territorial Agenda 2030, all levels of governance are relevant for strengthening the territorial dimension and sustainable development: in Danube Ruralscapes the aim is to establish a model that, instead of following the common top-down logic typical for similar regulations, adopts an alternative horizontal logic, allowing regions to develop town planning tools collaboratively with each other and the university partners that are inherently bottom-up in logic.
The common value of all the countries of the Danube region is the network of rural settlements with a rich cultural and architectural heritage. All nations also share common challenges regarding its preservation, given that they face the lack of social and local government capacity to deal with specific topics such as the preservation of architectural heritage. According to the action-oriented framework of Territorial Agenda 2030. and result-oriented core principle of Danube Region Programme, Danube Ruralscapes adopted intervention logic which clearly describe objectives, planned activities, outputs and expected results of the Project that are coherent with The Programme intervention logic. The key word of this approach is "change" and all the above-listed steps are structured to finally lead to the desired change.
Other New European Bauhaus:
Danube Ruralscapes is a materialization of NEB principles, demonstrating how rural development can have a holistic approach that values sustainability, inclusivity, and beauty, creating a more sustainable, cohesive, and aesthetically enriched European landscape. Our initiative stands at the confluence of environmental stewardship, cultural heritage preservation, and community engagement, reflecting NEB core values.
Sustainability: the project builds sustainable practices that respect and harmonize with the natural and architectural heritage of the Danube's rural regions. By developing Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides, we champion low CO2 emissions, eco-friendly design and planning, ensuring that rural development enhances the region's ecological and aesthetic value.
Inclusivity: through participatory workshops and stakeholder engagements, we ensure that the voices of local communities, including marginalized groups, are integrated into the planning process. This democratic approach empowers communities but also enriches the project outcomes with diverse perspectives, fostering a sense of belonging and ownership over local landscapes and cultural heritage.
Beauty: aesthetics play a crucial role in our vision, recognizing the traditional beauty of the Danube's rural landscapes and architectural motifs, aiming to highlight and preserve these. By integrating traditional and contemporary design principles, we aspire to create spaces that are not only functional and sustainable but also inspiring and harmonious, contributing to the well-being of locals.
The project also promotes cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange, aligning with the NEB's goal of creating a shared European aesthetic that values diversity and unity. By establishing a Danube Ruralscapes Network of knowledge, we foster a transnational dialogue on sustainable rural development, sharing best practices and innovative solutions across the Danube region.
Other DANUrB Strategy:
A main output of the DANUrB DTP interreg project was a strategic document entitled “DANUrB - Strategy. Bridgeheads of Identity” which summarizes the results of the research and insights gained during the implementation period.
The document presents tools for the revalorization of cultural heritage and the principles of their implementation, and concludes with examining the concepts of the Danube Cultural Promenade and the DANUrB Brand. Although it is theoretically complex, it is written in an accessible way, as it is addressed not only to professionals but to every stakeholder interested in local development along the Danube.
The document of the Strategy is intended as a theoretical and conceptual basis of an action plan for the accomplishment of the project’s long-term goal which is the creation of a network of settlements along the Danube implementing projects and sharing experience related to heritage revalorisation which contributes to the sustainable development in and strengthens a transnational identity of the Danube region based on cultural heritage.
The Danube Ruralscapes project also builds cooperation along the Danube, works in a network, and designs bottom-up solutions. It considers the involvement of stakeholders, the participation of the local community, and the development of the areas along the Danube to be important. Our goal is also to develop a model, but not for the valorization of heritage elements, but for the renewal of the architectural regulation of rural settlements, and through this to strengthen the local and Danube-identity. The latter is also an important objective of the DANUrB Strategy, as are the policy and solution proposals covering the entire Danube region.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:
RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:
RCO 120 - Projects supporting cooperation across borders to develop urban-rural linkages, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:
RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:

Programme Result Indicator:

ISI - Organisations with increased institutional capacity due to their participation in cooperation activities across the borders, Measurement unit: No. of organisations

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSDR

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Danube

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-12-17

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

138 / 138 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

1 413 / 1 413 (100%)

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Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes

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Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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