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LANDSCAPES
How are perceptions changing?
“The specific quality of the landscape is an anchor for identity” The Council of Europe’s Landscape Convention defines landscape as “an area, as perceived by people”. Both human activity and the influence of nature feed into this perception. However, the way we view the landscape has changed over time, environment discussed this issue with Renate Amstutz, Director of the Swiss Union of Cities (SSV), and Raimund Rodewald, Head of the Swiss Foundation for Landscape Conservation (SL). Interview: Lucienne Rey
The Council of Europe Landscape Award 2018–19 went to the renaturation of the River Aire near Geneva (see also pp. 32ff). Why do you think the jury reached this decision? Raimund Rodewald: As far as landscape is concerned, this renaturation project represents a major step forward because it’s a rare example of collaboration between biology, nature conservation, architecture and spatial planning. These disciplines normally operate separately, but in this case they were all involved together. Also, the old configuration was recontextualised rather than simply eliminated, with the Aire’s former channel now serving as a walkway within the redesigned landscape. The result is a successful landscape transformation that exudes optimism. Renate Amstutz: In fact, the project is about going “forward to nature” and attests to a new respect for the natural world. This is different from the past when we sought to tame nature by confining rivers in narrow channels. Another significant feature of the project is that it accommodates a range of different needs – habitat diversity, flood protection and recreation. The cooperation across national borders is also forward-looking. We have plenty of positive words for describing landscapes – “charming”, “breathtaking”, “magi-
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cal” and “lovely”, for example – but relatively few negative terms. Most of the time we make do with “scarred”, “sprawling” or “eyesore”. Given the massive changes currently affecting the landscape, why does the positive lexicon predominate? Amstutz: “Landscape” is often taken to mean not landscape as a whole, but that part of it which hasn’t yet been changed. The commonly used terms express a kind of yearning and are bound up with what we feel needs to be conserved. And also, we generally prefer describing beautiful things! Rodewald: Public surveys based on landscape photos reveal widespread agreement on which landscapes are aesthetically pleasing, but when people are asked about “ugly” landscapes, the answers are not so forthcoming. The problem with linking “beauty” and “landscape” in this way is that it completely over-
“Designing high-quality settlements with distinct identities is challenging.” Renate Amstutz
