Integrating sense of place in planning and management of multifunctional river landscapes: experiences from five European case studies

Abstract

River landscapes are complex social-ecological systems with many benefits for people. A common challenge is to integrate social values in river planning and management. In particular, there is a paucity of research on the meaning and significance of place in river recreation and how people feel emotionally and spiritually connected to river landscapes. Based on five European case studies, this study compares different methods and approaches for mapping sense of place in river landscapes and subsequently addresses the question of how these studies can inform participatory processes. The case studies are set in diverse geographical, institutional and policy contexts, including the planning and evaluation of river restoration projects in Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and Spain and the monitoring of the effects of newly constructed river dams in the Netherlands. This comparative study is a first step in understanding the breadth of analytical and spatial approaches that can be used to assess sense of place in river landscapes and their implications for resilient river landscape planning and management.

The inner dimension of sustainability transformation: how sense of place and values can support sustainable place-shaping

“…We acknowledge the growing body of literature that has raised the importance of the "inner dimension" for sustainability transformation (Horlings 2015b;Riedy 2016;O'Brien 2018;Ives et al 2019) and sense of place and place-based values (Masterson et al 2017a, b), in particular those that go beyond spatial ones (see, e.g. Verbrugge et al 2019). However, we hold that these bodies of studies are not yet well connected.…”

The Influence of Multi-Dimensional Cognition on the Formation of the Sense of Place in an Urban Riverfront Space

“…Kelly and Deborah [9] studied the level of specialisation among white-water recreationalists and their attachment to a popular white-water recreation river in the United States. Verbrugge [10] compared different methods for mapping the SOP in the riverine landscape and subsequently addressed how these studies provided information to the participatory process. However, these studies did not further explore the issue of cognitive dimensions.…”

Sense of place in social–ecological systems: from theory to empirics

“…Lastly, Verbrugge et al (2019) provide a comparison of how sense of place tools have been employed across five western European cases of waterway restoration projects, to understand how these tools might support participatory planning and management of river landscapes as social-ecological systems. The authors describe the range of sense of place approaches employed and discuss the relative benefits of each one, depending on whether a project aims to inform planning or evaluate psycho-social effects of restorations.…”

“…Murphy et al (2019) demonstrate how local initiatives actively counteract this process by both promoting physical restoration and community awareness and appreciation of the lakes. Similarly, Verbrugge et al (2019) synthesizing insights from multiple cases of environmental restoration, observe that ecological rejuvenation is often accompanied by improved infrastructure for residents and tourists to visit. Such human-driven SES dynamics can, therefore, strengthen place attachment in multiple ways: both by improving the quality of the place, facilitating access, and through dissemination of information about project outcomes.…”