Simona R. Grădinaru, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, simona.gradinaru@wsl.ch
Anna M. Hersperger, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, anna.hersperger@wsl.ch
Christian Albert, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute of Environmental Planning, Research Group PlanSmart, albert@umwelt.uni-hannover.de
Cristian I. Iojă, University of Bucharest, Romania, cristian.ioja@g.unibuc.ro
Summary
Strategic planning serves setting and implementing long term visions of how a region should develop. When based on landscape thinking, it supports the development of actions at the interface between biophysical and socio-cultural patterns and processes.
The objective of this symposium is to assemble talks that present and discuss innovative theoretical and empirical approaches of integrating landscape thinking into regional planning. We encourage papers which address the green and grey environment, along with the interconnections between them at various steps of the planning cycle and through new methods, tools and data.
Description
In the context of omnipresent landscape changes through urbanization, agriculture intensification or loss of green spaces, regional planning became critical for addressing both the green and grey environment, along with the interconnections between them. Within regions, the relationship between people and nature needs to be envisaged as multi-dimensional, and addressed interdisciplinary by both ecological and social sciences. Landscape thinking, with its comprehensive view, allows for integrating these two perspectives.
To pursue landscape thinking in regional planning, the strategic approach offers a good ground, due to its long-term perspective and integrative approach. Strategic planning can be defined as a set of concepts, tools, and practices which supports setting and implementing the vision of how a region should develop in future. It integrates expert knowledge with tacit/experiential knowledge of the local communities. Strategic planning, based on landscape thinking, recognizes change as a fundamental landscape quality, and develops actions at the interface of biophysical and socio-cultural patterns and processes.
This session will assemble talks that present and discuss innovative approaches of integrating landscape thinking into regional planning. As regional planning requires a mix of expertise, we encourage contributions which tackle conflicts between the socio-economic and the ecological dimensions, present conservation and planning strategies of green infrastructures at regional level, integrate perception studies into the planning process, account for coupled socio-ecological systems in planning scenarios, or develop tools to incorporate ecosystem services approach into regional planning. A focus on urban regions is particularly welcomed.
We invite papers that address various steps of the planning cycle, including governance of regions, actions, implementation and evaluation procedures, and the use of new methods and emergent data types for integrating the ecological and human dimensions within a spatial framework (e.g. big data). As strategic planning is mostly pursued through projects implemented locally, we encourage contribution that present empirical results of local projects framed in the overall regional governance context.
What can participants expect to learn?
The symposium will pose a great opportunity to link researchers who conduct research in regional planning. We expect participants to learn from theoretical and empirical contributions by their peers on incorporating landscape thinking into regional development through strategic planning. It is expected for participants to learn new ways of planning regionally and acting locally.
Impact
The outcomes of the symposium will form the core of an editorial, a communication paper, or a joint paper (depending on the interests of participants) to be edited by the symposium convenors. Potential journals for submission are Landscape Ecology and Landscape and Urban Planning. Outreach potential will be enhanced through the use of social media, such as Twitter, Facebook. The symposium is sponsored by the IALE Working Group ‘Landscape Planning’.