Full Title of the Project:

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

Project Overview:  

The majority of the Danube Region consists of rural landscapes characterized by village networks rich in traditional architecture and land-use practices that significantly contribute to regional identity. Currently, inadequate planning and management capacities relative to urban centers have led to the decline of these rural landscapes, negatively affecting the quality of life in these areas.

The Danube Ruralscapes initiative aims to develop a common best-practice model for rural spatial planning. This model will inform national, regional, and local public policies within the Danube Region, particularly in contexts where existing governance frameworks and regulations fail to address the specific needs of village communities facing resource constraints and limited professional capacities.

Main Objectives:

• Enhance rural landscape quality in the Danube Region through sustainable, heritage-sensitive planning and development.
• Develop a unified model of best practices to guide rural planning at local, regional, and national policy levels.
• Strengthen institutional and community capacities in rural micro-regions by introducing expertise in sustainable architecture, heritage preservation, and landscape planning.
• Create practical, community-driven toolkits including:
  • Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides tailored to local heritage and sustainability challenges.
  • Action Plans and governance structures enabling communities to independently manage sustainable rural development.
• Establish a transnational Network of Knowledge, combining expertise from academia, professionals, NGOs, civil society, and local stakeholders.
• Pilot and refine the approach in seven micro-regions across six countries to ensure real-world effectiveness and local applicability.
• Generate actionable policy recommendations for regional and national authorities, encouraging broader adoption of sustainable rural development practices.
• Foster local pride and attractiveness by supporting village communities in preserving heritage, promoting innovative sustainable practices, and enhancing overall livability.

Ultimately, the Danube Ruralscapes project seeks to deliver a practical, professionally supported framework for rural villages, enabling the creation of attractive, sustainable rural landscapes. This will foster community pride, enhance the quality of rural life, and encourage future generations to preserve and sustainably develop their heritage-based ruralscapes.

Project Partners:

• Budapest University of Technology and Economics | Dept. of Urban Planning and Design (Hungary) – Lead Partner
• Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre (Hungary)
• Pest County Municipality (Hungary)
• Politehnica University of Timișoara (Romania)
• Regional Development Agency “Braničevo-Podunavlje” Ltd. (Serbia)
• University of Belgrade – Faculty of Architecture (Serbia)
• “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism (Romania)
• Romanian Order of Architects (Romania)
• National Tourism Cluster “Bulgarian Guide” (Bulgaria)
• Association of Danube River Municipalities “Danube” (Bulgaria)
• Ivan Patzaichin – Mila 23 Association (Romania)
• Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture Osijek (Croatia)
• Municipality Kneževi Vinogradi (Croatia)
• Public Organization Agency of Sustainable Development & European Integration Lower Danube Euroregion (Ukraine)
• Mehedinți County Council (Romania)​

Participating Countries: Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine