The Role of Geographical Landscape Studies for Sustainable Territorial Planning

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The Role of Geographical Landscape Studies for Sustainable Territorial Planning sustainability Discussion The Role of Geographical Landscape Studies for Sustainable Territorial Planning Iván Franch-Pardo 1,* ID , Brian M. Napoletano 2,* ID , Gerardo Bocco 2, Sara Barrasa 2 ID and Luis Cancer-Pomar 3 ID 1 Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Morelia, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico 2 Centro de Investigaciones en Geografía Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Morelia, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico; [email protected] (G.B.); [email protected] (S.B.) 3 Department of Physical Geography and CEACTierra, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain, [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] (I.F.-P.); [email protected] (B.M.N.) Received: 12 September 2017; Accepted: 7 November 2017; Published: 17 November 2017 Abstract: One of the primary objectives of physical geography is to determine how natural phenomena produce specific territorial patterns. Therefore, physical geography offers substantial scientific input into territorial planning for sustainability. A key area where physical geography can contribute to land management is in the delimitation of landscape units. Such units are fundamental to formal socio-economic zoning and management in territorial planning. However, numerous methodologies—based on widely varying criteria—exist to delineate and map landscapes. We have selected five consolidated methodologies with current applications for mapping the landscape to analyse the different role of physical geography in each: (1) geomorphological landscape maps based on landforms; (2) geosystemic landscape maps; (3) Landscape Character Assessment; (4) landscape studies based on visual landscape units; (5) landscape image-pair test. We maintain that none of these methodologies are universally applicable, but that each contributes important insights into landscape analysis for land management within particular biogeophysical and social contexts. This work is intended to demonstrate that physical geography is ubiquitous in contemporary landscape studies intended to facilitate sustainable territorial planning, but that the role it plays varies substantially with the criteria prioritized. Keywords: environmental geography; landscape delimitation and mapping; geomorphology; geosystem-territory-landscape; viewshed; Landscape Character Assessment; image-pair test; territorial planning 1. Introduction Sustainability is primarily concerned with environmental change, but is increasingly recognised as an inherently political concept, both in its formulation and implications [1]. In the sense of sustainable human-development, it is based on three overlapping concerns (see Figure1): (1) environmental change and its anthropogenic drivers and adaptation thereto; (2) poverty and other forms of economic inequality [2,3]; and (3) injustice, power disparities, and the gap between really existing democracy and its popular definition, particularly with respect to management of and access to material resources [4,5]. This conception of sustainability as an integrating concept, in turn, has drawn attention to the need to address the ontological and epistemological disciplinary gaps between the social and natural sciences to adequately understand the social production and consumption of scientific knowledge and the complex relationships between humans, social systems, and their biogeophysical reality [1,6]. Sustainability 2017, 9, 2123; doi:10.3390/su9112123 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2017, 9, 2123 2 of 23 consumption of scientific knowledge and the complex relationships between humans, social Sustainability 2017, 9, 2123 2 of 23 systems, and their biogeophysical reality [1,6]. Figure 1. Sustainability at the intersection of efforts to address environmental change, social justice, and economic equality. Recent scholarshipscholarship regarding regarding the the epistemology epistemology of geography of geography contends contends that it playsthat anit importantplays an roleimportant in sustainability role in sustainability science owing science to its owing inclusive to its approach inclusive to humanapproach and to physicalhuman factorsand physical when dealingfactors when with territorialdealing with studies territorial [2] and studies the landscape [2] and the as anlandscape integrating as an concept integrating [7]. In concept the words [7]. ofIn Castreethe words et al.of Castree (2009) [ 8et], al. this (2009) is one [8], of this the fewis on disciplinese of the few dedicated disciplines to de overcomingdicated to theovercoming disciplinary the divisiondisciplinary between division natural between (physical) natural and social (physical) (human) and science. social Leng (human) (2017) science. [9] goes further,Leng (2017) stating [9] that goes no otherfurther, field stating is more that focused no other on studying field is Earth’s more humanfocused occupation on studying than Earth’s geography, human with occupation a “full spectrum” than perspectivegeography, towith explain a “full the spectrum” relation between perspective environment to explain and the society relation [10,11 between]. environment and societySauer [10,11]. (1925) [12] justifies the existence of geography as an independent science as per its profound knowledgeSauer of(1925) the different [12] justifies and eclectic the shapesexistence and of processes geography on the as Earth’s an independent surface. Therefore, science these as authorsper its agreeprofoundthat theknowledge complexity of ofthe the different actual realityand eclectic of the environment–society shapes and processes dialectic on the (sensu Earth’s Schnaiberg surface. andTherefore, Gould, these 1994) authors [13] must agree be that understood the complexity in the of context the actual of geography’sreality of the integrative environment–society approach. Geographydialectic (sensu is not Schnaiberg a general scienceand Gould, of the 1994) Earth, [13] but mu it definesst be understood its characteristics in the context and general of geography’s processes, orintegrativeintegrates approach. them into Geography a spatial context is not from a general other disciplines.science of the This Earth, preference but it fordefines the concise its characteristics knowledge ofand the general general processes, science of or the integrates Earth is consistentthem into a with spat geography’sial context from tradition other[ disciplines.11]. This preference for theThe concise characterization knowledge ofgeography of the general as an integrativescience of approach the Earth in contemporaryis consistent scientificwith geography’s literature shouldtradition be [11]. understood as an important counterpoint to other schools of thought that advocate furtheringThe characterization the dualistic split of geography between science as an andintegrative philosophy, approach and humanityin contemporary and nature scientific [14]. Thisliterature integrated shouldapproach be understood in geography as an important also provides counterpoint an important to other counterweight schools of thought to, on that the oneadvocate hand, furthering deterministic the dualistic ideological split positions between thatscience purport and philosophy, to reduce complex and humanity social and systems nature to a[14]. handful This integrated of essential approach environmental in geography factors also (e.g., provides Diamond, an important 1999) [15 ]counterweight or biological determinantsto, on the one ofhand, human deterministic “nature” ideological (e.g., Wilson, positions 2002) that [16 ],purport and on to thereduce other complex hand, social various systems forms to ofa handful radical constructionism-as-philosophical-critiqueof essential environmental factors (e.g., Diamond, that deny the1999) existence [15] or ofbiological an objective determinants reality and of therefore human any“nature” form of(e.g., non-human Wilson, nature 2002) apart [16], from and a social on conceptthe other of it [17hand,], and various social monism forms thatof describeradical non-humanconstructionism-as-philosophical-c nature as produced byritique society [that18]. deny the existence of an objective reality and thereforeOur approachany form toof thenon-human integration nature of human apart andfrom physical a social geography concept of isit therefore[17], and consistentsocial monism with positionsthat describe that non-human mandate the nature integration as produced of the naturalby society and [18]. social sciences, particularly with regards to socialOur and approach ecological to sustainabilitythe integration [14 of,19 human,20]. In and terms physical of more geography pragmatic is therefore concerns consistent with territorial with managementpositions that and mandate planning the studiesintegration for sustainability,of the natural thisand positionsocial sciences, is considered particularly to be essential with regards [21–23 to]. socialThe and purpose ecological of thissustainability review is [14,19,20]. to highlight In theterms different of more ways pragmatic in which concerns physical with and territorial human geographymanagement are integratedand planning in landscape studies studiesfor sustainability, for sustainable this territorial position management—i.e., is considered land-use to be planningessential [21–23]. and its implementation—by considering the role of physical geography (PG) in five Sustainability 2017, 9, 2123 3 of 23 widely used geographical approaches to landscape mapping. The work reviewed here
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