4
T. Weith et al.
It therefore appears necessary to broaden the understanding of the system that
influences land use by elucidating the interrelationships between different land use
sectors, integrating diverse knowledge bases, and intermediating between stakeholders’ various action patterns (Ison et al. 2013). Besides the need for a better
understanding of land use systems, there is also a need for concrete future action.
We argue that this requires new governance approaches that integrate different
knowledge types and perspectives, and that develop new socio-technical solutions in
a continuous process to narrow the persistent gaps and contribute to more sustainable
land use.
The concept of sustainable land management (SLM) is being increasingly
discussed against this backdrop. “Land management” refers primarily to the
procedural dimension of land use and land development for coordinating spatial,
sectoral and temporal aspects in multi-level governance processes (see Engelke and
Vancutsem 2010: 70). Central aspects include the integration of multi-stakeholder
perspectives by linking ecological, socio-economic and political aspects as well as
intertemporal dimensions (Hurni 2000; Schwilch et al. 2012). Management includes
reconfigurations of the set of instruments as well as “technological, political and
legal measures and activities” (Haber et al. 2010, 378–379). Land management takes
into account interactions among different land use types and land-related sectors,
explicitly incorporating rural and urban demands as well as economic, social and
ecosystem functions of land. It is suggested as a framework to provide systemoriented solutions for dealing with land use conflicts (Repp and Weith 2015). In
this regard, land management is strongly linked to debates on environmental and
landscape governance (EEA 2017).
Understanding and managing land resources on a landscape level calls for
systemic knowledge of the diverse actor groups that influence land use, and a coherent
approach towards possible sustainable futures and adequate measures. This cannot be
provided by science alone because normative aspects play a decisive role. It is therefore crucial for sustainable land management to integrate and utilise different perspectives and knowledge types from academia and practice. To that effect, we advocate
a conception of SLM that refers to ongoing debates on new “modes” of knowledge
production, reflecting the demand of real-world problem orientation, actor orientation and implementation (Zscheischler and Rogga 2015). In this context, co-design
processes can be considered as a central instrument of SLM with different applications and purposes: starting at the co-design of just and acceptable processes, through
the co-production of knowledge to the co-design of socially robust orientations and
solutions (Moser 2016; Mauser et al. 2013).
Based on the challenges, state and drivers of land use trends in Europe described
above, the central question is how to produce and handle new knowledge about land
management to create innovative and actionable solutions towards sustainability. One
special focus of this book is therefore co-design- processes and the co-production of
knowledge to foster new modes of land use governance.
The book is organised following the “co-design and co-creation” concept as
proposed by Mauser et al. (2013) as part of the sustainability discourse. It deals with
T. Weith et al.
It therefore appears necessary to broaden the understanding of the system that
influences land use by elucidating the interrelationships between different land use
sectors, integrating diverse knowledge bases, and intermediating between stakeholders’ various action patterns (Ison et al. 2013). Besides the need for a better
understanding of land use systems, there is also a need for concrete future action.
We argue that this requires new governance approaches that integrate different
knowledge types and perspectives, and that develop new socio-technical solutions in
a continuous process to narrow the persistent gaps and contribute to more sustainable
land use.
The concept of sustainable land management (SLM) is being increasingly
discussed against this backdrop. “Land management” refers primarily to the
procedural dimension of land use and land development for coordinating spatial,
sectoral and temporal aspects in multi-level governance processes (see Engelke and
Vancutsem 2010: 70). Central aspects include the integration of multi-stakeholder
perspectives by linking ecological, socio-economic and political aspects as well as
intertemporal dimensions (Hurni 2000; Schwilch et al. 2012). Management includes
reconfigurations of the set of instruments as well as “technological, political and
legal measures and activities” (Haber et al. 2010, 378–379). Land management takes
into account interactions among different land use types and land-related sectors,
explicitly incorporating rural and urban demands as well as economic, social and
ecosystem functions of land. It is suggested as a framework to provide systemoriented solutions for dealing with land use conflicts (Repp and Weith 2015). In
this regard, land management is strongly linked to debates on environmental and
landscape governance (EEA 2017).
Understanding and managing land resources on a landscape level calls for
systemic knowledge of the diverse actor groups that influence land use, and a coherent
approach towards possible sustainable futures and adequate measures. This cannot be
provided by science alone because normative aspects play a decisive role. It is therefore crucial for sustainable land management to integrate and utilise different perspectives and knowledge types from academia and practice. To that effect, we advocate
a conception of SLM that refers to ongoing debates on new “modes” of knowledge
production, reflecting the demand of real-world problem orientation, actor orientation and implementation (Zscheischler and Rogga 2015). In this context, co-design
processes can be considered as a central instrument of SLM with different applications and purposes: starting at the co-design of just and acceptable processes, through
the co-production of knowledge to the co-design of socially robust orientations and
solutions (Moser 2016; Mauser et al. 2013).
Based on the challenges, state and drivers of land use trends in Europe described
above, the central question is how to produce and handle new knowledge about land
management to create innovative and actionable solutions towards sustainability. One
special focus of this book is therefore co-design- processes and the co-production of
knowledge to foster new modes of land use governance.
The book is organised following the “co-design and co-creation” concept as
proposed by Mauser et al. (2013) as part of the sustainability discourse. It deals with