The urban occupier, the local carpenter, the remote IT worker, the biker and the skier, the architect and the farmer – they all meet in the landscape. At the 5th Swiss Landscape Congress, on September 3 and 4, 2026, in the Alpine town of Davos, we will analyze landscapes as networks of relationships between people and spaces, and thus as melting pots of social developments.
The relationships between the Alps, the lowlands, and all the areas in between have become more complex in recent years. Climate change is also transforming landscapes. Glaciers are melting, natural hazards are increasing, and the energy transition is accelerating. The importance of sustainable year-round tourism is also growing, and people are relocating their homes and workplaces from the lowlands to the mountains, creating a new urbanity there. Conversely, (temporary) mobility from mountain regions continues.
The relationship between the Alps, the lowlands, and all the areas in between has also become more multifaceted in recent years. The changes manifest themselves in the physical space, but they also raise broader questions: Who decides on regional landscape developments within the framework of (temporary) internal migration, direct democracy, federalism, and subsidiarity? Which groups are excluded or included by the way these issues are debated and planned? What role do international relations play?
Questions of landscape design are also becoming more urgent: In light of climate change, what kind of design will ensure safe living conditions for mountain populations? What potential do spatial and urban planning approaches from the lowlands have for the mountain region? What quality of life is needed in towns and villages for people to feel comfortable? What opportunities and risks does weekend leisure travel to the mountains present in terms of tourism and transportation? How are perceptions of the wild, productive, idyllic, threatening, or romantic in relation to the mountains changing?
These and other questions will be discussed by experts from various disciplines at the 5th Swiss Landscape Congress on September 3rd and 4th, 2026 in Davos.
