Western European Landscape Protection Western European Approaches to Landscape Protection: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Western Europeans, by virtue of living in relatively small and densely populated countries, have learned how to protect lands where there is little pristine nature or state ownership. The results are protected landscapes, where management goals include not just recreation and environmental protection but also cultural retention and a sustainable economy. This article reviews English-language literature on the designation of protected landscapes and their management goals, participatory techniques for working with local residents, regulatory and land use planning within the units, and limitations of the literature and applicability of protected landscapes in a North American context. Given the complexity of management and the importance of human-to-nature relations in these areas, planners have much to contribute to the study and implementation of protected landscapes.