Article 5 of the Europan 18 Results Catalogue
Check out the articles of the Europan 18 catalogue!
Learn more about each theme and sub-theme, through the articles of the catalogue.
Read the article « Optimism of Regenerating Landscapes », extracted from the E18 Catalogue of Results
The article, written by Wim Wambecq (BE) architect, assistant Professor, researcher URBinLAB in Lisbon, Atelier Midi, argues that sustainability has evolved into concrete, operational aims, resilience, adaptation, circularity, just transitions. Because many territories were exploited and abandoned, regeneration must become a core paradigm: a longterm practice grounded in local knowledge, materials, and incremental decisions.
Three lenses structure the Europan 18 awarded projects:
1-Materials at the core, a “vernacular system.” Territories are shaped by local, renewable resources complemented only where needed.
2-Piecemeal territorial care. Rather than deterministic masterplans, strategies replicate and adapt over time, aligning development with ecology.
3-Ecological structure beyond site limits. Corridors and networks reframe logistics corridors, villages, rail lands, and waterfronts. A foundational triad—soil, water, vegetation—guides many schemes: The Mineral Network converts disturbance into ecological progress.
The projects also renew language and roles: “ReKnowledge,” “Rambla” as sandy riverbed, and “prosumer” communities suggest fluid identities and hybrid livelihoods. Architecture becomes witness and agent of ecological restoration. Regenerating landscapes, therefore, is both spatial and social—an optimistic pathway to an ecologically sound, socially resilient future.
>> Click here to read more about the article from Wim Wambecq