The HSPN is participating in the 4-year project “TOPIO-Towards Democratic Landscape Observation Through Geoinformatics and Public Participation” in the framework of τηε HORIZON - MSCA programme. The project aims to give citizens an active role in landscape decision-making through citizen science, geoinformatics (earth observation and GIS), artificial intelligence and public participation to promote sustainable development of the region.
In particular, it seeks to:
- Position landscape as a key concept for addressing broader challenges within international frameworks, such as the Faro Convention Plan, the Aarhus Convention, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the EU Green Deal, etc.
- Provide innovative, international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral training for TOPIO partners, based on training and mobility activities, in a number of different disciplines.
- Achieve advanced innovation and capacity building through the development of a research and training network, focusing its activities on the development, effective integration, and increased exploitation of the existing and emerging landscape through monitoring techniques.
- Enhance the socio-cultural and environmental dimensions of the landscape and its role in defining operational and integrated frameworks that support sustainable development at local and regional level.
- Exchange information on landscape policies and people's experience of landscape protection, management and planning, public participation and implementation at different scales and levels. This will be achieved through the implementation of Landscape Characterisation Assessment methodologies in seven European countries.
The project is coordinated by the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH); co-beneficiaries include HSPN and Geosystems Hellas S.A. (Greece), the NGO Association of the Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento (Portugal), J&G Engineering & Architecture E.P.E. (Cyprus), the University of Ghent (Belgium), the University of Seville (Spain), the GEO University of Tallinn (Estonia) and the University of Sapienza of Rome (Italy).
More information on the official project website: https://topioproject.eu/
