At a 2018 conference held on the eve of that year’s World Economic Forum (WEF), European culture ministers, UNESCO and Council of Europe representatives, as well as various European architecture and planning bodies signed the Davos Declaration, a document establishing guidelines for a high-quality Baukultur (literally “building culture”) for future European development. Invited by Alain Berset, then-President of the Swiss Confederation, the signatories emphasized “that everyone, irrespective of background, has the right to experience, share, and belong to the cultural environment,” and declared that by “enabling people to identify with their living spaces, [high-quality Baukultur] fosters an inclusive and cohesive society, counteracts discrimination and radicalization, and promotes integration and civic awareness. This is not only relevant for city centers and historic sites but for every aspect of Europe’s living environment: suburban and rural areas, villages, industrial zones, and infrastructure.”

RECORD Editor in Chief Josephine Minutillo (far left) in conversation with (from left to right) Jyoti Hosagrahar, deputy director of Unesco's World Heritage Centre; James Middling, Global Sector Leader - Built Environment at Mott MacDonald; Cédric de Meeûs, head of Group Public Affairs at Holcim; and Ruth Schagemann, president of Architects’ Council Europe. Photo courtesy Davos Baukultur Alliance