Landscapes lost

Abstract

In practical life a landscape will function as a bridge between the factual and the normative. Landscapes are part of the identity and ‘memory‐bank’ of social groups, and can function as a tool for public sector management. Landscapes can be given a semiotic interpretation, from which flows the idea that several landscapes may cover the same area. It also follows that landscape change must be kept analytically separate from material change in an area. A national park regime is viewed as an attempt to preserve a small number of the landscapes within an area. A national park policy diverts attention from what is happening outside the parks, as has been the case in Norway. Landscapes outside are lost in the sense that due attention is not paid to the natural and social changes taking place. The national parks policy in Norway is heavily biased towards area protection in remote mountain regions. It is argued that one reason for this, is the definition of the ‘original’ Norwegian landscape found in the national‐romantic painting tradition in Norway that dates back about 100 years.