Exploring Public Recognition and Perceived Cultural Value of the Special Qualities within English Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Isabelle King,John Martin

doi:10.3390/su132112178

Abstract

As both the concept of ‘landscape’ and ‘beauty’ have very perceptual definitions, they must be assessed by large groups to be appropriately addressed. Therefore, amid a review of AONB designation, cultural perceptions of what is valuable within these designated areas is of paramount importance. Ecosystem services have gained traction as a way to assign social value to the non-physical benefits landscape can provide. AONB landscapes have a list of ‘special qualities’ (SQs) which are the features and characteristics of this area that warrant its protection. This study looks at the extent to which SQs reflect public values. Multiple methods including photo elicitation, participatory mapping, in-person surveys and social media data analysis have been used. The study suggests that when presented with the same landscape there is huge diversity as to what should be considered ‘special’. There is a general preference of landscape heterogeneity, therefore no one SQ could be more important than any of the others if considered in isolation. SQs that have a tangible link to the cultural ecosystem services they provide, were most appreciated. All methods used had their own benefits and flaws, hence future research should use a combination of methods to address perception issues.

Highlights

A key goal of the UK’s Defra’s 25-year plan is to ‘conserve and enhance the beauty of landscapes’ [1] by reviewing the effectiveness of AONB designation
Compared to the PGIS results and Instagram uploads in A&SAONB, suggests that there is a possible lack of awareness in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (SDAONB) users to what the special qualities (SQs) features are and why they are important
The SQs assigned to both A&SAONB and SDAONB were all identified as being valued by different respondents to the methodologies used to assess them so public perception can be considered to align to some degree with what AONB partnerships consider valuable

Summary

Introduction

A key goal of the UK’s Defra’s 25-year plan is to ‘conserve and enhance the beauty of landscapes’ [1] by reviewing the effectiveness of AONB designation. Social opinions are crucial for driving conservation and policy, and this study looks at the cultural understanding of the factors that warrant AONB designation; their special qualities (SQs). Broken-down themes of this definition include physical form, perception and human/natural process interaction (practices) and perceptions (human relationships) [3]. Perception is the variability in how individuals respond to their senses based on contextual factors including past experiences, their understanding and interpretation and other cultural factors [5,6,7]. This drives how individuals can differently assign value to the same subject [6]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion