Memory of a Landscape – A Constituent of Regional Identity and Planning?

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.