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Land
Special Issues
European Landscapes and Quality of Life
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European Landscapes and Quality of Life

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2019) | Viewed by 30734

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marie Houdart

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Territoires Multidisciplinary Research Unit, Irstea, 9, Avenue Blaise Pascal, CS 20085, 63178 Aubière, France
Interests: collective action; food; livestock; territorial development; processual analysis
Dr. Pierre-Mathieu Le Bel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Territoires Multidisciplinary Research Unit, Irstea, 9, avenue Blaise Pascal, CS 20085, 63178 Aubière, France
Interests: social and cultural geography; critical theory; participation; action research; heritage; food sovereignty
Prof. Yves Michelin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
VetAgroSup, 89 avenue de l'Europe, 63370 Lempdes, France
Interests: landscape; agrarian systems; livestock; GIS

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 28th session of the PECSRL biennial international conference—European landscapes and quality of life—took place in Clermont-Ferrand and Mende in September 2018. To underline this event, Land is publishing a Special Issue on the general themes encompassed by the conference, namely: the interactions between the landscapes, and quality of life—in the broadest sense—including a healthy environment, and diversified and accessible social relations in connection with cultural dimensions. Landscape constitutes a key element, because it is the visible result of human practices, but it is also a vector of the cultural and social values that contribute to creating or reinforcing a local identity.

This Special Issue is especially interested in exploring the following themes:

  • Methodologies for the analysis and management of landscapes and natural resources
  • Traditional landscapes—heritage—activities and practices for the construction of such landscapes
  • Diversity of European policies around quality of life, landscapes, and food        
  • Health and quality of life related to landscapes

More widely, contributions from all domains of relations between landscapes and territorial development, with a geographical, economic, social, or historical background, can also be proposed, including, for instance, localities and identities, ownership and control, landscapes for recreation and lifestyle, landscapes of food, tourism, and gastronomy. Contributions can be made by geographers, landscape architects, historians, ethnographers, archaeologists, ecologists, rural planners, landscape managers, and other scholars interested in European landscapes.

Dr. Marie Houdart
Dr. Pierre-Mathieu Le Bel
Prof. Yves Michelin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • landscapes
  • quality of life
  • natural resources management
  • tradition
  • food
  • health

Published Papers (6 papers)

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24 pages, 5132 KiB  
Article
Could Social Farming Be a Strategy to Support Food Sovereignty in Europe?
by Antoni F. Tulla and Ana Vera
Land 2019, 8(5), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/land8050078 - 30 Apr 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4089
Abstract
Food sovereignty (FS) aims to obtain value-added products in proximity agriculture (PA) in order to achieve food security in a country. Social farming (SF) can help to develop this PA as well as favoring integration of people at risk of social exclusion (RSE). [...] Read more.
Food sovereignty (FS) aims to obtain value-added products in proximity agriculture (PA) in order to achieve food security in a country. Social farming (SF) can help to develop this PA as well as favoring integration of people at risk of social exclusion (RSE). The methodology includes a review of the literature, a survey of 161 SF projects in Catalonia, and ten selected in-depth interviews. “Social Return on Investment” (SROI) methodology is also applied to assess the efficiency of the projects analyzed. The results show the economic, social, and environmental viability of the majority of the SF projects which, also favored by FS and PA, allows the development of innovative experiences and sustainable forms of governance. SF has been carried out in different ways in European countries, although with the common aims of benefitting people at RSE, and using the natural environment and PA through projects basically promoted by Third Sector entities. Management of these projects is in the hands of foundations and non-profit companies making top-down decisions, and in cooperatives and associations, where decision-making is bottom-up. It can be concluded that the promotion of SF can favor PA, and therefore, FS in Europe. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue European Landscapes and Quality of Life)
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15 pages, 1137 KiB  
Article
Experiences from a National Landscape Monitoring Programme—Maintaining Continuity Whilst Meeting Changing Demands and Opportunities
by Grete Stokstad and Wendy Fjellstad
Land 2019, 8(5), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/land8050077 - 30 Apr 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3102
Abstract
Over the past few decades, there has been increasing interest in recording landscape change. Monitoring programmes have been established to measure the scope, direction and rate of change, and assess the consequences of changes for multiple interests, such as biodiversity, cultural heritage and [...] Read more.
Over the past few decades, there has been increasing interest in recording landscape change. Monitoring programmes have been established to measure the scope, direction and rate of change, and assess the consequences of changes for multiple interests, such as biodiversity, cultural heritage and recreation. The results can provide feedback for multiple sectors and policy domains. Political interests may change over time, but long-term monitoring demands long-term funding. This requires that monitoring programmes remain relevant and cost-efficient. In this paper, we document experiences from 20 years of the Norwegian Monitoring Programme for Agricultural Landscapes—the ‘3Q Programme’. We explain how data availability and demands for information have changed over time, and how the monitoring programme has been adapted to remain relevant. We also discuss how methods of presentation influence the degree of knowledge transfer to stakeholders, in particular to policy makers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue European Landscapes and Quality of Life)
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22 pages, 8355 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Monitoring of Protected Cultural Heritage Environments in Norway: Development of Methods and First-Time Application
by Sebastian Eiter, Wendy Fjellstad, Oskar Puschmann and Svein Olav Krøgli
Land 2019, 8(5), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/land8050075 - 27 Apr 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3833
Abstract
Norway has a political goal to minimize the loss of cultural heritage due to removal, destruction or decay. On behalf of the national Directorate for Cultural Heritage, we have developed methods to monitor Cultural Heritage Environments. The complementary set of methods includes (1) [...] Read more.
Norway has a political goal to minimize the loss of cultural heritage due to removal, destruction or decay. On behalf of the national Directorate for Cultural Heritage, we have developed methods to monitor Cultural Heritage Environments. The complementary set of methods includes (1) landscape mapping through interpretation of aerial photographs, including field control of the map data, (2) qualitative and quantitative initial and repeat landscape photography, (3) field recording of cultural heritage objects including preparatory analysis of public statistical data, and (4) recording of stakeholder attitudes, perceptions and opinions. We applied these methods for the first time to the historical clustered farm settlement of Havrå in Hordaland County, West Norway. The methods are documented in a handbook and can be applied as a toolbox, where different monitoring methods or frequency of repeat recording may be selected, dependent on local situations, e.g., on the landscape character of the area in focus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue European Landscapes and Quality of Life)
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21 pages, 2590 KiB  
Article
Implementing Green Infrastructure in Spatial Planning in Europe
by Elin Slätmo, Kjell Nilsson and Eeva Turunen
Land 2019, 8(4), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/land8040062 - 13 Apr 2019
Cited by 47 | Viewed by 9008
Abstract
Interest in green infrastructure (GI) has grown in research, policy and planning in recent decades. The central idea behind GI is the understanding of the physical non-built-up environment as an infrastructure capable of delivering a wide variety of benefits to society, including the [...] Read more.
Interest in green infrastructure (GI) has grown in research, policy and planning in recent decades. The central idea behind GI is the understanding of the physical non-built-up environment as an infrastructure capable of delivering a wide variety of benefits to society, including the ability to preserve biodiversity; to provide food, feed, fuel and fibre; to adapt to and mitigate climate change and to contribute to enhanced human health and quality of life. The European Union (EU) has had a GI strategy since 2013, and member states are involved in several strategic and applied GI initiatives and projects. The aim of this study is to explore if and how the European strategy has been implemented. The study adds to the body of knowledge of current GI policies and measures in Europe via an online survey and insights into previous research. The survey reveals that GI is integrated into one or more policy sectors in all 32 countries covered. In 11 of the 32 countries, GI-specific policies are already in place or are being drawn up at a national level. In general, the respondents see the responsibility for GI policy and strategy as a matter of national governments and the implementation as a matter of local governments. They also see the LIFE+ and Horizon 2020 project funds, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), as the most important EU funding sources for the implementation of the GI strategy. The study also identifies availability of georeferenced information, zoning and biotope area factor as three of the spatial planning tools used to implement GI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue European Landscapes and Quality of Life)
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30 pages, 8280 KiB  
Article
Tick Bite Risk as a Socio-Spatial Representation—An Exploratory Study in Massif Central, France
by Sylvain Dernat and François Johany
Land 2019, 8(3), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/land8030046 - 13 Mar 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5431
Abstract
Ticks are responsible for the largest number of transmissions of vector-borne diseases in the northern hemisphere, which makes the risk from tick bites a serious public health problem. Biological scientific research and prevention studies are important, but they have not focused on the [...] Read more.
Ticks are responsible for the largest number of transmissions of vector-borne diseases in the northern hemisphere, which makes the risk from tick bites a serious public health problem. Biological scientific research and prevention studies are important, but they have not focused on the population’s perception of tick bite risk, especially at a spatial level. This exploratory article sets out to study this point through an innovative methodology involving the collection of 133 mental maps associated with a semi-structured interview and a socio-demographic questionnaire collected in the Massif Central region, France. The results show a strong link between the representation of the tick bite risk and the representation of particular landscapes. Forests appear as dangerous for the population, especially in the traditional activities of family walking or hiking. This calls into question overly anxiogenic prevention approaches that neglect the impact on practices in risk-prone spaces. It accentuates the need for localized education measure to improve knowledge about tick biology and avoid stereotypical and unnecessary negative representations associated with the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue European Landscapes and Quality of Life)
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12 pages, 6391 KiB  
Conference Report
The Future of Traditional Landscapes: Discussions and Visions
by Hans Renes, Csaba Centeri, Alexandra Kruse and Zdeněk Kučera
Land 2019, 8(6), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/land8060098 - 18 Jun 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4476
Abstract
At the 2018 meeting of the Permanent European Conference for the Study of the Rural Landscape (PECSRL), that took place in Clermont-Ferrand and Mende in France, the Institute for Research on European Agricultural Landscapes e.V. (EUCALAND) Network organized a session on traditional landscapes. [...] Read more.
At the 2018 meeting of the Permanent European Conference for the Study of the Rural Landscape (PECSRL), that took place in Clermont-Ferrand and Mende in France, the Institute for Research on European Agricultural Landscapes e.V. (EUCALAND) Network organized a session on traditional landscapes. Presentations included in the session discussed the concept of traditional, mostly agricultural, landscapes, their ambiguous nature and connections to contemporary landscape research and practice. Particular attention was given to the connection between traditional landscapes and regional identity, landscape transformation, landscape management, and heritage. A prominent position in the discussions was occupied by the question about the future of traditional or historical landscapes and their potential to trigger regional development. Traditional landscapes are often believed to be rather stable and slowly developing, of premodern origin, and showing unique examples of historical continuity of local landscape forms as well as practices. Although every country has its own traditional landscapes, globally seen, they are considered as being rare; at least in Europe, also as a consequence of uniforming CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) policies over the last five decades. Although such a notion of traditional landscapes may be criticized from different perspectives, the growing number of bottom-up led awareness-raising campaigns and the renaissance of traditional festivities and activities underline that the idea of traditional landscapes still contributes to the formation of present identities. The strongest argument of the growing sector of self-marketing and the increasing demand for high value, regional food is the connection to the land itself: while particular regions and communities are promoting their products and heritages. In this sense, traditional landscapes may be viewed as constructed or invented, their present recognition being a result of particular perceptions and interpretations of local environments and their pasts. Nevertheless, traditional landscapes thus also serve as a facilitator of particular social, cultural, economic, and political intentions and debates. Reflecting on the session content, four aspects should be emphasized. The need for: dynamic landscape histories; participatory approach to landscape management; socioeconomically and ecologically self-sustaining landscapes; planners as intermediaries between development and preservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue European Landscapes and Quality of Life)
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