• Explore the conditions for planning and development in one of the poorest regions of the EU
• Develop an individual, realistic project idea that can help local people
• Students should become involved into running projects of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region
• Cooperation with the Working Community of the Danube Countries: Common Sustainable Economic Activities
• Develop a cooperation between the region of Vienna/Lower Austria and Tulcea Region in Romania. 
• Cooperation with SONDAR, sustainability and soil awareness network in the Danube Region. Cooperation with BIENE NGO,
• Academic cooperation with National University of Arts, Bucarest, Univ. of Architecture Bucarest, Ovidius University Constanta, Vienna University. 
• Realisation of aims expressed in the European Strategy for the Danube Region with particular focus on the Romanian Danube Delta. 

EU at the End: Decline and Resurrection in the Romanian Danube Delta

Exploring one of the poorest regions in the EU and Understanding why planning in the area is perhaps different to other EU regions. In many municipalities the unemployment rate is higher than 50 % life expectancy is considerably lower than in EU average. Abandoning of villages and outmigration of the remaining population are current development trends. After the fall of communism in 1989 all industries of the region collapsed. In many cases subsistance agriculture is a way to survive. Boat traffic is the only way to connect otherwise isolated pieces of land. The border police protecting one of the best secured borders of the EU to neighboring Ukraine provides one of the strongest economic incentives. The area had its best time in the 19th century, when it was part of the Turkish empire and the center Sulina was a free harbor with rich cultural life and a dozen nationalities living in it. The region is well known for eco-tourism and a Mecca for birdwatchers and fishermen. New activities are emerging: with our cooperation partners we will particularly emphasize on art activities and ancient handicraft production, ecological benign construction as a mean to improve the living conditions of the area. Social production - when people with special needs generate items based on local materials, such as colors of the earth - can contribute to increase the economy. 

ATTENTION! We start earlier than the official semester on September 18th, 10 a.m. at Operngasse 11/4, room 32

Every participant has to join our excursion to Romania with location Bucharest and Danube Delta, Sept. 24th to Oct. 1st, 2014. You have to arrange your individual travel from Vienna to Bucarest (plane, train or bus)

Block 1: Preparatory Meeting Sept. 18th and 19th, 2014

Block 2: Excursion to Romania, Sept. 24th to Oct. 1st, 2014

Block 3: Particular concentrated lectures and supervising Oct. 6th to Oct. 17th, 2014

Block 4: Elaboration of plans: October 20th to December 15th, 2014

Block 5: Presentation of plans, December 22nd, 2014, also end of course

1) Elaboration of a Regional Sustainability Plan considering the aims of the EUSDR in the Romanian Danube Delta (group work).

2) Planning of a local project that support particular parts of the local population (individual work).