Defining Landscape Democracy

This stimulating book explores the intersection of landscape, democracy and spatial justice on an international scale to offer an overarching definition and examination of the emerging field of landscape democracy.The concept of landscape in academia, policy and practice is being met with growing interest and a wider understanding that it is a complex living environment, moulded by tangible and intangible mediums, processes and systems. This book examines how physical, mental, emotional, economic, social and cultural wellbeing depend in large part on inclusive planning and management of landscapes. Through a broad set of theoretical and conceptual frameworks and international case studies, the authors of Defining Landscape Democracy address critical questions, such as: Why is democracy relevant to landscape? How do we democratise landscape? How might we achieve landscape and spatial justice?This work will provide new knowledge and insights for researchers in the fields of landscape architecture, human geography, planning, public policy, sociology, landscape management, and designers and planners actively engaged in shaping democratic public spaces and communities.Contributors include: A. Aagaard Christensen, R. Alomar, P. Angelstam, F. Arler, M. Bose, A. Butler, B. Castiglioni, M. Clemetsen, S. Egoz, M. Elbakidze, V. Ferrario, C. Geisler, P. Horrigan, K. Jøgensen, M. Jones, N.T. King, U. Krippner, L.C. Knudtzon, J. Langhorst, L. Licka, E. López-Bahut, J. Makhzoumi, D. Mitchell, K.R. Olwig, E. Oureilidou, L. Paz Agras, J. Primdahl, D. Ruggeri, E. Schwab, B. Sirowy, L. Søderkvist Kristensen, K.B. Stokke, T. Waterman, B. Yigit Turan

'''Land belongs to someone but landscape belongs to everyone'' sums up for me the message at the heart of this important book. Politically the world is at a crossroads and landscape, be it through the European Landscape Convention or as urban space occupied by a new wave of activists, literally forms a stage for playing out conflicts. I believe that the book is needed right now as a starting point for a new approach to landscape for the twenty-first century.' --Simon Bell, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Estonia'This international collection of papers has its roots in multiple interpretations of democratic principles. All its authors share the view that people who are affected by design and planning decisions should be included in the process of making those decisions. In sum, the authors expand the traditional boundaries of landscape thinking in theory and practice to make this an invaluable contribution for all audiences.' --Henry Sanoff, North Carolina State University, US'The world we inhabit is increasingly created by developers unconcerned about justice, facilitated by governments fiddling while democracy smoulders. This anthology searches for ways to reverse this trend. The contributors pose questions seldom raised in the making of the city. By asking the right questions they provide uniquely hopeful alternatives that show how to bend the arc of the universe towards justice.' --Randolf T. Hester, University of California and Center for Ecological Democracy, US

Edited by Shelley Egoz, Karsten Jørgensen, School of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Landscape and Society, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway and Deni Ruggeri, Assistant Professor, Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, US