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Sustainability
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Sustainable Rural Landscape: Study, Planning, and Design
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Sustainable Rural Landscape: Study, Planning, and Design

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2022) | Viewed by 14184

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marco Devecchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences, DISAFA, Ornamental Crops and Landscape Design, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
Interests: historic and contemporary parks and gardens; agricultural landscape; green urban design; ornamental plants; postharvest cut flowers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Silvana Nicola

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, DISAFA, Horticulture and Landscape, University of Turin, UNITO, Largo Paolo Braccini, 2 (TO), Grugliasco, 10095 Torino, Italy
Interests: horticultural sciences; advanced production systems; protected cultivations; urban horticulture; postharvest of fresh produce
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Federica Larcher

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences, DISAFA, Ornamental Crops and Landscape Design, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
Interests: landscape and urban horticulture; urban greening; parks and gardens
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rural landscapes are characterised by dynamic and continuous changes. They are the result of continuous land reorganization to adapt their use and spatial structure to the changing of economic and social demands. Rural landscapes are considered as mosaics of land types, providing ecosystem services and developing opportunities for the multiple needs of different stakeholders. In Europe, since the 1950s, the different rural systems have been evolving in two opposite directions: intensification and monoculture versus marginalization and abandonment. Moreover, in the European Union (EU), since 1990, several rural landscapes have been in transition, losing their primary agricultural functions, traditional crops, and historical land uses. The European Commission's Agri-Environmental Measures seek to maintain sustainable farming systems, to sustain traditional landscapes, and to promote rural development. In Europe, many historical rural landscapes have been subjected to transformations following land abandonment or crop conversion caused by processes of polarisation towards more urbanised areas.

Protecting, sustaining, and valorising historical agricultural landscapes are considered priorities by the international community. In 2003, the FAO GIAHS project (Globally Important Ingenious Agricultural Heritage System) addressed the relationship between agricultural heritage systems and their landscape and outlined the need to safeguard them over time. Furthermore, up to 2016, 17 historical agricultural sites have been included in the World Heritage List as ‘cultural heritage’ by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO, 2016). These sites are mainly recognized for their distinctive agricultural systems and historical features, such as cultivation practices, land uses, and production or traditional cultivation techniques. In this context, multidisciplinary studies should be applied, and specific actions, policies, measures, and management plans should be developed. The identification of landscape planning policies, strategies, and actions for historical rural areas is a priority.

Reviews, methodological and case-study papers are welcome in order to discuss the multifunctional role of rural landscapes in providing food, biodiversity, pollination, climate change mitigation, water management, air quality, education, and well-being. Guidelines for the planning and design of rural landscapes will be considered.

Prof. Dr. Marco Devecchi
Prof. Dr. Silvana Nicola
Dr. Federica Larcher
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • landscape study, analysis, planning, and design
  • integrated policies and plans
  • city and the countryside
  • production and socio-economic processes
  • methodological and technological challenges
  • landscape identity
  • landscape values
  • regional development policies and programs
  • socioeconomic and environmental processes
  • territorial development
  • social, environmental, and economic sustainability
  • landscape protection and enhancement
  • interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches
  • integrated plans and programs
  • participatory processes
  • decision making

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 10792 KiB  
Article
Conservation and Management of Agricultural Landscapes through Expert-Supported Participatory Processes: The “Declarations of Public Interest” in an Italian Province
by Fabrizio Aimar, Francesca Cavagnino and Marco Devecchi
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8843; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148843 - 19 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1923
Abstract
The adoption of the European Landscape Convention by the member states of the Council of Europe emphasized the importance of raising awareness of, promoting and educating local communities in, and fostering the activism of all European citizens in the process of transforming the [...] Read more.
The adoption of the European Landscape Convention by the member states of the Council of Europe emphasized the importance of raising awareness of, promoting and educating local communities in, and fostering the activism of all European citizens in the process of transforming the European landscape. The work carried out by the Landscape Observatory for Montferrat and Astigiano was to raise awareness in local communities regarding landscape protection processes that those communities could steer, as required by the Code of the Cultural and Landscape Heritage of the Italian State (2004). Consequently, for the first time, a participatory model was established in the province of Asti and the Piedmont region in Italy to support the community-driven requests for a special protection decree for some targeted areas. In this paper, the process and novel multisource methodology used for the two pilot cases are reported, where the landscape values to be protected were identified through local community involvement. Supported by the Landscape Observatory and experts, the broad participation allowed their recognition of Public Interest. These recognitions are relevant because they rely on a shared perspective of populations for the self-management of their landscapes. They represent an operational model for other local communities in the Council of Europe countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Rural Landscape: Study, Planning, and Design)
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27 pages, 9760 KiB  
Article
Coevolution between Terraced Landscapes and Rural Communities: An Integrated Approach Using Expert-Based Assessment and Evaluation of Winegrowers’ Perceptions (Northwest Piedmont, Italy)
by Enrico Pomatto, Marco Devecchi and Federica Larcher
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8624; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148624 - 14 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2017
Abstract
Terraced landscapes are characterized by many features but are also threatened by abandonment, with the loss of the historical landscape and increased hydrogeological risk. In this research, we developed an innovative integrated approach using expert-based assessment and evaluation of winegrowers’ perceptions to investigate [...] Read more.
Terraced landscapes are characterized by many features but are also threatened by abandonment, with the loss of the historical landscape and increased hydrogeological risk. In this research, we developed an innovative integrated approach using expert-based assessment and evaluation of winegrowers’ perceptions to investigate the coevolution between terraced landscapes and rural communities. The aims were as follows: (i) to identify the historical landscape elements, (ii) to identify the landscape dynamics, and (iii) to analyze winegrowers’ perceptions about the historical landscape elements and future development prospects. The methodology was applied to a terraced vineyard landscape (545 ha) located in Piedmont (Italy). The expert-based assessment included historical analyses and field surveys. To evaluate winegrowers’ perceptions, an online questionnaire was used to understand their perceptions about the landscape’s historical elements and dynamics. The results suggest that unique historical landscape elements and traditional practices (vine pergolas supported by stone columns) are conserved in the area, but also highlight some dynamics, including new vine-breeding techniques (espaliers) and new land uses (olive groves, meadows, and woodland). Winegrowers (n = 49) recognized as identity elements the same identified as historical by experts. Regarding future prospects, almost all winegrowers preferred the conservation of vineyards and pergolas. The research methodology was able to show the mutual link between terraced landscapes and rural communities in coevolutionary terms and could be replicated in similar contexts. According to the winegrowers’ awareness, future planning strategies will have to support dynamic conservation of the landscape. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Rural Landscape: Study, Planning, and Design)
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26 pages, 8954 KiB  
Article
Alterations of Historic Rural Landscape Based on the Multifunctional Approach: The Case of Coastal Fishing Villages in the Yangtze River Basin
by Yueying Chen and Wenbin Wei
Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7451; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127451 - 18 Jun 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2346
Abstract
The historic landscape is an important component of a village, and the alteration of villages is a necessary process of development. To analyze characteristics of historic rural landscape alterations and the reasons behind them, this study utilized a landscape multifunctional approach and a [...] Read more.
The historic landscape is an important component of a village, and the alteration of villages is a necessary process of development. To analyze characteristics of historic rural landscape alterations and the reasons behind them, this study utilized a landscape multifunctional approach and a comprehensive methodology comprising space syntax and field investigations. This study divides the historic rural landscape into two types, ecology-led and production-led patterns, which validate the relationship among ecology, social properties, and cultural connotation in space, offering a new perspective on the alteration of historic rural landscapes. Our findings indicate the interaction among ecology, production, and lives, both diachronically and synchronically, and suggest that it is possible to maintain ecological harmony, functional transformation, and the inheritance of cultural connotation through improving historic rural landscapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Rural Landscape: Study, Planning, and Design)
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15 pages, 1585 KiB  
Article
Management and Mapping Ecosystem Services in a Privately Owned Natura 2000 Site: An Insight into the Stellantis–La Mandria Site (Italy)
by Luca Battisti, Federica Larcher, Stefania Grella, Nunzio Di Bartolo and Marco Devecchi
Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 3134; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14053134 - 7 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3493
Abstract
The Natura 2000 network is an ecological network covering the whole territory of the European Union to ensure the long-term maintenance of threatened or rare natural habitats and species of flora and fauna, including in metropolitan and rural areas. Some of the Natura [...] Read more.
The Natura 2000 network is an ecological network covering the whole territory of the European Union to ensure the long-term maintenance of threatened or rare natural habitats and species of flora and fauna, including in metropolitan and rural areas. Some of the Natura 2000 sites have been subject to changes in ownership that have led to a fragmentation of the territory. Private entities may own areas within a Natura 2000 site and must ensure sustainable management of their property, especially from an ecological point of view. The case study is the Stellantis–La Mandria site, a private area owned by Stellantis, within the Natura 2000 site “ZSC IT1110079 La Mandria”, near Turin. The research proposes a participatory methodology, mainly addressed in this first phase to experts and professionals and aimed at the valorisation and management of private Natura 2000 sites previously considered as industrial sites, to allow a careful fruition and safeguarding of the natural heritage. The aim of the research is to provide a methodological approach and the first qualitative results useful to providing the owners with an indication for a more targeted management of the site; mapping the areas that provide ecosystem services (ES, especially cultural ones); mapping the areas that could be subject to future fruition; collaborating with the managing body to collect useful data for the future drafting of a new area plan. Two main research activities were carried out, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis concerning the management and possible future fruition of the site and a participatory mapping of ES. It should be emphasised that the research allowed the first results to be obtained, which, on the one hand, make it possible to validate the methodology used to achieve the objectives and, on the other hand, the results will have to be implemented over time by involving numerous stakeholders among those who can access the private area. The results of the research highlight opportunities and threats with regard to the conservation of ecological–environmental characteristics and future fruition of the site. The participatory mapping identifies areas with different ecological value and, therefore, different management needs and identifies areas that could be used differently for future fruition. Overall, the results aim to meet some of the European Commission’s wishes regarding Natura 2000 sites, with particular reference to the involvement of different stakeholders and experts for the conservation of biodiversity and the integration of ecological and social aspects into the management and fruition plans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Rural Landscape: Study, Planning, and Design)
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17 pages, 5293 KiB  
Article
Rural Landscape Changes in the Piedmont Region (Italy). A Method for the Interpretation of Possible Effects of CAP
by Enrico Gottero
Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13062; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313062 - 25 Nov 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2034
Abstract
As a result of various regulatory reforms, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has gradually achieved value and environmental awareness. However, the most recent studies carried out in the fields of environmental assessment and spatial planning seem to indicate that agricultural policies have not [...] Read more.
As a result of various regulatory reforms, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has gradually achieved value and environmental awareness. However, the most recent studies carried out in the fields of environmental assessment and spatial planning seem to indicate that agricultural policies have not been very effective in achieving landscape aims. Understanding how the CAP affects the landscape can help us to improve its effectiveness and foster a more efficient territorial and targeted approach. This paper aims to show a replicable method for evaluating rural landscape changes and understanding the possible role of CAP as one of the main driving forces. The analysis was conducted in the Piedmont Region (Italy) at the supra-local and local scales by observing land use changes and landscape changes. The main results show that the CAP seems quite effective in maintaining the territorial presence on rural landscapes and in preventing the spread of forests. However, it seems less effective in limiting urban and peri-urban sprawl. The research also shows that in areas with high CAP support, factors that produce negative effects on landscape have increased. In conclusion, the author shows a possible way for the CAP to achieve the landscape purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Rural Landscape: Study, Planning, and Design)
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