Introduction for living in agricultural landscapes: practice, heritage and identity (original) (raw)
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Rural communities in Europe are at significant risk since they face socioeconomic problems such as depopulation, singular dependence on mono-agriculture or resource extraction, high unemployment and lack of viable economic opportunities. Cultural heritage and historic landscapes can be powerful drivers of rural development they make places unique, create a sense of home, and link communities to their past. However, for many communities, the potential for their heritage and landscape is unknown, underappreciated, or underutilized. It requires discovery and implementation through study, identification, and the transfer of good practice examples as models for innovative management.
2010
[Summary] Some of the most characteristic landscapes in Europe are the result of specialised types of agriculture. Although these landscapes are often cherished by the local population, they tend to be overlooked by most regional landscape classifications. This article, extending on the results of the EucaLand project, focuses on the historic landscapes of agricultural specialisation. It presents the history (main periods, life cycles) as well as the geography of these landscapes.
2017
In this paper we propose to look at rural landscape from the perspective of heritage. The issue of landscape is presented in the context of contemporary factors which result from the evolving approach both to the notion of heritage itself and to the rules of its conservation. It was noted that activities which identify not only the natural value of landscape but also its historic, cultural, visual, aesthetic and symbolic values, as well as activities which define a heritage community should become a permanent component of current works on integrated rural development. Rural landscapes are cultural landscapes emerged as a result of a long interaction of environmental factors with the activities of a community living in a given area. In these landscapes traces of the past can be seen in a form of landscape patterns. Identifying and defining landscape heritage should be an important component of spatial planning processes. Landscape is shaped on a local scale. In the spatial planning s...
European Landscapes: Heritage, Participation and Local Communities.
In the summer of 2005 the one year-old bear Bruno stirred up attention. He had sallied forth from his home in the Italian Alps over the border to the tourist region of Bavaria, killed sheep and plundered chicken coups. Bear trappers specially summoned from Norway failed to capture him. Bruno became a national media event in Germany and a local nuisance. Hunters, scientists, columnists, shepherds, politicians, a dairymaid, farmers, bear hunters, animal rights activists, zoologists, mayors and tourists had their say. A local hunter, who for his own safety remained anonymous, shot Bruno at last. An excited debate sprang up about how much natural heritage local communities can really bear.
Built Heritage
In 2011, the ICOMOS-IFLA International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes (ISCCL) began the World Rural Landscapes Initiative (WRLI) project to develop a complete and systematic approach to cultural heritage for rural areas. Rural landscapes need further study in terms of methodology, operation and internationally recognised documents: protection and promotion, knowledge, methodology and management at international, national and local levels. The goals of the WRLI were: a principles text containing theoretical, methodological and operational criteria; a website; a glossary; an atlas of rural landscapes; and a general bibliography. The first goal has been achieved: Principles Concerning Rural Landscapes as Heritage was adopted as a doctrinal text by ICOMOS (2017). This paper presents the main cultural premises and contents of the Principles text: (I) the theoretical concepts of the 'Rural Landscape' and 'Rural Landscape as Heritage'; and (II) 'Action criteria' which guide the development of policies for rural landscapes as heritage and resources: knowledge, protection, sustainable management, communication and transmission of physical places and associated heritage values. This paper covers: the importance of time in policy strategy; the (false) contradiction of conservation and innovation and the concept of 'appropriate' transformation; the role of stakeholders; value recognition; knowledge; information; communication and public reception.
This introduction addresses some of the topics currently debated in landscape affairs. In the fi rst chapter I opt for a terminological defi nition of “environment” as the processual / scientifi c aspects of an area whereas “landscape” may be used in post-processual / phenomenological approaches, which is in accordance with the use of many studies in recent years. The term “nature” on the other hand is an analytical category to signify an area without human impact and therefore only existent as an imagined reality. Moreover, this idea of nature fulfils social demands as it stabilizes society by providing the imagined possibility of a counter-life. Archaeology, however, is not the only discipline to deal with landscape affairs. The term “landscape” is used by many disciplines providing a chance and threat alike to interdisciplinary cooperation. In practice the use of landscapes has to be negotiated between many social groups from academia as well as from other fields of society. This may result in different approaches to and interpretations of archaeological landscapes. In heritage management, alliances with tourism and environmental protection for example are in danger to subordinate archaeological / historical aims to values of other actors. In this respect, the European Landscape Convention provides a useful basis for further action as it offers an integrative and multifocal approach.