A framework to enable new ways of landscape scale thinking and practice

This chapter unpacks the ‘landscape scale’ concept to consider its potential as an integrated framework for spatial planning and environmental management. Selman (2006) advanced the term ‘landscape scale planning’ building upon the multifaceted concept of landscape planning as influenced by, amongst others, Sylvia Crowe, Geoffrey Jellicoe, Frederick Gibberd and Nan Fairbrother. Here ‘landscape scale’ creates a pragmatic opportunity space to help deliver sustainability and related social, environmental and economic goals within complex political and policy contexts. The chapter starts with exploring (often implicit rather than explicit) definitions of landscape scale and how a partial understanding of landscape scale may constrain applications. We then scrutinise what landscape scale planning and delivery means in practice, drawing on literature, the authors’ past research and findings from a recent Applied Policy Delphi study. Consequently, we identify five dimensions – spatial, temporal, functional, institutional and emotional – and highlight different levels of complexity for each and how this affects place-making and place-keeping from the street/field-scale to regional scale spatial planning. We argue that landscape scale approaches are effective ways to help experts step outside their specific discipline and come together in a ‘holistic meeting place’ (Ahern & Cole, 2012) even though this is not without its challenges. To aid landscape scale governance, ten principles characterising a ‘landscape scale approach’ are presented and, with the five landscape scale dimensions, used collectively to evaluate two projects across the rural-urban spectrum. This appraisal reinforces why landscape scale is an important ‘lens’ for spatial planning policy and practice.