News & ideasMilena Katic at the annual meeting of the Davos Baukultur Alliance

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19 / 06 / 2024

Milena Katić, Project Director of Zabriskie and Slobodan Jović, representing the Union of Architects of Serbia (UAS) at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture of Serbia, were the representatives of our country at the annual meeting of the Davos Baukultur Alliance. On that occasion, our project – InGrid Schneider Electic Hub – transformation of the Novkabel industrial hall was presented to the conference participants as an example of Baukultur practice. The project was also presented in the publication of the Davos Baukultur Alliance – “Innovative Practices” which was published recently.

Annual Meeting of Davos Baukultur Alliance at the World Economic Forum headquarters in Geneva brought together over 100 leaders from 25 countries, across 5 continents including investment innovators, leaders in circular construction and materials, ministries of urban development, housing and culture, visionary architects, social entrepreneurs, infrastructure designers, educators, and more.

The theme of the 2024 gathering, “Shaping the Places of Tomorrow,” brought together global leaders to discuss the future of our built environments and the essential role of high-quality Baukultur. Central to this approach is the enhancement of social value, as Baukultur aims to create spaces that promote community well-being and social cohesion. As public sector leaders face growing demands to better meet the needs of their residents, the concept of delivering social value has gained increased prominence.

Conference participants concurred that construction and spatial planning issues impact society at large. During the conference, they discussed approaches and successful practice models for the sustainable transformation of the built environment. The Alliance firmly believes that high-quality Baukultur is valuable from economic, social, and ecological perspectives.

It was emphasized that high-quality Baukultur is a strong political initiative and implies a conscious, quality-oriented approach to infrastructure, public spaces and landscapes, as well as that Baukultur, as a common good, is the joint responsibility of the government, NGOs and the private sector, and that there is an urgent need for raising awareness of cultural, social, economic, ecological and technical issues.

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The Davos Baukultur Alliance, established in 2023 through an initiative by Switzerland in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF), unites prominent global figures from the economy, politics, and civil society dedicated to high-quality Baukultur. The Alliance, garnering significant interest and expanding continuously, currently includes 27 countries, 21 leading international construction and real estate companies, ten non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and three international organizations. It serves as a pioneering global platform.

The Alliance aims to develop and disseminate exemplary tools and approaches, innovative models of production and development as well as the creation of mechanisms for effective public-private partnerships.

More about Davos Baukultur Alliance is at the link.

Photo credits: World economic Forum / Marc Bader

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