P1. Assessing intangible landscape values for landscape planning and design
Irena Niedźwiecka-Filipiak (Asssociation of Polish Landscape Architects; University of Environmental and Life Sciences), irena.niedzwiecka-filipiak@upwr.edu.pl
Elżbieta Raszeja (Asssociation of Polish Landscape Architects; University of the Arts in Poznań)
Krzysztof Młynarczyk (Asssociation of Polish Landscape Architects; University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn)
Maciej Kłopotowski (Asssociation of Polish Landscape Architects; Bialystok University of Technology)
Agnieszka Ozimek (Asssociation of Polish Landscape Architects; Cracow University of Technology)
Summary
One of the important objectives of landscape research is to observe phenomena and trends occurring in the landscape. These observations are the basis for its proper planning, design and management, as well as shaping landscape policies. The methods, tools, as well as assessment approaches depend on scientific disciplines that deal with these issues. It is still a somewhat underestimated, or simply challenging to assess, problem to combine land use and land cover measurements with human-scale view investigations, and to create coherent systems for assessing intangible landscape elements. This also raises the question of how to assess intangible, non-measurable landscape characteristics, including landscape views, in order to contribute to landscape planning and design adequately.
Description
In landscape research, it is necessary to assess all the spatial components, including spatial and intangible characteristics, of landscapes. Different scientific disciplines create their specific methods, tools and measurement systems to measure and evaluate the landscape. This makes it possible to make founded decisions concerning landscape planning and design. The challenge here lies in measuring and assessing its intangible, non-measurable characteristics.
In landscape research, the landscape and its characteristics are measured in two main ways. The first concerns "land use and land cover" measurements, where remote sensing and GIS software are of great importance. Landscape analysis and assessment take place in this respect on maps, in the quantitative, sometimes qualitative context concerning connectivity, continuity, and multifunctionality of e.g. greenery elements in the landscape. In the second trend, the research is carried out from a human perspective and belongs to the group of "human-scale" studies, and photographs, films, visibility maps and graphs are used to measure and evaluate the landscape. The technological development has contributed to an increase in quantitative research, while qualitative research is most often based on various types of surveys conducted in different groups of respondents. The quantitative analysis also evolved thanks to the development of digital algorithms, including artificial intelligence, attempts are made to analyse photographic images automatically.
These two approaches to landscape assessments are important, also for the and planning and design of landscapes, including its assessment and effective placemaking. However, it is a challenge to define how to incorporate the visual and intangible values into landscape planning and design. The challenge lays in the fact that the conclusions of the analyses carried out, and perhaps above all the assessments carried out in the third dimension, can give an opportunity to protect the already existing valuable landscapes properly, but also to create new, valuable ones. Therefore, these assessments should be rather uniform, legible, giving the possibility of comparison and evaluation.
The following questions arise in this context:
- Is it possible to measure, evaluate, value landscape views, and if so in which way?
- How to create measuring systems for the evaluation of intangible landscape values?
- How to combine "human-scale" measurements with "land use and land cover" analyses?
- Which methods of measuring views can be used to make decisions with regard to new investments?
- How can the results of landscape measurements and assessments of intangible values be communicated so that its value is appreciated by non-professionals?
- How do historical aesthetic assessments of a landscape affect contemporary landscape design?
- What is the relationship between landscape value measurements and the creative intuition of a landscape architect?
- How to measure non-measurable landscape elements?
- How to assess the creation of new landscapes?
Impact
Based on the interest of participants, a special issue in the peer-reviewed open access journal Landscape Online can be discussed at the symposium.