Landscape scenarios: A study of influences on attitudes and actions in a rural landscape

Abstract

Landscape scenarios are a well-recognized and often applied tool in landscape and spatial planning. Their frequent use raises the question of how the use of the scenario influences the attitudes and actions of the individual stakeholders in the landscape.The study was performed in the area of two rural communities in western Slovenia and focused on two groups of stakeholders, farmers and decision-makers, because these groups have the ability to directly or indirectly impose landscape changes. The farmers were separated into a test and control group and participated in an experiment that included a scenario experience different for the test and control group and ended with a survey interview. Decision-makers participated in a two-round Delphi study, which also involved a scenario exercise.Overall, the results confirmed that landscape scenarios influence attitudes associated with the landscape. The impact on actions was only partially confirmed, as many external factors that might also influence future actions could not be excluded, such as personal characteristics, professional occupation or the characteristics of the farm. The study provides implications for further research, such as the magnitude of scenario impact and the interaction of scenario use with other factors which might affect the formation of and changes in attitudes and actions associated with landscape.