Sustainable land use in the Alpine region: optimising soil protection, land management and spatial planning

EUSALP workshop on land consumption, net zero land consumption, the construction industry and de-sealing projects

Workshop #4: Brokering Spaces – Optimising local land use in the Alps

Workshop #4 at the EUSALP Annual Forum 2025 focused on the key challenges of sustainable land use and spatial planning in the Alpine region. Presented by Alenka Smerkolj (Alpine Convention), Robert Ortner (Province of Tyrol), Manuela Brückner (SIR), Luca Daprà (BASIS Vinschgau Venosta), Marion Ebster-Kreuzer (CIPRA International) and Elfi Hasler (European Land Soil Alliance), the event highlighted the political, ecological and social dimensions of land consumption in the Alps.

Strategies for reducing land consumption and zero net land take by 2050

The focus was on European and regional strategies for reducing land consumption, in particular the goal of reducing net land consumption to net zero (Zero Net Land Take) by 2050. The BrokeringSpaces and ground:breaking projects showed how key players in the Alpine region are developing concrete measures to achieve this goal.

Examples from Tyrol, South Tyrol and the entire Alpine arc illustrated how the circular economy, innovative unsealing projects and negotiation-based planning approaches are opening up new avenues for resource-efficient and future-oriented spatial development.

Role of the construction industry and local implementation in the Alpine region

Another focus was on the construction industry, which contributes significantly to CO₂ emissions, waste generation and land consumption. The workshop showed how local actors can effectively contribute to soil conservation and sustainable spatial planning through transformation projects and intelligent land use policies.

Around 25 participants from across the Alpine region discussed concrete solutions and best practices for responsible Alpine land use.

Presentations

Week of Inner Development 15–19/09/2025

Utilizing Vacancies – Sustainable Renovation – Preserving Alpine Building Culture – Strengthening Town Centers

15–19 September 2025 | Tyrol, Trentino, South Tyrol

The Week of Inner Development 2025, part of the SUSMAT project, showcases how we can make our villages and towns fit for the future. The focus is on the use of vacant buildings, renovation of existing structures, sustainable construction and renovation, the preservation of Alpine building culture, and vibrant town centers.

If you want to learn how old buildings can be transformed into new living spaces, how regional building materials can be combined with modern planning, and how municipalities can make use of funding opportunities, this is the right place for you.

Why Inner Development? – Shaping the Future within Existing Structures

Inner development means: using existing buildings and land sustainably instead of sealing new areas.

  • Renovating and meaningfully transforming vacant buildings
  • Strengthening regional building culture
  • Using sustainable materials such as wood or hemp
  • Revitalizing town centers and securing quality of life

Inner development contributes to climate protection, resource conservation, and social innovation.

Contents & Focus of the Week of Inner Development

The event series combines practice, theory, and exchange:

  • Excursions to best-practice examples in Tyrol, Trentino, and South Tyrol
  • Expert lectures and discussions on sustainable construction, renovation, and inner development
  • Funding opportunities and financing tips for municipalities and builders
  • Exchange and networking with architects, craftsmen, mayors, and engaged citizens

Program & Registration

  • Monday, 15/09/2025 – Excursion Puster Valley & Belluno
  • Thursday, 18/09/2025 – Expert Event Mölten
  • Friday, 19/09/2025 – Excursion Vinschgau

The detailed program you can find on the german and italian sites. A shared bus will be available for the excursions, taking participants to the various stops and returning to Bolzano.

> To participate, please register HERE by 12/09/2025 (only german and italian).

 

Target Group – Who Should Participate?
The Week of Inner Development is aimed at everyone who wants to make our towns and villages future-proof:

  • Mayors, municipal council members, and administrative staff
  • Architects, planners, craftsmen, and construction managers
  • Representatives of initiatives, associations, and regional development projects
  • Citizens interested in sustainable building culture and lively village centers

Inner Development in South Tyrol and the Alpine Region – Building the Future Together

The Week of Inner Development 2025 makes one thing clear: inner development is more than just construction. It is a collaboration of architecture, craftsmanship, politics, and society – and it creates places where people love to live.

 

 

Co-financed by the European Union as part of the Interreg VI – A Italia-Austria 2021-2027 cooperation programme.

PRACTICE DAY | INNOVATIVE & SUSTAINABLE RENOVATION | 28/03/2025

Focus on sustainable building materials and renovation!

An exciting afternoon full of ideas, experiments and discussions on sustainable renovation. Expert lectures, practical examples and live experiments with wood, hemp and clay – an exhibition of sustainable building materials, a fire protection test and rounded off with a convivial get-together for discussion and networking.

Date: 28 March 2025

Location: BASIS Vinschgau Venosta

Start: 2:00 pm

Target groups: Experts, students and vocational school students from the fields of architecture, skilled crafts and the construction industry, as well as anyone interested.

Free participation.

Language: German and Italian

Registration: HERE within 26.03.2025

 

Programme

2:00 pm – Welcome address

  • Roselinde Gunsch, President of the District Community of Vinschgau and Mayor of the municipality of Taufers im Münstertal (Taufers im Münstertal, I)
  • Kurt Ratschiller, board member of BASIS Vinschgau Venosta (Schlanders, I)

14:10 hrs – Presentation of the research project SUSMAT

  • Dagmar Exner, Institute for Renewable Energy, eurac research (Bozen, I)
  • André Mallossek, Plattform Land (Bozen, I)

14:20 hrs – Keynote speech ‘Sustainable building materials: materials & applications’

  • Stephan De Bona, Naturbau Campus (Oschatz, Germany)

14:40 – Keynote speech ‘Cooperation in sustainable construction’

  • Heidi & Georg Felderer, Vivius Innovation Cluster for Sustainable Construction in Alpine Regions (Eppan, I)

15:00 – Practical experiments with natural building materials

  • Wood – Holzius GmbH, solid wood house (Laas, I)
  • Hemp – Schönthaler Baustoffe GmbH (Laas, I)
  • Clay – Leipfinger-Bader GmbH, holistic building (Vatersdorf, D)

17:00 – Fire protection test with sustainable building materials

18:00 – Drinks and networking

 

The EU project SUSMAT is all about promoting sustainable construction and renovation. Special attention is paid to the materials used and the overall resource requirements over the life of a building. In addition, ecological refurbishments of vacant buildings are taking place in 3 municipalities, which are thus also being reused. In South Tyrol, the (partial) renovation of the Mesnerstadl in Mölten, which was developed as part of the Platform Land Renovation Consultancy, is currently underway. An example of vacancy management.

 

Co-financed by the European Union under the Interreg VI – A Italia-Austria 2021-2027 cooperation programme.

ONLINE TRAINING COURSES 2024: INNOVATIVE & SUSTAINABLE REFURBISHMENT

As part of the project Sustainable renovation (SUSMAT) we offer free online training courses for professionals from architecture, trade and the construction industry.

The detailed program will be published shortly on the corresponding GERMAN and ITALIAN pages, as well as the single presentations or the different speakers.

You can take part in one, several or all modules. All training courses will be held in German and Italian. The registration is possible until 10/02/2025 on the corresponding German and Italian pages.

 

Co-financed by the European Union as part of the Interreg VI – A Italia-Austria 2021-2027 cooperation programme.

NEW! Funding guide for renovations and inner development

The new funding guide for renovation and innerdevelopement in South Tyrol and Italy is available, as well as the funding guide for renovation in the Interreg area: state subsidies in Italy and Austria and in detail: South Tyrol, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia as well as Tyrol, Salzburg and Carinthia. These funding guides are the result of the ‘Comparative study on funding for inner development’ from the SHELTER project from 2022. It is an update of the funding and contributions within the framework of the SUSMAT project, which is funded by the EU through Interreg VI-A Italy-Austria 2021-2027.

 

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE GUIDES HERE:

GERMAN

Leitfaden für Sanierung & Förderungen in Südtirol und Italien

Leitfaden für Sanierung & Förderungen im Interreg-Gebiet: staatliche Förderungen in Italien und Österreich und im Detail: Südtirol, Venetien und Friaul-Julisch Venetien sowie Tirol, Salzburg und Kärnten

ITALIAN

Guide to renovation and funding in South Tyrol and Italy

Guide to renovation and funding in the Interreg area: state funding in Italy and Austria and in detail: South Tyrol, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as Tyrol, Salzburg and Carinthia

 

‘Renovating must be more attractive than building a new house on a greenfield site.’

Many villages and small towns in the Interreg Italy-Austria programme area are facing the same problems: the decay of historically valuable buildings, vacancies in the town centre and simultaneous land consumption on greenfield sites, demographic change and migration. These problems can be counteracted at the same time by renovating existing properties. This requires a series of suitable measures for active vacancy management and revitalisation of the town centre. This requires not only decision-makers at the national and local level, but also the citizens themselves. This study is intended to help citizens to obtain an overview of the possible funding and contact points for the renovation of existing properties. Decision-makers receive an overview of the various funding, advisory and revitalisation measures for town and village centres, from which they can draw ideas and suggestions for improving their own local and regional funding and advisory services.

Andreas Schatzer, President of Plattform Land

 

MENU

Sustainable renovation (SUSMAT)

Online Training Courses

Day of inner development

 

Co-financed by the European Union as part of the Interreg VI – A Italia-Austria 2021-2027 cooperation programme.

Press release and presentations: COWORCare” autumn conference

Growing demand for coworking and childcare

Plattform Land creates work-life balance in the “COWORCare” project

 

Follow-up report with press release and presentations on the “COWORCare” autumn conference on 14 December 2023 at BASIS Vinschgau Venosta.

 

The compatibility of family and career is a hot topic, with changing role models, labour shortages, increasing demand for childcare facilities, etc. At the autumn conference of the Land platform and the final event of the “COWORCare” project at BASIS Vinschgau Venosta, examples of how coworking and care can be combined were presented.

“Coworking has become increasingly popular in recent years. There is now also a considerable range on offer in South Tyrol. And combining this with childcare will be the challenge of the future. The municipalities are working hard to meet the growing demand for childcare places. We must be open to new ideas and promote them, especially with regard to rural areas,” emphasised Andreas Schatzer, President of Plattform Land.

 

Here you can read the COWORCare Press Release Final Event 14/12/2023.

 

Presentationes:

Michelle Bässler_The need of Coworking & Care

Stanka Klemenčič – COWORCare Final Event

Katrin Gruber – Pop-Up Child Care at BASIS Vinschgau Venosta (DE)

Sarah Meraner – Poetry Slam (DE)

COWORCare autumn conference & closing event | 14/12/2023 | BASIS Vinschgau Venosta | 5:00 pm

The “COWORCare” project aims to bring together coworking and care, i.e. the inclusion of childcare – and in the future also senior care – in the area of co-working structures. This would enable young parents and especially women, who still provide most of the social care, to work in a creative environment close to their home or holiday destination while having their children/elderly people looked after in or near the co-working structure. This would allow more young families and single parents to participate in the local labour market, reducing commuter traffic and creating a more collaborative and open work culture even in remote locations.

This year’s autumn conference “COWORCare” takes place on 14 December 2023 at BASIS Vinschgau Venosta at 5:00 pm.

A pop-up childcare centre was set up at BASIS Vinschgau Venosta from mid-October to mid-November as part of the “COWORCare” project.

Here you can find the PROGRAMME in detail.

PLEASE REGISTER HERE by 11th of December 2023.