Landscape Workshop, Hotel Golden Palace, Yerevan, 27 November 2013

Potentials of applying the European Landscape Convention

in spatial Planning and Development

Audun MOFLAG
Civil Architect, Expert of the Council of Europe
e-mail: amoflag@ebnett.no tel.: +47 971 96 724 
 In search of a methodology: Landscape as a catalyst in
spatial planning and development

The landscape expresses the human qualities of our territory

I. How do we perceive the land and sea in our environment, and what
does this do to us?
II.How can the landscape qualities be identified and understood?
III.How do we pursue these qualities, aiming at:
- wellbeing of the citizens, physical and mental health
- awareness rising, active citizens and public participation
- attractive communities – fostering creativity, entrepreneurship and
job generation?

How do we apply the measures of the European Landscape Convention

in promoting this process?
Step I

Perception
 What do we mean by landscape?
A new and unique view – putting man in the centre

• The entire national territory is regarded as landscapes

•  “Landscape” is an area, as perceived by people
• Whether outstanding, quite ordinary or degraded
 Recommendations

Communication of the unique view of the European Landscape

Convention:
•Awareness rising (ELC article 6 A)
•Lessons at primary and secondary schools (ELC article 6 B)
Why are good landscapes important?

Not just some pretty countryside

we look at. We live our lives in
the midst of the landscape.

Like it, or not:

•We perceive the landscape by all
our senses
•Presenting physical
opportunities and obstacles
•Giving rise to emotional
associations and personal
identity
 Important for our well being, physical and mental health

Has favourable effects on

blood pressure, pulse and BMI

Gives pleasure, well being and

increased energy

May foster mental health -

stress and stress-related
illnesses
We are looking for landscapes
that provide environments
free from demands and stress,
available as part of everyday life
 The environment of children and youth
Norwegian countryside

How is their everyday landscape?

What is making up their
childhood memories
- and shaping their identity?
Photo: Lisbeth Dreyer
Hong Kong residential area

Photo: niku23 (Flickr)

  Important for community development
The spatial development affects our lives, may be far more than we are aware of

• Where and how to live, where

to go to work or school, how to
get there
• Emergence of streets, public
places and points of contact
• Etc.
• People look for a good place to
live for themselves and their
children
• This fact works two ways
 We have to improve the quality of our
environment, making our town and cities attractive
for people
Today, spatial planning is only meeting the material needs of
contemporary society, ignoring emotional values
A broader vision is required, rooted in the values of humanity

Streets are the basis of any public space

Is this a street or a road?

Mjøndalen, centre of Nedre Eiker municipality (Norway)

The public space: No space for people!

Instead: Private roof gardens

Street view in Oslo (Norway)

 Important for tourism

We need to understand the drama and the attraction of the landscape

We must protect and care for the attractiveness
Destinations may be developed – but without spoiling them by overdevelopment
 A sensible spatial development requires
political attention and long term policies
The quality and diversity of our surroundings are often deteriorating – as a result of
technical and economic development, in which we have had no say

The development cannot

just be left to the market

Municipalities and regions

or county councils are
responsible
 Collective intelligence:

Planning is a fundamental right in local self government

Municipalities should organise co-operation between the
citizens, stakeholders in regional government and private sector,
and civil society
Active citizens’ and public participation may bring new life and
approaches to the political debate
Transparency is discouraging liability to bribery and corruption
Step II

Identification and assessment

 Identification , analyses and assessment (ELC article 6 C)
Landscape qualities must be looked into
from two angels:
1)the physical and biological reality
– the context in which we are
2) the perception we have of this
reality – impressions and emotions aroused

The tangible reality may be expressed by

multiple map layers, for example:
•the physical ground layer
•a biological layer
•a cultural layer

These aspects are descriptive and straight

forward (many methods available)

The second approach is more complicated.

Emotional effects cannot be described in
the same way.

A land use map is not a landscape map

How do we identify and assess the emotional effects?
- magnificent, ordinary or degraded – pleasing, indifferent or disagreeable?

Many possibilities to be
pursued, for instance:
- human sciences
- expressions by
artists
- new technologies
and social networks
- 3D animation
techniques
- narratives and
interviews

The perception of the

 Civic involvement and participation

• Provides legitimacy and consistency: the population are the ones to agree on the
emotional values assigned to the landscape
• Achieves several aims – collective knowledge, participation as well as awareness raising
• Citizens have equal saying, regardless of academic, ethnical, social or cultural background
• May be supported by facilitators – i.e. professionals on visualization and communication,
a la guides in an art museum
 Recommendations

Education of experts on landscape analyses, visualization

techniques and communication (ELC article 6 B)
Step III

Future goals and policies

Catching the landscape qualities in municipal planning
Examination of the impacts of driving forces:
Screening against the landscape qualities identified (ELC article 6 C)
Regional government policies

Citizens’ enterprises
Natural hazards Landscape Civic society concerns
qualities Private sector business

Neighbouring municipalities

Issues
How are these forces likely to affect the landscape qualities identified and assessed?
- In a positive way? In that case, how to pursue them?
- In a negative way? In that case, how to deter them?
A number of driving forces

Government policies
Private sector activities
 - Housing
demands
- Trade and
industry
- Tourism
- Agriculture,
forestry
- Fishing
- Mining
- Transport
- Energy

Natural hazards
- Wind
- Heavy rain
- Flooding
- Land and
snow slides
-
 Recommendations

Identification and assessment (ELC article 6 C)

1 With active participation of the interested parties:

a identify all landscapes throughout the national territory

analyse their characteristics
analyse the forces changing them and take note of the changes

b assess the landscape qualities, taking into account the opinions

of the parties and the population concerned

2 The identification and assessment procedures must be guided

by the exchange of experience and methodology at European
level
 Goals and strategies for the landscape development
• How to blend the different policies to be met in the region with its landscape quality
assets and opportunities, tangible and intangible?
• How to achieve synergies and orchestration of policies and activities?

Regional
government

Goals and Citizens

Natural hazards Civic society
strategies
Private sector

Neighbouring municipalities

Conclude in a mutually committing plan (ELC article 6 E), communicating:

•Regional added value to central government and municipal policies
•Guidelines for business development
•Strategies for the prevention of natural disasters
 Recommendations

Quality objectives (ELC article 6 D)

Define landscape quality objectives for the landscapes identified
and assessed, after public consultation (in accordance with
Article 5 c)

Implementation (ELC article 6 E)

Put landscape policies into effect, by instruments for protecting,
managing and/ or planning the landscape
 Finally

Support to the municipalities

 Recommendations
With the assistance of central government, the regional
authorities should:
•establish a regional centre of expertise (example: the
Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, Spain)
•provide guidance and technical assistance to the municipalities

•offer multidisciplinary training programmes for the municipal

staff and politicians
•provide the basic layers of landscape identification and
assessment in the municipality (physical and natural features)
and co-operate on the emotional
•disseminate new knowledge and best practice from European
co-operation
Thank you for your kind attention!