- Landscape Protection – The challenge for sustainable planning    click here to open paper content793 kb
by    Sas-Bojarska, Aleksandra | aleksandra.sas-bojarska@wp.pl   click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper
Short Outline
Landscape shall be understood as one of the key indicators of sustainability in planning. Therefore, proper assessment of the condition of the landscape and possible influence on it is the key challenge to contemporary planning.
Abstract
Sustainable spatial planning is seen commonly as referring to the specific elements of the environment: water, air, soil, built environment, fauna and flora, ecosystems and climate. But in many cases we forget that there is one more aspect, which brings together all these elements. It is the landscape, reflecting the state and condition of all elements of the environment and of the whole system. Thus, the state and character of the landscape is a real indicator of sustainable planning. That is why we should look for the tools to protect and enhance the landscape more effectively. In this matter spatial planning is not enough, as we can observe nowadays.
One of the tools enhancing the importance of landscape shaping and preservation within physical planning is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA), as a part. But LVIA is not used properly in many countries, including Poland. In opinion of many experts, landscape is the least important element of the environment, because is not countable. Moreover, there is no legal definition of landscape, which results in optional interpretations and creates many problems with assessing landscape impacts. Therefore there is a need to strengthen the LVIA within EIA.
The article will present some ideas of enhancing the role of LVIA in EIA and in general decision-making process. Some good examples from Poland, related to selected controversial activities for which LVIA has been successfully conducted, will be presented. They will present the potential of this tool and the possibilities of its application in practice of sustainable planning.
Keywords
Landscape Impact assesment, sustainable planning
Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2010: Sustainable City - Developing World
click here to open paper content  Click to open the full paper as pdf document
click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper  Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper