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Abstract
The growing complexity of regional planning and design, in combination with increasing concerns about climate change and resource depletion, has revived the discussion on strategic thinking. Spatial planning and landscape architecture develop long-term visions to facilitate the gradual adaptation of the physical environment. Despite accomplishments in both disciplines, the two domains have yet to exploit the full potential of a joint approach to long-term regional design. The objective of the multidisciplinary study reported in this paper was to explore alternative means of developing imaginative yet robust long-term visions. The study combined literature study with the development of several long-term visions for the creation of sustainable energy landscapes. This paper focuses on the emerging methodological framework for long-term regional design, and argues that three modes of change should be integrated into the design process: change due to current projected trends, change due to critical uncertainties and intended change. Subsequently, a five-step approach to the development of long-term visions is derived and illustrated in this paper. The second paper of this two-part series, which will be published in the April 2012 issue of European Planning Studies, centres on the application and the discussion of the five-step approach to integrated visions.
Notes
For a list of energy-conscious design strategies see Stremke and Koh (Citation2010), Stremke and Koh (2011) and Stremke et al. (Citation2011).
Transitions are understood as transformation processes in which society changes in a fundamental way over a generation or more (Rotmans et al., Citation2001).
External scenarios are often referred to as “context scenarios” because the possible future of an area is affected by forces and trends that originate in the larger context (Hanemaaijer et al., Citation2007).
For example, Harvard University projects “Alternative futures for the region of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico” (Steinitz et al., Citation2006) and “Alternative futures for changing landscapes: The Upper San Pedro River Basin in Arizona and Sonora” (Steinitz, Citation2003).
During the first cycle (phase 1–6) the context and scope of the project are defined. The second cycle (phase 6–1) helps to specify the project's methods. The third cycle (phase 1–6) helps to find answers to the six stated questions (Steinitz, Citation2002).
Examples of the various maps are presented in the second paper of this two-part series.
