Laws and policies

National/regional level

(3) CATALONIA’S 2017 LAW ON ARCHITECTURE represents ground-breaking legislation, the first such legislation in Spain and the second in Europe (after France) to establish architecture as an activity of public interest which greatly influences wellbeing and social cohesion. As a result, the government and public administrations of Catalonia put in place procedures to encourage quality in architecture and town planning. They also promoted a proper framework of action in public procurement and also set a benchmark for activities in the private sector. The Spanish government is also now developing a national law on architecture and the built environment.
The Catalan law aims to:

• promote the values of architecture and urbanism
• maintain the existing built heritage and enhance the publics’ knowledge of it
• promote innovation, creativity and quality in architecture, particularly through the use of technology in the construction phase that offers integrated information on buildings
• promote education about architecture, built heritage and their impact on the circumstances and quality of life, as well as the importance of maintaining built structures while they are in use
• promote the role of synthesis and architectural innovation in building and of their potential to encourage sustainable development, energy efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gases
• contribute to architecture’s potential for economic growth and employment
• establish mechanisms in administrative procurement for the organisations, bodies and entities that make up Catalonia’s public sector, subject to public sector procurement legislation
• encourage simultaneous and coordinated participation of all professional disciplines involved in the architectural process, to ensure that quality is a common objective and responsibility
• safeguard architecture a discipline which is intrinsically linked to the historical shaping of the landscape, both on account of its heritage and identity values as well as of environmentally friendly methods of construction

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(4) THE ISOS is the Swiss Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites of national importance and goes far beyond a traditional list of protected heritage objects. It started to be developed and compiled from the 1970s onwards. Through a recently revised methodology, the ISOS now delivers an analysis of all Swiss built sites (cities, towns and villages) and their territory. It divides built areas into different zones, describing in detail their qualities and pointing out which developments should be maintained, or which ones are disruptive. The ISOS also provides advice on how and where development might be considered. It is a legal requirement to consider the inventory in any planning process, and it therefore makes an essential contribution to high-quality Baukultur.

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(5) THE ARCHITECTURE POLICY OF DENMARK offers a wide spectrum of procedures and regulations directed at architecture and sustainability, with an environmental, social and cultural focus. A number of strategies are generally laid out by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of City, Housing and Rural Districts. Projects are designed to support social and cultural sustainability, including in remote or outlying areas. Inspirational results of this policy approach include an open competition for sustainable social housing of the future, a catalogue for recycling and transformation of cultural heritage sites in municipalities as well as a plan-led approach for shrinking villages. An important part of the Danish policy is that it guides municipalities in developing their own architectural policy based on spatial plans to which the local architectural policy and green transition catalogue have to relate. The policy also includes guidance on teaching initiatives targeting children, youths and adults with training packages on architecture, sustainable cities and design. Young adults are encouraged to take part in summer schools with new digital platforms used to publish activities and to maintain dialogue and a pragmatic, horizontal approach to implementing the architectural policy.

Local level

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(6) THE KULDĪGA DESIGN CODE from Latvia is an example of how a small town introduced its own quality criteria to protect its unique historical image and craft skills. The code includes design guidelines for buildings and public spaces as well as competence centres and restoration workshops for citizens. Funding has been made available for projects and areas as small as street facing mini-gardens consisting of plant pots.

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(7) For Sweden’s GUIDELINES FOR ARCHITECTURAL POLICIES AND STRATEGIC WORK IN MUNICIPALITIES, the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning produced a guide for municipalities that provides advice on how an architectural strategy for urban areas can be developed. A municipality can use many different instruments to stimulate knowledge about building and discussions about carefully designed living environments. Strategic approaches include developing an architectural strategy; the promotion of the value of architecture and the designed living environment; engaging citizens in conversations about architecture and designed living environments; applying traditional methods of construction and drawing on art and artistic processes to further commitment. Other innovations are used to explore situations such as land allocation, temporary architecture, test beds, architectural competitions, municipal architecture awards, urban planning awards and education on aesthetics and architecture. The guidelines were introduced in 2020 and since then many municipalities in Sweden have successfully developed or are currently developing effective policies on architecture.

Findings and observations

• An integrated Danish/Catalan/Swedish-style policy framework can respond to the needs of society by impacting wellbeing or public participation as well as to the needs of the planet by impacting sustainability and climate goals
• Building a legal base is essential to structuring and managing the physical environment responsibly and to maintaining cultural heritage
• Designated policies and laws can help to establish guiding principles for the work of architects and provide clear definitions of the public interest in scenarios that support high-quality in architecture and the built environment
• Spatial policies are important to promote artistic quality, innovation and experimentation
• Important opportunities are missed where spatial design and architecture are seen as separate services or areas of expertise and not as a part of a multidisciplinary response to social and policy demands; this applies not only to the field of architecture, but also to landscape architecture and urban planning
• A greater awareness of new commissioning practices is needed; guiding principles and criteria embedded within those practices ensure effective methods to deliver high-quality spatial solutions