Developing New Images of Rurality

Abstract

Currently, there are several social and economic forces that will cause visible changes to the rural landscape. Strategies that accommodate these changes are being sought through the participation of local populations. New visions of rurality as well as new visual tools that support participation processes are needed in this social and economic context. Such tools were evaluated as part of the EU project Visu- Lands and in collaboration with the Entlebuch UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (the Swiss case study site). The results of the study outline the strengths and weaknesses of the tools. The discussion of the planning topics took place in locally established panels, and the key benefits of the visualizations were that they helped to raise awareness of the issues and to illustrate and communicate important landscape processes. In particular, if issues are related to topography or dynamic landscape processes, the tools stimulate discussion and facilitate the visual evaluation of development alternatives.