Rural Landscapes: Transformation and Governance

Rural landscapes cover more than a third of the earth and contribute most of the food and fiber consumed by human populations. However, they also constitute an arena for a multitude of other activities and processes. These include production of energy as well as residential, recreational, tourism and biodiversity functions. As such rural landscapes are manifestations of the way in which human societies organize and use their environment through continuous processes of decision making, forming an interface between society and its ecological basis.

As societies evolve, new demands for  recreation, nature, environmental and cultural heritage protection are sharply contrasted with traditional rural production functions. In parallel, mega-drivers, such as globalization, urbanization, biodiversity decline and climate change further contribute to the transformation of rural landscapes. As a response, novel approaches to landscape planning and governance are evolving trying to minimize conflicts between functions and to support a sustainable use of landscapes.

During the course landscapes are examined as multifunctional arenas where interests of different sectors and actors need to be accommodated and conflicts between sometimes opposing interests need to be recognized, managed, and resolved.

The course gives important insight into the MSc programmes  in Nature Management, Geography and Landscape Architecture as well as constitutes an important supplement to students involved in studies of sustainability science, forestry, agronomy, biology, environmental management, environmental anthropology and rural sociology.

The aims of the course are:

1. to study and discuss processes of contemporary rural landscape changes, including driving forces, impacts, functions, and conflicts in different landscapes, ranging from traditional rural to peri-urban settings   
2. to discuss rural landscape change from the perspective of important societal agendas, including opportunities and challenges for a green transition
3. to give insights into theories and methods to identify landscape characteristics, qualities, values, and resilience
4. to introduce different approaches and strategies to rural landscape plaaning and governance within the wider framework of national and international policies