Matra Social transformation Programme for central and Eastern Europe
Matra Project proposal
Croatian Archipelago New Lighthouses
This project deals with a fundamental issue – the creation of a sustainable coastal development strategy within the transitional socioeconomic environment. The central question answered by the project is how to create conditions for the economic development of the littoral but preserve the essential values of the landscape of the coastal region. The strong metaphor of the lighthouse links the historical heritage with the need for new visions of development. The alternative development strategy has been presented as seven Pilot Projects with visions of urban planning and architecture that establish standards for future coastal development.
For the development of alternative strategies on the seven chosen locations, the project proposes a new form of cooperation between the participants who make decisions about the process of coastal development.
During two years, the project will be realized through several activities that assume a close cooperation between architects and representatives of local communities; workshops, open debates, research and programming of the work done by local non-governmental organizations and architectural teams will include many exhibitions and publications. Considering the current media attraction of the project, most activities anticipate and enable the involvement not only of architects and non-governmental organizations that are directly included in the project’s operation, but also of all “stakeholders” in the decision making process – from the inhabitants, professionals and government to big capital.
The project of Croatian Archipelago New Lighthouses is financed by the Matra project of the Dutch foreign ministry, which supports the social transformation processes in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The project has been initiated and realized by the Berlage Institute from Rotterdam and the Croatian Architects Association.