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The EGHN project aims to make substantial
improvements and create lasting outcomes by addressing and solving two major problems:
The value and importance of parks and gardens is underestimated …
Parks and gardens are undervalued in terms of the social, cultural, economic and
environmental contribution they make at a regional, national and transnational level. This
is reflected in the lack of prominence they are given within the formulation of economic,
social and cultural strategies and, particularly, within strategic approaches to planning.
Gardens still lack recognition as an essential element of the “soft
infrastructure” which has become increasingly important as an economic driver,
attracting inward-investment.
Furthermore gardens have been too passive in promoting their collective worth to influence
policy and develop effective cross-sector partnerships to achieve innovative development
within sustainable strategies. … and parks and gardens are underused
The full potential of parks and gardens as a resource for everyone to use is not being
realised. They are seen as the preserve of a single interest group - the garden lover -
and of little relevance or value to the majority. Furthermore, because many gardens are
located out of town, in rural areas, poorly served by public transport, they are only
accessible to people with access to private cars.
Moreover, once inside the garden, the information available to visitors is often
inadequate or of a poor standard. There is considerable scope to improve this information
and to use it to promote the importance of the garden within its regional context, the
value of its plants and the garden’s history and development. Information should be
presented in more than one language and in a variety of formats to appeal to many
different user groups. Similary, where large parts of some gardens, particularly the more
exciting features, are rendered inaccessible to physically impaired or disabled visitors
because of the garden’s topography, there are opportunities to improve innovative
access.
The EGHN - who are we?
After a successful application within the INTERREG IIIB NWE (North Western Europe)
programme, April 2003 saw the formation of the European Garden Heritage Network. We are a
group of partners from France, Germany and the UK, determined to ensure gardens and
parks are managed positively as cultural assets to promote regional development and
sustainable tourism. We aim to do this through developing projects in six key action
areas:
- Spatial Strategy
- Inter-Regional Gateways
- Transnational Themes
- Access
- Interpretation
- Education
For more information on each action please refer to "Actions"
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