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M. Pütz and R. Brassel
from different disciplines and scientific communities as well as various fields of experience. This is especially true for the lack of links between soil and spatial planning
experts, which typify the divide between natural sciences and social sciences.
9.5.2 Opportunities for Knowledge Exchange
Switzerland is a rather small country, with 8.3 million inhabitants. It is composed of
26 small cantons, within which are about 2,500 municipalities. Switzerland’s federal
structure and multilevel governance system, plus its four linguistic regions, result
in a variety of ways to deal with spatial planning, land use and soil management.
Correspondingly, a variety of different options exist to experiment and find distinct
solutions. In light of both the smallness as well as the large number of entities, we
identified five opportunities for knowledge exchange, summarised in Table 9.2.
Of course, the large number of small entities could potentially lead to either fragmentation or integration, and could thus be interpreted as either a barrier or an opportunity. According to the interviews, however, the advantages of the Swiss system
and its practices outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, we frame these factors as
opportunities. The interviewees particularly noted the different linguistic areas and
the necessity to coordinate across administrative levels and sectors as a challenge,
but also as an opportunity. The German, the French and the Italian-speaking part
of Switzerland have all taken the majority of their cues from concepts originating
from the neighbouring countries with whom they share the same language, planning
culture and ways of thinking.
9.6 Discussion
9.6.1 Types of Knowledge Exchange
Our typology of knowledge exchange shows that in Swiss spatial planning, land use
and soil management actors exchange knowledge in six different ways. These six
types do not always perfectly correspond to the concepts in the existing scholarly
literature. The next few paragraphs highlight how our six types confirm or add to the
debate.
Type 1, “knowledge transfer”, describes one-way knowledge transfer processes.
In the subtypes, we distinguished between knowledge transfer coming from either
a demand or a supply perspective. This implies that knowledge is a thing that one
actor has and another actor wants or lacks, and that can easily be conveyed from a
holder to a receiver. This type clearly corresponds with Fazey et al. (2013: 20) who
conceptualised knowledge transfer as a linear, one-way process, where knowledge
is delivered and received, and is understood to be portable.
M. Pütz and R. Brassel
from different disciplines and scientific communities as well as various fields of experience. This is especially true for the lack of links between soil and spatial planning
experts, which typify the divide between natural sciences and social sciences.
9.5.2 Opportunities for Knowledge Exchange
Switzerland is a rather small country, with 8.3 million inhabitants. It is composed of
26 small cantons, within which are about 2,500 municipalities. Switzerland’s federal
structure and multilevel governance system, plus its four linguistic regions, result
in a variety of ways to deal with spatial planning, land use and soil management.
Correspondingly, a variety of different options exist to experiment and find distinct
solutions. In light of both the smallness as well as the large number of entities, we
identified five opportunities for knowledge exchange, summarised in Table 9.2.
Of course, the large number of small entities could potentially lead to either fragmentation or integration, and could thus be interpreted as either a barrier or an opportunity. According to the interviews, however, the advantages of the Swiss system
and its practices outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, we frame these factors as
opportunities. The interviewees particularly noted the different linguistic areas and
the necessity to coordinate across administrative levels and sectors as a challenge,
but also as an opportunity. The German, the French and the Italian-speaking part
of Switzerland have all taken the majority of their cues from concepts originating
from the neighbouring countries with whom they share the same language, planning
culture and ways of thinking.
9.6 Discussion
9.6.1 Types of Knowledge Exchange
Our typology of knowledge exchange shows that in Swiss spatial planning, land use
and soil management actors exchange knowledge in six different ways. These six
types do not always perfectly correspond to the concepts in the existing scholarly
literature. The next few paragraphs highlight how our six types confirm or add to the
debate.
Type 1, “knowledge transfer”, describes one-way knowledge transfer processes.
In the subtypes, we distinguished between knowledge transfer coming from either
a demand or a supply perspective. This implies that knowledge is a thing that one
actor has and another actor wants or lacks, and that can easily be conveyed from a
holder to a receiver. This type clearly corresponds with Fazey et al. (2013: 20) who
conceptualised knowledge transfer as a linear, one-way process, where knowledge
is delivered and received, and is understood to be portable.