Trends in European cultural landscape development: perspectives for a sustainable future

Europe has a long history of landscape use, ranging from prehistoric to pre sent times. Many old cultural landscapes have high qualities, but the manag ement regime they developed under is no more feasible economically. Modern society increasingly utilizes landscape in a great variety of ways and for many purposes. This poses a complex pressure on cultural landscapes, threat ening landscape qualities. Therefore planners and managers are facing the q uestion: how can a sustainable future for old cultural landscapes, based on sound economics and the commitment of all actors be achieved? After a comp rehensive overview of landscape use in the past, the various ways in which people have regarded their landscape and the ever changing attitude towards landscape use are reviewed. Modern agricultural practices, urbanization an d recreation all threaten the existence of valuable cultural landscapes, bu t simple solutions to conserve many of these landscapes are not at hand. Pe rspectives for a sustainable future for historic European cultural landscap es are based on the following observations: society's demand for multifunct ionality; the inclination of farmers to meet this demand if it is economica lly profitable; support from national and local authorities (and the public ) for ecologically sound management and finally, decentralization of landsc ape ruling and legislation, which favours regional solutions. Landscape eco logy, as a study of relations on the earth's surface can tackle planning an d management issues from numerous view points, each with its own focal poin ts. Scientists from all over Europe, convening in the Netherlands, set out new directions for landscape science. Priorities for the next century inclu de: integration between disciplines; matching of scales in rime and place w ith users, researchers and decision makers to enhance interaction and under standing. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.