2022-now. Landscape Understanding in Public Involvement in Spatial Planning in Poland (leaders: Bartłomiej Buława, Susann Ahn)

The project was developed in cooperation with TU Wien. The research problem concerns the perception and awareness of landscape from a local perspective among local governments and communities. This study aimed to determine how local communities in Polish rural communes understand and value the landscape during extended public consultations on spatial planning. The findings (phase I) showed that the landscape was primarily negotiated in terms of aesthetic, cultural, historical, identity, recreational, and economic functions, with aesthetic aspects outweighing natural and climatic ones. Additionally, landscape arguments were sometimes used for hidden agendas. While public consultations are a useful tool for integrating landscape into spatial planning, it's necessary to broaden its understanding to include ecological and climatic functions.

Papers:
Buława B., Ahn S. (2024) Landscape understanding and values in extended public consultations on spatial planning in rural communes in Poland, Landscape Online, DOI: 10.3097/LO.2024.1124