Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 8
Memory of a Landscape - A Constituent
of Regional Identity and Planning?
Martin Balej, Pavel Raška, Jirí Andel, and Alena Chvátalová
8.1 Landscape, Time and Man
In this chapter, we discuss Antrop's (2005) question: “Why are the landscapes of the
past important for the future?” The definition of landscape in the Convention is clear
and broad: “Landscape means an area, as perceived by people, whose character is
the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors” (Council of
Europe, 2000). In this total human ecosystem (Naveh, 2003), a number of aspects
of its constituent parts change with various spatiotemporal scales. Therefore, the
landscape is changing and the landscape is also evolving. Research on landscapes of
the past is important for future landscapes (sometimes referred to as “futurescapes”),
and particularly for their planning and management.
But what is the bearer of information about the landscape's past? What makes
a landscape in the eyes of its observer? On the basis of what information can we
define its identity? The concept of
genius loci
is closely associated with the identity
of each landscape and emphasizes its uniqueness (Antrop, 2000). A traditional land-
scape contains the comprehensive history of a place or region, which can still be read
from its composition and structure (Antrop, 1997). Special places and monuments
receive symbolic value and act as landmarks that allow orientation in space and time
(Coeterier, 2002). One can say that the coherence of particular landscape properties
defines identity. Changing the characteristics and coherence leads to a loss of iden-
tity or its change into a new one (cf. Soini, Palang, & Semm, 2006; Terkenli, 2006).
Each landscape is unique in its own way because of its unique and incomparable
composition and configuration and the character of the landscape elements that tell
its story.
On one hand, there is the landscape, with information; on the other hand, there is
the observer, who looks for, perceives and interprets this information. The observer
does not approach the landscape as an indifferent objective viewer but as an active
agent with subjective motives. Their interpretation of landscape information may
differ from other observers' interpretations. The legibility of the information also
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