8
T. Weith et al.
The first chapter in this part explains additional values of transdisciplinary
approaches for solving land use problems against the backdrop of urgent complex
real-world challenges and changed societal demands on knowledge. In Transdisciplinarity in land use sciences, Zscheischler states that transdisciplinarity is no longer
just about the production of new scientific insights, but also about the solutionoriented goal and action knowledge that support sustainable development and land
management. However, the extent to which these projects have succeeded has increasingly been critically questioned in recent years. The chapter introduces the development of the concept on transdisciplinary research (TDR), describes the current
criticism of TDR and presents a critical assessment based on empirical findings from
research practice. The results reveal several unsolved implementation challenges
that can be traced back to a misfit with academic structures and a lack of empirical
knowledge.
For decades, fostering innovations was seen as a key approach for problem solving,
also in sustainable development. Socio-technological change and transformations
should lead to more sustainable land use practices. However, new perspectives on
innovation emerge when addressing long-term societal goals, the variety of actor
groups involved, multi-level governance and a lack of usual commercialisation potentials. Sustainability innovations frequently contradict social practices, regulations
and existing infrastructure, and focus on social innovation processes. Since there is
little understanding of how transformation and socio-technological change can be
effectively governed and supported in the specific field of sustainable land use and
management, the chapter contributes specifically to this knowledge gap. In Innovations for sustainable land management, Zscheischler and Rogga refer to nine projects
that address that specific issue. The authors identify different types and degrees of
innovations, approaches to manage innovation processes, and the leverage points of
these solutions in the governance system of sustainable land management. The results
stress the need for reflexive processes of social learning and cognitive reframing
by embedding experimental innovation management approaches such as real-world
laboratories into larger transdisciplinary and participatory processes.
One of the key aspects in change and innovation processes is quite often underestimated or misunderstood: how to transmit knowledge from one actor to another. In
the article on Knowledge exchange at science-policy inter-faces in spatial planning,
land use and soil management, Pütz and Brassel investigate this topic in detail in the
context of land use change. Based on literature review and expert interviews, they
identify six types of knowledge exchange and examine barriers and opportunities for
knowledge exchange. This offers a better understanding of processes, and provides
suggestions for knowledge exchange activities. However, this will be a challenging
task for the future, due to actors’ different expectations and experiences of how
knowledge is to be exchanged.
Knowledge-driven change and innovation processes will be supported by new
integrative methodological approaches. Maaß addresses this in her chapter entitled
Serious games in sustainable land management by the using the method of experimental games. She presents an integrated approach that combines a serious game
with a land use and transport model for analysing the effects of high prices for fossil
T. Weith et al.
The first chapter in this part explains additional values of transdisciplinary
approaches for solving land use problems against the backdrop of urgent complex
real-world challenges and changed societal demands on knowledge. In Transdisciplinarity in land use sciences, Zscheischler states that transdisciplinarity is no longer
just about the production of new scientific insights, but also about the solutionoriented goal and action knowledge that support sustainable development and land
management. However, the extent to which these projects have succeeded has increasingly been critically questioned in recent years. The chapter introduces the development of the concept on transdisciplinary research (TDR), describes the current
criticism of TDR and presents a critical assessment based on empirical findings from
research practice. The results reveal several unsolved implementation challenges
that can be traced back to a misfit with academic structures and a lack of empirical
knowledge.
For decades, fostering innovations was seen as a key approach for problem solving,
also in sustainable development. Socio-technological change and transformations
should lead to more sustainable land use practices. However, new perspectives on
innovation emerge when addressing long-term societal goals, the variety of actor
groups involved, multi-level governance and a lack of usual commercialisation potentials. Sustainability innovations frequently contradict social practices, regulations
and existing infrastructure, and focus on social innovation processes. Since there is
little understanding of how transformation and socio-technological change can be
effectively governed and supported in the specific field of sustainable land use and
management, the chapter contributes specifically to this knowledge gap. In Innovations for sustainable land management, Zscheischler and Rogga refer to nine projects
that address that specific issue. The authors identify different types and degrees of
innovations, approaches to manage innovation processes, and the leverage points of
these solutions in the governance system of sustainable land management. The results
stress the need for reflexive processes of social learning and cognitive reframing
by embedding experimental innovation management approaches such as real-world
laboratories into larger transdisciplinary and participatory processes.
One of the key aspects in change and innovation processes is quite often underestimated or misunderstood: how to transmit knowledge from one actor to another. In
the article on Knowledge exchange at science-policy inter-faces in spatial planning,
land use and soil management, Pütz and Brassel investigate this topic in detail in the
context of land use change. Based on literature review and expert interviews, they
identify six types of knowledge exchange and examine barriers and opportunities for
knowledge exchange. This offers a better understanding of processes, and provides
suggestions for knowledge exchange activities. However, this will be a challenging
task for the future, due to actors’ different expectations and experiences of how
knowledge is to be exchanged.
Knowledge-driven change and innovation processes will be supported by new
integrative methodological approaches. Maaß addresses this in her chapter entitled
Serious games in sustainable land management by the using the method of experimental games. She presents an integrated approach that combines a serious game
with a land use and transport model for analysing the effects of high prices for fossil