The use of landscape in municipal policies A research towards the implementation of landscape as defined in the European Landscape Convention Sharon Westerman - MSc thesis - October 2014 The use of landscape in municipal policies A research towards the implementation of landscape as defined in the European Landscape Convention MSc thesis Land Use Planning Author: Sharon Westerman Student number: 910125945040 Email: [email protected] Programme: MLP Specialisation: Spatial Planning Course: LUP-80436 (36 ECTS) Supervisor: Prof. Dr. A.J.J. Van der Valk 2nd reviewer Dr. G.B.M Pedroli Wageningen University Land Use Planning Group Droevendaalsesteeg 3 A 6708 PB Wageningen The Netherlands Figure frontpage: Schippers, Wilco. (2014). Sunset at Koe in de Kost (Raalte). [Figure of a sunset in an agricultural landscape]. [online] Retrieved from: https://wilcozpics.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/koe-in-de-kost-2014.jpg [Accessed 10 October 2014] i ii ABSTRACT Landscape is a concept which is used in policies in Europe, as well as in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands care for the landscape has unofficially been decentralised towards the provinces. How Dutch municipalities deal with landscape in their policies has not been researched yet. In order to find out how municipalities deal with landscape in their policies, four municipalities (located in the province of Overijssel) have been analysed by means of a checklist. This checklist is based upon literature considering landscape, landscape planning and management, landscape biography and landscape identity. In general landscape is used well and how landscape is handled can be related to the European Landscape Convention. In planning and managing the landscape, landscape identity has frequently been used. The landscape biography concept has not been used so often. If possible municipalities should make use of the landscape biography concept as well, since this concept provides opportunities to integrate past landscapes with the present and future landscape. Key words: landscape, landscape planning, landscape management, landscape biography, landscape identity, European Landscape Convention iii iv ACKNOWLEDMENTS My MSc thesis is finished! The result of eight months hard work is presented in this report. At the beginning of the process, I had no idea which topic would be interesting to deal with for such a long period. Arnold van der Valk, who supervised me during the whole process, suggested to do something with the European Landscape Convention. I never heard of it… After talking about this convention and reading some literature about this topic, I got enthusiast about the topic and so I my thesis topic was set. At the beginning of the writing process, I struggled with the content that should be in the different chapters. Arnold suggested to read a book on how to design a research process and I could start writing according to scientific standards. I would like to thank Arnold van der Valk for his guidance at the beginning of the research process, attending me to the conference of CHeriScape (which has been a great source of inspiration) and providing me with very useful comments on my draft version. These comments really helped me to improve my thesis. Since, my research consists of four case study municipalities, I have arranged some interviews. I have interviewed the policy officers who are responsible for the landscape policy. I would like to thank these people for the time they arranged for me. Special thanks to Simon, I really appreciate it that you read my thesis and checked for ‘Dutch grammar’ and strange words. Indeed, I meant stakeholders and not actors. Last but not least, I would like to thank my friends and family. Thank you for your supportive words, it really helped me to finish my thesis. v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDMENTS ................................................................................................................................. v LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES AND BOXES ..................................................................................................... xi ENGLISH – DUTCH GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................ xiii SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................. xv 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Nature and landscape in the Netherlands a short history ............................................................ 1 1.2 The European Landscape Convention ........................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Recent programmes dealing with landscape in the Netherlands .......................................... 3 1.2.2 The Dutch attitude towards the ELC ...................................................................................... 3 1.3 Problem description and problem statement ............................................................................... 4 1.4 Case studies ................................................................................................................................... 4 1.4.1 Dalfsen .................................................................................................................................... 5 1.4.2 Raalte ...................................................................................................................................... 6 1.4.3 Zwolle ..................................................................................................................................... 6 1.4.4 Deventer ................................................................................................................................. 7 1.5 Research objective, questions and relevance ............................................................................... 7 1.6 Chapter overview .......................................................................................................................... 8 2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................................ 9 2.1 Landscape ...................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1.1 Perspectives upon the landscape ........................................................................................... 9 2.1.2 Changing landscapes ............................................................................................................ 10 2.1.3 Landscape as a connecting concept ..................................................................................... 10 2.2 Landscape planning and landscape management ...................................................................... 12 2.2.1 Difficulties in managing and planning the landscape ........................................................... 12 2.2.2 Dynamic approaches towards landscape planning and management................................. 13 2.3 Landscape biography ................................................................................................................... 14 2.3.1 History of the landscape biography concept ........................................................................ 14 2.3.2 Landscape biography in the Netherlands ............................................................................. 14 2.3.3 Landscape biography in practical situations ........................................................................ 15 2.4 Landscape identity....................................................................................................................... 16 2.4.1 Perspectives upon identity ................................................................................................... 17 2.4.2 Factors influencing the formation of identity ...................................................................... 18 vii 2.5 Concepts in relation to each other .............................................................................................. 19 3. METHODS .......................................................................................................................................... 21 3.1 Scientific literature ...................................................................................................................... 21 3.2 Policy documents ........................................................................................................................ 21 3.3 Interviews .................................................................................................................................... 22 4. EUROPEAN, NATIONAL AND REGIONAL POLICIES AND LAWS .......................................................... 23 4.1 European level ............................................................................................................................. 23 4.2 National level ............................................................................................................................... 24 4.2.1 Past national policies ...........................................................................................................