Land use - Planning

Title

A rural typology for strategic European policies

Reference

Land Use Policy
Volume 29, Issue 3, July 2012, Pages 473–482
EU funded

Author(s)

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

The role that the agricultural sector plays in rural areas has considerably changed in the last five decades, and is reflected in a major shift towards multi-dimensional, multi-sectoral land use. Existing European rural typologies are mostly one-dimensional, based on a rather coarse administrative scale data and are unable to define adequately the diversity of the regions involved. The rural typology presented in this paper has been produced as a response to a new policy need for typologies addressing the diversity in regional rurality. This paper describes the method developed and explores the relevance of the results for future rural policies. This new rural typology incorporates two dimensions identified by statistical screening of a range of geographical and socioeconomic data related to the territorial variation of European rural land. The use of high-resolution raster data at 1 km2 resolution provides large flexibility for the construction of individual classifications, with a variable number of classes for a variety of objectives. In the example presented, nine divisions were produced, which were subsequently summarised into three rural classes termed Peri-urban, Rural and Deep Rural. The rural typology enables the consistent identification of comparable rural areas and intergradations with urban land in the European territory, and describes the degree of generalisation that is possible. In addition, it provides a spatially explicit framework for scientific analysis and communication to both European policy makers and local stakeholders.

Policy theme(s)

Land use >> Planning       
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Sustainable rural development

Keywords

European Union; Rural typology; Rural development; Territorial policy; Regional geography

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837711000846
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Contact the study author at:

michiel.vaneupen@wur.nl

Title

A method for linking results from an evaluation of land use scenarios from the viewpoint of flood prevention and nature conservation

Reference

Landscape and Urban Planning
Volume 103, Issue 2, 30 November 2011, Pages 118-128

Author(s)

Elke Richert, Sylvi Bianchin, Hermann Heilmeier, Mariusz Merta, Christina Seidler

Study type

Peer Review Journal   

Abstract

Flood prevention and nature conservation are often considered not to be compatible. This publication presents a method by which different land use scenarios can be developed and interdisciplinarily evaluated from both the flood prevention and nature conservation perspective. The method was designed and tested using a small subcatchment area in the Eastern Erzgebirge (Saxony, Germany) as an example. Based on guidelines four scenarios were developed. Main measures are transformation of arable fields into extensively used grasslands, afforestation and ecological transformation of forests. The ecological assessment was based on an analysis of biotope types and closely linked to an evaluation of landscape structure. To asses the hydrological situation and to identify risk areas in the catchment, the expert system WBS-FLAB was used. The assessment procedures were designed to enable a comparison of various scenarios with each other. Finally the evaluation results of both assessment procedures were related to each other. A comparison with the actual situation shows that all four developed land use scenarios can improve the situation from both the perspective of flood prevention as well as of nature conservation. In practice, the presented method can be a valuable interdisciplinary decision support for decision-makers and landscape planners.

Policy theme(s)

Biodiversity >> Habitats >> Habitat management
Land use >> Planning
Natural hazards >> Flooding
Water >> Flooding

Keywords

Hydrological modelling; Expert system; Runoff generation; Conservation assessment; Landscape metrics; Conservation guidelines

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204611002325
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Contact the study author at:

elke.richert@ioez.tu-freiberg.de

Title

Modeling the impact of land use and climate change on neighborhood-scale evaporation and nighttime cooling: A surface energy balance approach

Reference

Landscape and Urban Planning
Volume 103, Issue 2, 30 November 2011, Pages 139-155

Author(s)

Lily A. House-Peters, Heejun Chang 

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

We investigated the impacts of temperature changes derived from climate change scenarios and land cover change on patterns of external residential water consumption and nighttime cooling in suburban Hillsboro, Oregon. Three downscaled climate warming scenarios and two land cover change scenarios (sprawl and dense) for the 2040s were used as inputs for an urban energy balance model, the Local-Scale Urban Meteorological Parameterization Scheme (LUMPS). Based on the surface energy fluxes simulated by the LUMPS model, we calculate that the combination of the sprawl scenario with the 3 °C temperature rise increases external water consumption by 4061 L per household for August. Alternately, dense development concomitant with temperature increase constrains increases in water consumption, but reduces nighttime cooling rates by more than 0.3 °C. Increasing the fraction of trees would increase efficiency in promoting urban cooling while reducing external water consumption. This study demonstrates that urban land cover and water use are naturally intertwined at the neighborhood scale, suggesting that urban land-use planning and water management should be fully integrated to design cities that can accommodate future population growth and development while minimizing negative impacts of potential climate change.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change adaptation >> Social and health impacts
Land use >> Planning     
Urban environment >> Urban planning >> Healthy cities
Water >> Water consumption >> Water scarcity
Water >> Urban water management

Keywords

Urban energy balance; Water consumption; Climate change; Land cover; Temperature; LUMPS

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204611002362
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Contact the study author at:

lilyhp@email.arizona.edu

Title

The use of economic valuation to create public support for green infrastructure investments in urban areas

Reference

Landscape and Urban Planning
Volume 103, Issue 2, 30 November 2011, Pages 198-206

Author(s)

Valerie Vandermeulen, Ann Verspecht, Bert Vermeire, Guido Van Huylenbroeck and Xavier Gellynck

Study type

Peer Review Journal 

Abstract

Increasing urbanization has created pressure on land use. Today more and more land in urbanized areas is used for housing, industry, community services or other economic functions. However, green spaces have a proven positive effect on people living in the neighborhood of green spaces, as well as on people working or recreating in the urbanized area. Therefore, green infrastructure investments have been put high on the agenda in many European countries. In order to convince the public and other stakeholders of the usefulness of these kind of green investments, it is necessary to give a correct, understandable and easily repeatable method to value the investment. The current article describes a model that can be used to put the value of green infrastructure investments into economic terms. Evaluating the project at site scale and regional scale will give a complete overview of all direct, indirect and use values of the investment. By using cost–benefit as well as multiplier analyses the monetary values can be estimated. The article shows that using this model helps to justify policy's support for and investment in green space.

Policy theme(s)

Biodiversity >> Ecosystem services
Land use >> Planning
Urban environment >> Urban planning >> Healthy cities

Keywords

Urban planning; Economic valuation; Green infrastructure

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

There is a fee to view this study in full
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204611002428

Contact the study author at:

valerie.vandermeulen@ugent.be

Title

Landscape fragmentation in Europe

Reference

European Environment Agency (EEA)
EEA Report No 2/2011

Author(s)

As above

Study type

Report

Abstract

Roads, motorways, railways, intensive agriculture and urban developments are breaking up Europe's landscapes into ever-smaller pieces, with potentially devastating consequences for flora and fauna across the continent, according to a new joint report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). The report, 'Landscape fragmentation in Europe', demonstrates how areas of land are often unable to support high levels of biodiversity when they are split into smaller and smaller parcels.

Policy theme(s)

Biodiversity >> Habitats >> Habitat management
Land use >> Planning

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/landscape-fragmentation-in-europe
This study is free to view

Contact the study author at:

info@bafu.admin.ch

Title

Temporal changes in greenspace in a highly urbanised area

Reference

Biology Letters: Royal Society Publishing

Author(s)

Martin Dallimer ,Zhiyao Tang ,Peter R Biddy ,Paul Brindley ,Kevin J Gaston ,Zoe G Davies

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The majority of the world's population now lives in towns and cities, and urban areas are expanding faster than any other land-use type. In response to this phenomenon, two opposing arguments have emerged: whether cities should ‘sprawl’ into the wider countryside, or ‘densify’ through the development of existing urban greenspace. However, these greenspaces are increasingly recognized as being central to the amelioration of urban living conditions, supporting biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision. Taking the highly urbanized region of England as a case study, we use data from a variety of sources to investigate the impact of national-level planning policy on temporal patterns in the extent of greenspace in cities. Between 1991 and 2006, greenspace showed a net increase in all but one of 13 cities. However, the majority of this gain occurred prior to 2001, and greenspace has subsequently declined in nine cities. Such a dramatic shift in land use coincides with policy reforms in 2000, which favoured densification. Here, we illustrate the dynamic and policy-responsive nature of urban land use, thereby highlighting the need for a detailed investigation of the trade-offs associated with different mechanisms of urban densification to optimize and secure the diverse benefits associated with greenspaces.

Policy theme(s)

Land use >> Planning
Urban environment >> Urban planning >> Urban land use
Urban environment >> Urban biodiversity

Keywords

Urbanization, ecosystem services, urban ecology, urban greenspace

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/03/16/rsbl.2011.0025.abstract
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Contact the study author at:

z.g.davies@kent.ac.uk

Title

Is research keeping up with changes in landscape policy? A review of the literature

Reference

Journal of Environmental Management
Volume 92, Issue 9, September 2011, Pages 2097-2108

Author(s)

Elisabeth Conrad, Mike Christie and Ioan Fazey

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Several innovative directions for landscape policy development and implementation have emerged over recent years. These include: (i) an expansion of scope to include all landscape aspects and landscape types, (ii) an increased emphasis on public participation, (iii) a focus on designing measures appropriate for different contexts and scales, and (iv) encouraging support for capacity-building. In this paper, we evaluate the extent to which these policy directions are reflected in the practice of academic landscape research. We evaluate all research papers published in three leading landscape journals over six years, as well as published research papers relating directly to the European Landscape Convention. The latter, which was adopted in 2000, establishes a framework for landscape protection, planning and management in Europe and is to date the only international legal instrument of its kind. Results indicate that whilst policy innovations do not appear to be a major stimulus for academic research, studies nevertheless address a range of landscape aspects, types and scales (albeit with a slight bias towards bio-physical landscape aspects). However, geographical representativeness of research is weak and dominated by the United States and northern/western Europe, and research capacity likewise appears to be unevenly distributed. Landscape research is also limited in the extent to which it involves stakeholders or develops innovative methods for doing so, notwithstanding that this remains a key challenge for policy-makers. Results point to the potential for landscape research to address areas (topical and geographical) which have received little attention to date, as well as suggesting mutual benefits of stronger links between policy and academia.

Policy theme(s)

Biodiversity >> Habitats >> Habitat management
Land use >> Planning

Keywords

Landscape policy, Landscape research, European Landscape Convention,
Participation

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479711001216
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Contact the study author at:

elisabeth.conrad@um.edu.mt

Title

Boundary organizations for sustainable land management: The example of Dutch Environmental Co-operatives

Reference

Ecological Economics
Volume 70, Issue 2, 15 December 2010, Pages 283-295
Special Section: Ecological Distribution Conflicts

Author(s)

Jeremy Franks

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

This paper uses Boundary Organization Theory (BOT) to examine the proposition that Dutch Environmental Co-operatives (ECs) conform to the characteristics of boundary organizations (BOs). Many conservationists believe BO-type institutions are essential for addressing eco-system management problems, but believe there are currently too few examples of BOs working across sustainability issues. It is concluded that ECs have organizational structures and work practices typical of BOs: they allow people on different sides of the land management for food and nature conservation boundary (land managers, conservationists, scientists and policy makers) to negotiate to transform agri-environmental schemes into boundary objects and scheme options into implementable standardized packages. This is achieved by adopting convening, translation, collaboration and mediation functions that create extended peer communities able to contribute important knowledge of eco-system management, whilst allowing each participate to remain within their respective professional boundaries and responsible to their different constituencies. As an example of BOs, ECs are a post-normal sustainability technology (PNST) that offers 'clumsy' solutions to the 'wicked' problem of eco-system management. BOs work in many fields across the globe, showing their underling organizational principals and working practices are not restricted to any particular issue or geographical monopoly. As such, ECs - adjusted to suit local priorities and circumstances - could be the basis of a more widely used sustainability-led governance unit most particularly where cultural practices favour collective and collaborative behaviour.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Agri-environment schemes
Land use >> Planning

Keywords

Collaboration, Boundary organizations, Environmental co-operative, Nature management

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800910003356
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

J.R.Franks@ncl.ac.uk.