Heritage Planning in Practice and the Role of Cultural Ecosystem Services

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of cultural ecosystem services in heritage planning by examining daily working processes at the municipal and county planning levels. The focus was on the cultural ecosystem service dimensions of cultural heritage, place identity, and aesthetic and existential values. Cultural ecosystem service dimensions are currently inadequately represented in research and application of the ecosystem service concept. Semistructured interviews were carried out with public officials with formal assignments directly related to heritage planning. The results show that cultural ecosystem services are indeed considered in the planning processes, even though the respondents did not actually use the ecosystem service approach. Despite institutional and methodological constraints, respondents were found to aim for a broad planning approach involving dimensions of the landscape such as historic time depth, human use of the landscape, place identity, landscape views, and a strong integration between culture and nature. Thus, the results indicate a potential for integration of cultural ecosystem service dimensions into the ecosystem service approach by utilizing existing knowledge and practices within heritage planning at the local and regional levels.

Planning, Designing, and Managing Green Roofs and Green Walls for Public Health – An Ecosystem Services Approach

“…Several studies in our dataset emphasized the positive effect that viewing green roofs can have on esthetic enjoyment and provision of restorative experiences (Williams et al, 2019), such as emotions, affect, and psychological well-being (e.g., Ghazalli et al, 2019;Wong et al, 2010;Lee et al, 2014;Loder, 2014). Installation of green roofs and green walls at the planning stage could also contribute to local esthetic improvement (Liberalesso et al, 2020), and in the long-term leads to intensification of cultural ecosystem services and increased level of identity and sense of place (Eliasson et al, 2018).…”

Exploring the Integration Between Colour Theory and Biodiversity Values in the Design of Living Walls

“…An intensification of cultural ecosystem services in green infrastructure installations could also lead to an increase in identity and senses of place (Eliasson et al, 2018). And while more aesthetically pleasing green infrastructure installations could foster more social cohesion and community, they are also not without some significant challenges.…”

Remote Sensing Data to Support Integrated Decision Making in Cultural and Natural Heritage Management. Impasses and opportunities for collaboration in agricultural areas

“…Agricultural land management is tied to food security, carbon sequestration and biodiversity, which merit and draw considerable attention when planning how a given area should be managed. Advocacy for consideration of the value of natural and cultural heritage in agricultural land management planning has been effective in making the case that, together with addressing these very real issues, it is important to plan how this land's heritage will be stewarded for the future and how landscape heritage will improve understanding andin the current UK discoursewellbeing and sense of place (Braat and de Groot 2012;Hølleland et al 2017;Eliasson et al 2018;Karimi et al 2020;Santos et al 2021;Csurgó and Smith 2021). New legislation in the UK (Agriculture Act 2020 and Environment Act 2021) and the reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in Europe (European Union 2021) ask farmers, agricultural land managers, and regional bodies to address a range of aims, considering the cross-scale impacts of their actions, and balancing production with increased emphasis on environmental sustainability and the climate crisis (Heyl et al 2021;Dempsey 2021;Dessart et al 2021;Hasler et al 2022), while safeguarding natural and cultural heritage and enhancing life in rural communities (Cusworth and Dodsworth 2021;Holmes et al 2022).…”