Danube Ruralscapes Project Launches with a Shared Vision for Transforming Rural Areas along the Danube

The Ivan Patzaichin – Mila 23 Association is launching into a new area of ​​community research and development, by participating in the “Danube Ruralscapes” project, which aims to valorize the architectural and natural heritage of the Danube riparian spaces, throughout its course.

The international consortium that will carry out the project, in addition to partners from Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Ukraine and Bulgaria, also includes the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest, the Order of Architects of Romania, the Polytechnic University of Timisoara and the Mehedinți County Council.

The Danube Ruralscapes project officially kicked off from May 28 to 30, 2025, in Budapest, with energy, enthusiasm, and a strong creative spirit. The event offered three days of idea and experience exchange between partners, bringing together experts and representatives of public institutions—not only to inaugurate a new Interreg initiative but also to strengthen ties with a related project, PlaceCRAFT, thus forming a shared platform for cross-border cooperation.

Supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme, the Danube Ruralscapes project aims to revitalize rural areas along the Danube by linking local heritage with sustainable planning and by recognizing the identity value of architecture, while also ensuring an inclusive decision-making process. Representatives from six countries and seven pilot regions participated in the launch, marking the beginning of a journey to find shared solutions for the challenges facing rural Danube communities. While embracing a common vision, solutions will be co-created with local residents to ensure they are tailored to each area’s unique context.

“This project is not just about preservation—it’s about giving communities a voice. We are creating tools that allow them to shape their own future based on their specific characteristics,” said Dr. Balint Kadar, representative of the project coordinator, Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

A Strong Foundation, a Shared Future

The project builds on the solid groundwork laid by the DANUrB and DANUrB+ projects, which pioneered cross-border cooperation in heritage-based development along the Danube. Danube Ruralscapes now continues this legacy with even more refined tools, aligned with EU environmental, cultural, and territorial policies, and with a stronger emphasis on local involvement. Working in tandem with the PlaceCRAFT project, this initiative forms a powerful alliance for integrated rural revitalization—merging architectural identity with creative spatial transformation and community co-design.

From Vision to Implementation

Highlights of the launch event included:

• Public workshops on rural identity, traditional materials, sustainable planning, and participatory design

• Presentations by EU programme representatives and academics

• Overview of the pilot regions to explore both differences and shared challenges across the Danube basin

• Working sessions to begin drafting action plans, architectural and landscape identity guides, and other key outputs

• A meeting of the DANUrB International Association to strengthen project collaboration and stakeholder engagement

Field Visit: Conversations in the Ipoly Valley

The event concluded with a study visit to the Ipoly Valley, where partners observed heritage-based rural innovation first-hand—from restored landscapes and sustainable tourism sites to cultural infrastructure rebuilt using local materials.

About the Project

Danube Ruralscapes – a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes (2025–2027) is a project under the Interreg Danube Region Programme, coordinated by the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (HU). The project aims to support and empower village clusters in the Danube region through heritage-based development that is climate-adaptive and community-driven, by creating tools, strategies, and governance models that preserve identity while promoting sustainable rural transformation. Building on the outcomes of the DANUrB and DANUrB+ Interreg projects, Danube Ruralscapes takes this foundation further—with new tools, deeper community engagement, and stronger alignment with EU ecological and cultural policy priorities.