Thematic Course II: Rural Landscape – Management and Planning

The course focuses on rural landscape management with emphasis on ends, means, and solutions in management and planning projects.  

The course consists of two parts: an introduction and a problem-based project part The introductory part of the course includes lectures, exercises and seminars on landscape processes and functions as well as methods for analyzing landscapes and collecting data relevant to planning and management of rural landscapes. Issues dealt with in the lectures and seminars include: 

• Analyses of cultural landscapes and their current changes and implication for landscape policy, planning and management 

• Farmers' and other stakeholders' values and practices in relation to land use, cultural heritage, nature conservation, and aesthetic values.  

• Spatial planning and the design and implementation of spatial plans in relation to conflict management and place-making.  

• Case study approach and relevant research methods.  

Students are expected to contribute substantially to the seminars in the introductory part, e.g., by presenting relevant methods and literature as well as preliminary ideas for projects. These contributions aim at activating the variety of knowledge, skills and competences among the students and providing inspiration for the later project work.      

The project part of the course is the main part of the course. The project work starts with a visit to a Danish municipality. The visit has the purpose of showing practical landscape management and planning tasks and challenges that are found in the municipality.   

On the basis of the visit to the municipality, the students form project groups and propose a project problem to be approved. The project work is usually carried out in groups of 5-6 students with different disciplinary backgrounds.