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European integration has consequences for environmental planning in the European Union. Recent evaluations of the European Commission show that implementation of environmental directives proves to be a challenging task for the responsible authorities. This paper discusses the relation between the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the Birds and Habitats Directives in The Netherlands. Studies from this member state show that legal and procedural aspects of planning and decision making gain the most attention and that environmental goals are fading into the background. We study the integration of the two directives from a policy and practice perspective and discuss the diffi culties that arise in the implementation process.

In landscape architecture, visual representations are the primary means of communication between stakeholders in design processes. Despite the reliance on visual representations, little critical research has been undertaken by landscape architects on how visual communication forms work or their socio-political implications. In this theoretical paper, we argue that such research is of great importance. We explain how concepts of visual and critical social theory such as visual semiotics, simulacra and simulation, and power/knowledge can be used to critically reflect on landscape architectural representations. We further propose to study these representations at different stages of meaning-making by using visual methodologies such as visual discourse analysis, iconographical content analysis and social semiotic analysis. We conclude that these research approaches have the potential to explain issues such as dominant power structures, miscommunication between participants, and visual path-dependencies during landscape design processes.

As a reaction to flooding events, various governments in Europe addressed the need to create more physical space for water. Experiences in the Netherlands have shown, however, that the development and implementation of these measures can result in local opposition. Based on an examination of such conflicts, it is argued that spatial planning should not only be regarded as an instrument for regulating the land required for flood reduction, but also as an important substantive perspective through which participation can be facilitated and through which water management objectives can be balanced with other spatial claims on the landscape.

Tourism and tourism development create major changes in the environment. To determine their impact on environmental sustainability, it is necessary to understand tourist behaviour. Time, space and context are important components in describing tourist time-space behaviour. Tourist time-space analysis requires specific data about a visitor's time spent, locations visited, routes chosen, information used, perception and motivation. To date, most researchers have analysed spatial tourism data with statistics. This approach requires data for each period and for each possible location in the region. The enormous amount of data and tables makes it difficult to see spatial relations. Geographical information systems are specifically designed to handle spatial relationships. Four types of relevant data can be distinguished: (1) tourist characteristics, (2) actual time-space behaviour, (3) landscape elements and tourist locations (accommodations, cities/villages, facilities, areas) and (4) images added to these locations. To analyse time-space behaviour, a method is proposed consisting of two steps: (1) obtain an overall insight into the use of the physical environment by tourists, and apply exploratory spatial data analysis techniques and dynamic cartography; and (2) construct and analyse tourist recreation complexes using network analysis techniques. Pattern analysis is undertaken with mapping and graphing techniques and accessibility studies for actual and potential approximations of the links and nodes in the network. The results of these analyses can be applied to achieve more sustainable planning.