Perceptions and social valuations of landscape. Objectives and methodology for citizen participation in landscape policies

Abstract

Since the approval of the European Landscape Convention, social perception has been accepted as one of landscape’s defining components and, therefore, any strategy for its planning, protection or management has to be in possession of knowledge produced by citizen participation procedures. The Convention did not formally state what these procedures are and no methodology has been agreed upon for guaranteeing their inclusion in landscape analysis and praxis. This article puts forward a methodological proposal to this end that has been designed, tested and put into practice in the compiling of the Landscape Catalogue of the Province of Seville (Andalusia, Spain). Arguments put forward to support the methodological choices made are evaluated with the aim that this proposal might be of use for other initiatives to create a theoretical and practical corpus for social participation in landscape policies.

Keywords:

• Landscape
• citizen participation methodology
• social valuation of landscape
• governance
• European Landscape Convention

Notes

1. European Landscape Convention. Florence, 2000. Text of Spanish ELC ratification instrument, State Gazette 31, Tuesday 5 February 2008.

2. Andalusian Landscape Strategy. Strategy, line 62. Landscape governance instruments.

3. Annual reports on the implementation of the European Landscape Convention can be found on the European Council website: http://hub.coe.int/.

4. Further information at: http://www.catpaisatge.net/esp/catalegs.php.

5. Directive 2003/35/CE of 26 May 2003, providing for public participation in respect of the drawing up of certain environment-related plans and programmes.