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CountryTalks

Lectures, Discussion

Deutsch

People are migrating from rural areas to the cities, leading to population decline in villages and demographic change. This is a global phenomenon not restricted to Austria or Styria – although the causes behind the development of course differ. The result is a diminishing infrastructure (doctors, schools, shops, public transport), which only speeds up the downward spiral. The exhibition CountryLife is accompanied by the CountryTalks, which provide a platform for stakeholders involved in exemplary projects and strategies in Austria and worldwide, contributing to a revitalisation of rural areas with the aim of encouraging forward planning, reflection and participation.

The CountryTalks take place online via Zoom. Registration is required to participate in the respective panels.

PROGRAMME 

29 September 2020, 5 p.m.:
Panel I – The current situation A/D/EU  (German)
Life in the country – many reports, stories and perceptions exist of rural regions, mostly shaped by the idea of a romantic natural idyll. But what is everyday life in such areas really like? Which of the current developments will give rural living a resilient future? Three protagonists talk about their work in Austria, Germany and other European countries.

Discussion participants:
Elisabeth Leitner, chairlady association Landluft, Moosburg/A
Marta Doehler-Behzadi, director IBA Thüringen, Leipzig/D
Peter Kaltenegger, EU Directorate-General for Agriculture, Murtal/A

Moderator: Verena Konrad, vai – Vorarlberger Architektur Institut

Registration Panel I

6 October 2020, 5 p.m.:
Panel II – Tourism versus tradition? (German)
Are country life and tourism incompatible? When mass tourism and overexploitation of the natural environment are accepted as a side effect of tourist use, there is often a highly negative impact on village communities, nature and biodiversity. How can the hospitality sector be used to foster positive development in small communities and municipalities?

Discussion participants:
Jon Ritter, Ritter Schumacher Architects, Chur/CH
Werner Nussmüller, Nussmüller Architects, Graz/A
Kerstin Camenisch, Stiftung Ferien im Baudenkmal (Vacations in a Listed Building Foundation), Zurich/CH

Moderator: Raffaela Lackner, Architektur Haus Kärnten

Registration Panel II

6 October 2020, 6:30 p.m.:
Panel III – Infrastructure (German)
Infrastructure is needed in rural areas to ensure essential supplies and connections. Such facilities include shops, schools and doctors as well as public transport, energy supply and internet provision. How does infrastructure shape how people live together in the country?

Discussion participants:
Christoph Hesse, Christoph Hesse Architects, Korbach/D
Theresa Mai, Wohnwagon, Gutenstein/A
Wilhelm Klauser, Initialdesign, Berlin/D

Moderator: Franz Koppelstätter, afo architekturforum oberösterreich

Registration Panel III
 

13 October 2020, 5 p.m.:
Panel IV – China/Austria dialogue (English)
One successful and unusual example of how to reactivate a rural area can be found in the county of Songyang in the southeast of China. A high-speed railway line provided a connection to the city, while fast internet and, in particular, architectural interventions in the villages led to revitalisation and a new sense of identity in the Chinese county. Which parallels and differences exist between the situation in Austria and China? What can we learn from each other?

Discussion participants:
Tiantian Xu, DnA_Design and Architecture Beijing Office/ China
Philippe Narval, General Secretary European Forum Alpbach, Vienna/A

Moderators: Kerstin Faber, IBA-Thüringen & Beate Engelhorn, Director HDA

Registration Panel IV
 

20 October 2020, 5 p.m.: ATTENTION – POSTPONED TO 3 NOVEMBER 2020, 5 p.m.
Panel V – Artistic + social interaction (German)
The village community is an important part of rural life. Here, everyone can get involved and actively help shape their environment. Cultural and social interactions in close collaboration with residents open up new possibilities for development in rural municipalities, which in turn stimulate renewal and reactivation in the villages.

Discussion participants:
Ton Matton, MattonOffice, Werndorf/D
Stefan Spindler, nonconform, Wien/A
Rainer Rosegger, Agentur SCAN, Graz/A

Moderator: Heidrun Primas, Forum Stadtpark

Registration Panel V
 

20 October 2020, 6:30 p.m.:
Panel VI – The rural economy – climate, culture and agriculture (German)
The relationship between people, nature, ecology and agriculture was a focus of discussion long before climate change became a pressing issue. In the country in particular, the search for a new lifestyle led to innovative models combining work, housing and community that reflected a desire for a sustainable and social way of living. Can the desire for a more responsible relationship with nature and an ecological food supply reverse current trends and developments in rural regions? How would this change the relationship between city and country?

Discussion participants:
Claudia Siebeck, quartier vier, Leipzig /D
Werner Schwarz, Christoph Kofler, KooWo Volkersdorf, Volkersdorf/A
Ulrike Klein, KLEINeFARM, St. Nikolai im Sausal/A

Moderator: Tim Wakonig-Lüking, FH JOANNEUM

Registration Panel VI
 

27 October 2020, 5 p.m.:
Panel VII – Young creative voices (English)
Demographic change and population decline in rural areas are a worldwide phenomenon. The young creative voices of the European “Future Architecture Platform” present different observations, proposals and visions for the future development of rural areas.

Discussion participants:

5 p.m.:
Tord Bakke, 3RW arkitekter, Bergen/NO
Christina Serifi, TiriLab, Morfi/GR

6 p.m.:
Stephanie Kyuyoung Lee, Office of Human Resources, New York/USA
Helena Rong, Juncheng Yang, CIVIS Design and Advisory, Cambridge/USA
Jason Rhys Parry, Lafayette/USA

Moderator: Milan Dinevski, Future Architecture Platform

Registration Panel VII

More information

CountryLife

 Exhibition

The increasing migration from rural areas to the cities, which results in empty buildings and demographic change in village structures, is a global phenomenon not restricted to Austria or Styria – although the causes behind the development of course differ. The result is a diminishing infrastructure (doctors, schools, shops, public transport), which only speeds up the downward spiral. What possibilities and approaches can be used to slow down or even reverse this negative development? The exhibition shows selected examples of revitalisation in villages and rural municipalities developed with the support of architects, politicians and planners, and reveals different strategies used to successfully reactivate rural spaces.

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