Planning at the Landscape Scale

Traditionally, landscape planning has involved the designation and protection of exceptional countryside. However, whilst this still remains important, there is a growing recognition of the multi-functionality of rural areas, and the need to encourage sustainable use of the whole countryside rather than just its ‘hotspots’.

With an inter-disciplinary assessment of the rural environment, this book draws on theories of landscape values, people-place relationships, sustainable development, and plan implementation. It focuses on the competing influences of globalization and localization, seeing the role of planning as the reconciliation of these conflicting demands, reinforcing character and distinctiveness without museum-izing rural areas.

Taking a ‘landscape scale’ approach to the topic, this book responds to the interest sparked by concern for rural landscapes and by recent local and national policy shifts in this area.

Traditionally, landscape planning has involved the designation and protection of exceptional countryside. However, whilst this still remains important, there is a growing recognition of the multi-functionality of rural areas, and the need to encourage sustainable use of the whole countryside rather than just its "hotspots."

With an inter-disciplinary assessment of the rural environment, this book draws on theories of landscape values, people-place relationships, sustainable development, and plan implementation. It focuses on the competing influences of globalization and localization as they are expressed in the landscape: external forces lead to a uniformity of landscapes and a decline in those farming/forestry practices that sustain local distinctiveness, whilst at the same time many people crave local identity and cherish inherited patterns of land use.

This book sees the role of planning as that of reconciling these conflicting demands, reinforcing character and distinctiveness without museum-izing rural areas. Selman here examines the "unmaking" and "remaking" of landscape character, taking a critical approach to the -often conflicting- values associated with multi-functional landscapes and giving equal attention to both valued heritage sites and de-valued urban sites.

Taking a "landscape scale" approach to the topic, this book responds to the interest sparked by concern for rural landscapes and by recent local and national policy shifts in this area. It combines human perspectives with scientific and policy perspectives and provides a valuable resource for students, academics and professionals in environmental management and planning, landscape management and planning, town and country planning, land economy, land design and geography.

Paul Selman is Professor of Landscape at Sheffield University.