Davos Declaration concluded
On 21 and 22 January 2018, an informal conference for culture ministers was held in Davos prior to the World Economic Forum. As a result of the discussions, countries attending concluded the Davos Declaration on Baukultur. The declaration's aim is to strengthen Baukultur as a topic of public interest across different sectors and at various levels of responsibility. As an interdisciplinary field of action, Baukultur is of great importance for integrated and sustainable urban and regional development.
State Secretary Gunther Adler of the Federal Building Ministry noted: "The Davos Declaration places stronger international focus on building culture. We would like to thank the Swiss government for its initiative. We will support our partners in creating a broader basis for the Davos Declaration beyond the conference – at national, European and international level. And we would like to include the subjects of cultural heritage and Baukultur in the Urban Agenda for the EU."
The term Baukultur is broadly defined as the high-quality design of the built environment and describes a macrosocial process. The Davos Declaration has now brought this understanding onto centre stage, also at European level.
The Federal Government has taken a number of measures to raise the profile of Baukultur in Germany. For example, ten years ago, it set up the Federal Foundation for Baukultur, which has become an established and widely acclaimed voice for Baukultur in Germany and throughout Europe. The Federal Building Ministry is a major player in Germany in Baukultur. Within its field of responsibility, the ministry aims to be a role model, promoter and partner and works actively and influentially to have a positive impact on the quality of the built environment in Germany through regulatory measures, funding schemes and its own building projects.