Diedrich Bruns

Landscape dynamics in Germany

Modern lifestyles, new demographic trends, and the expansion of the European Community are changing the European countryside. At stake are cultural landscapes, their richness in wildlife, historical interest, scenic beauty, and the recreational opportunities they provide. Visible phenomena of change are symptoms of a growing socio-economic and ecological disparity between different regions. Agreements on AGENDA 2000 European policy provide a new platform for regional and agricultural development. The paper explores which landscape dynamics are in store. Employing examples from rural Germany, the paper presents corridors of possible futures for unique, and at the same time, dynamic places. Modern strategies of landscape and urban planning are discussed which aim at closer co-operation between a multitude of stakeholders, policy makers, planners, and other agents of change. Methods and tools are needed to build consensus among ever increasing numbers of participants representing potentially wide ranges of values.

Strategies for Enhancing Landscape Architecture Research

Abstract Landscape architects have always felt that they benefit, in practice and education, from fundamental and applied research. The results of recent surveys among landscape architecture educators now make it possible to conduct a substantive discussion about the connections between research on the one hand and teaching and practice on the other. Such connections, it seems, are still weak. To develop these connections and be able to define landscape architecture as a discipline that relies on its own body of knowledge, it is important to build a common framework of theory and methods, and to start developing specific standards for academic quality assurance, such as the evaluation of research. Strategies to put these objectives into practice include organising conferences, colloquia and seminars on research and research methodologies, and developing network activities for academic exchange, including links with research communities outside landscape architecture.

City edges in Germany: quality growth and urban design

Copyright (c) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Forty years of explosive growth have dissolved the hard edge of old walled cities throughout Germany. Undefined suburban mess has consumed vast areas of land and degraded picturesque German landscapes. The new interest in strengthening local identities coincides with national priorities to enhance the cultural and natural heritage. Policies for quality growth at the citys edge evolve through a series of steps, including the communitys vision statements, comprehensive master planning, environmental prioritization of potential development sites, and land banking for mitigation of future impacts. The merits of high density urban form with strategically placed hard and soft edges include preservation of landscape with special environmental and scenic value; proximity of residential and recreational areas; convenient and car-free transit; and openness contrasts with urban density.

Kulturell diverse Landschaftswertschätzung und Visuelle Kommunikation

Der raumlichen Planung fallt unter anderem die Aufgabe zu, raumbedeutsame Meinungsbildungs- und Entscheidungsprozesse zu moderieren. Nach Prinzipien demokratischer Staatsfuhrung gehoren hierzu Partizipation und Inklusivitat. Inklusive Kommunikationsstrategien sind zu entwickeln, um allen gesellschaftlichen Gruppen einen diskriminierungsfreien Zugang zu Informationen und Informationsaustausch zu ermoglichen und kulturell diverse Bevolkerungsgruppen in Entscheidungsprozesse einzubinden. Hiermit kann gelingen, so die Annahme, auch kulturell spezifische asthetische Praferenzen in Meinungsbildung und Entscheidung einfliesen zu lassen. In der Praxis scheinen Meinungsunterschiede bezuglich Landschaftswandel und bei Landschaften verandernden Planungen oft asthetisch begrundet zu sein. Der Beitrag geht der Frage nach, inwiefern hierbei landschaftsasthetische Praferenzen und individuelle Wertschatzung in unterschiedlichen Kulturen erkennbar werden. Exemplarisch werden unterschiedliche landschaftliche Praferenzen anhand des ‚westlichen‘ und ‚ostlichen‘ Blicks dargestellt. Diese Gegenuberstellung zeigt, dass eine interkulturelle sprachliche Verstandigung uber Begriffe wie Landschaft, Landscape oder Paysage oft wenig zielfuhrend ist, da diese kulturspezifischen Deutungen unterliegen und sprachlich nicht deckungsgleich ubersetzt werden konnen. Aus diesem Grund werden einige visuelle Kommunikationsmethoden vorgestellt, mit deren Hilfe die Konzepte der raumlichen Planung eine allgemeinverstandliche Aufbereitung erfahren. Durch die Kommunikation uber und durch Bilder konnen auch neue Wege der Beteiligung beschritten und begriffliche Missverstandnisse umgangen werden. Weiterhin bieten diese Methoden die Moglichkeit, implizites Wissen von Nicht-Experten verfugbar zu machen, um dies in planerische Konzepte zu implementieren.

Research in Landscape Architecture Methods and Methodology

Defining a research question, describing why it needs to be answered and explaining how methods are selected and applied are challenging tasks for anyone embarking on academic research within the field of landscape architecture. Whether you are an early career researcher or a senior academic, it is essential to draw meaningful conclusions and robust answers to research questions. Research in Landscape Architecture provides guidance on the rationales needed for selecting methods and offers direction to help to frame and design academic research within the discipline. Over the last couple of decades the traditional orientation in landscape architecture as a field of professional practice has gradually been complemented by a growing focus on research. This book will help you to develop the connections between research, teaching and practice, to help you to build a common framework of theory and research methods. Bringing together contributions from landscape architects across the world, this book covers a broad range of research methodologies and examples to help you conduct research successfully. Also included is a study in which the editors discuss the most important priorities for the research within the discipline over the coming years. This book will provide a definitive path to developing research within landscape architecture.

Landscape Culture - Culturing Landscapes

(International) Concepts of Landscapes, Theory Basis.- Landscape Perception and Preferences in Multicultural Settings.- Inter-Acculturation in Multicultural Settings and in Territories in Transition.- Migrants and Non-Migrants Perception and Preferences.- A Condition of the Spirit: Mapping Landscape, Language and Culture.- Current Demands on Landscape Research by the Growing Importance of Hybridization.

Centre for Urban & Landscape Planning History (CUL), established at Kassel University, Germany

ABSTRACT The Centre for Urban & Landscape Planning History (CUL) at Kassel University has recently been founded as a networking platform aiming at international cooperation on planning history research. It comprises the disciplines of urban planning, open space planning, and landscape-planning history, with a first major comparative research project on the history of planning education in Europe.

Gesellschaftliche Transformation und die Entwicklung von Landschaft

Gesellschaftlicher Wandel manifestiert sich haufig in der Modifikation von Materialitat, wie sich beispielsweise an den baulichen Erzeugnissen verschiedener Stadtentwicklungsepochen zeigt. Werden materielle Strukturen zu Landschaft zusammengeschaut, geschieht das auf Grundlage gesellschaftlich vermittelter Sehkonventionen, wobei auch gesellschaftliche Deutungs- und Bewertungsmuster Anwendung finden und in laufender Anwendung aktualisiert werden; zum Beispiel verbinden sich schon mit der Bezeichnung „Grunderzeit“ nicht blos Formen der Blockrandbebauung, sondern ganze Abfolgen verschiedenster Nutzungsassoziationen wie etwa aus Zeiten aufstrebenden Burgertums oder – ganz anders – aus Hausbesetzerszenen oder Szenen der Schrumpfung.