The Concept of Landscape and Sustainability

Those acquainted with the philosophy of Paul Ricoeur, whether they are Ricoeur enthusiasts or just polite readers, will readily acknowledge the remarkable scope of his thought. True as this may be, Ricoeur never directed his powers of philosophical reflection toward the natural environment. The reasons for this are easy enough understand. Environmental philosophy as a distinct branch of philosophy has scarcely appeared on the scene for more than a generation. ' Over that period of time Ricoeur was obviously busy with otiier questions that ran through his thought nearly all of his Ufe. Who knows, had Ricoeur miraculously overcome the strictures of mortaUty for another forty or fifty years, he may very well have had something say philosophically about the environment. That is all, of course, speculative. Nonetheless, philosophy is a logical place for an expanding hermeneutics2 turn. If the claim of the universality of that aU experience is methated through language3 is so, then experience also calls for hermeneutics. Language is related the ontological condition of beingin-the-world and we bring experience language;4 thus we can infer that the encounter with environments - natural, cultural and so on - is Ukewise expressed (or understood) in language, making them a meaningful locus of interpretation. What I propose in this essay is that Paul Ricoeur's provides a model for various forms of discourse and, in particular, the growing field of philosophy. I am not so ambitious claim do so in any comprehensive manner here. The vast scope of Ricoeur's work alone is prohibitive of any such attempt in a single essay. What I will do is provide some examples illustrate me claim that Ricoeur's work can be employed in me service of philosophy. And while this specific application of his work does not seem have been in Ricoeur's mind, I will rely on one of Ricoeur's fundamental hermeneutical principles of the distanciation of the writer and the reader by the text. Namely, interpretation is not ultimately about deciphering the intentions of the author; to interpret is explicate the type of being-in-die-world unfolded in front of the text.5 The importance of Ricoeur's philosophy for philosophy I will take be one such possibility that may unfold in front of his work. With that in mind, I will first give a brief description of philosophy. Then I will consider in relation philosophy Ricoeur's hermeneutics of the self, his treatment of distanciation and belonging in terms of Gadamer's hermeneutics, and finally the possible role of a critical in discourse. From Environmental Philosophy Environmental Hermeneutics Environmental philosophy, I think, is still trying find its feet. It has its origin in the growing awareness of me consequences of devastation. The concern for the effects of human activity on the environment led some philosophers ask what philosophy might contribute the discussion.6 Environmental philosophy, then, was really an ethics first. And in the mind of some, philosophy isn't philosophy at all but at best perhaps an appUed philosophical ethics. Philosophical reflection on the environment, however, did not remain merely in the realm of ethics but has expanded include environmental aesthetics, ontology, theology, the philosophy of science, political philosophy, philosophy of technology, ecofeminism, and other areas.7 Phenomenologists who have turned toward questions have begun speak of eco-phenomenology and going back the earth itself as a way of giving phenomenological descriptions of experience.8 If all of this, why not, then, an eco-hermeneutics? Going further still, I would speak more broadly of an that includes not only ecology or nature, but built environments, social and cultural environments, and any sort of environs of which we may speak. …

Urban living style is associated with various negative impacts on human health, e.g. connected with the environmental problems. Thus, promoting health of urban population is nowadays one of the most challenging issues of the 21st century together with the growing needs for sustainable development and establishment of the biophilic or livable cities. It is increasing awareness among researchers and health practitioners of the potential benefits to the health from activities in natural settings and especially from regular contact with nature, which can be perceived as a preventive medical tool. This paper discusses the close relationship between the concepts of health-supporting landscapes and sustainability in modern cities based on literature review and case studies from EU, Russian and Australian projects. We first review the historical and modern paradigms (of the various disciplines) which determine the discourse in nature – human health and well-being research. This includes examination of Hippocrates «naturalistic history», Humboldt’s concept of natural garden design; Oertel ‘s ‘Terrain Kur’; «salutogenic approach» of Antonovsky; McHarg’s Design with Nature; Ecopolis programme, Wilson’s biophilia and some other approaches. Then there is a comparative analysis of structural similarities and differences in the past and current scientific schools devoted to understanding human – landscape interaction. One of the principal arguments is that nature also has another value for health, regardless of natural remedies. It includes, for example, the healing of space, outdoor training trails in parks, everyday use of urban green spaces and peri-urban recreation areas for sport and exercises. We provide an analysis of some examples based on the modern concepts of biophilic cities, therapeutic landscapes, healing gardens, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions. This article also discusses the main types of healing gardens and therapeutic landscapes and suggests the framework of design principles of healing and therapeutic landscapes. The analysis proved that healing gardens and therapeutic landscapes provide multiple benefits and can be regarded as nature-based solutions. These essential aspects of multifunctionality, multiculturality and social inclusion are well intertwined with the approach of biophilia.

Purpose– This paper aims to propose an effective response by business organizations to the impact of global challenges and sustainable development (SD). It also presents an overview model of organizational performance employing such an approach.Design/methodology/approach– This paper is a conceptual work based upon a review of theories, research findings and reports gathered from relevant literature. The review yielded the following research framework: many countries are facing global challenges; these global challenges are affecting business organizations as external factors; SD is a concept employed to address these challenges; SD can be applied in business organizations through corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate governance (CG) and sustainability policy and practices; and embedding CSR, CG and sustainability concepts at a strategic level is an effective response to global challenges.Findings– Global challenges are impacting on business organizations and will continue to do so into the future. CSR, CG and sustainability concepts are increasingly being adopted by leading business organizations throughout the world. Embedding CSR, CG and sustainability concepts at a strategic level can sustain long-term organizational performance, as they help businesses face global challenges in a positive manner and maintain their position in societies on good terms with all stakeholders.Research limitations/implications– Different cultural or socio-economic environments may limit the interpretation and application of the findings or propositions in this research.Practical implications– How CSR, CG and sustainability concepts can be holistically implemented in business practices.Social implications– The role of business in lessening the effect of global challenges and supporting SD is illustrated in the proposed model.Originality/value– This paper demonstrates connections among the following critical influences on organizational performance: global challenges; SD; and CSR, CG and sustainability.

Two of the most important political movements of the late twentieth century are those of environmentalism and feminism. In this book, Val Plumwood argues that feminist theory has an important opportunity to make a major contribution to the debates in political ecology and environmental philosophy. Feminism and the Mastery of Nature explains the relation between ecofeminism, or ecological feminism, and other feminist theories including radical green theories such as deep ecology. Val Plumwood provides a philosophically informed account of the relation of women and nature, and shows how relating male domination to the domination of nature is important and yet remains a dilemma for women.

Two of the most important political movements of the late twentieth century are those of environmentalism and feminism. In this book, Val Plumwood argues that feminist theory has an important opportunity to make a major contribution to the debates in political ecology and environmental philosophy. Feminism and the Mastery of Nature explains the relation between ecofeminism, or ecological feminism, and other feminist theories including radical green theories such as deep ecology. Val Plumwood provides a philosophically informed account of the relation of women and nature, and shows how relating male domination to the domination of nature is important and yet remains a dilemma for women.

This article puts into dialogue the concept of cultural landscape originating in Anglophone human geography with the notion of territorio coming from Latin American critical human geography. Through a case study of mangrove restoration in the Colombian Caribbean, we examine how climate change politics and policies affect unequal contexts, reshaping environmental, social, and spatial relations. We argue for the need to analyze current climate change geographies and underscore the necessity of a conceptual dialogue between different academic traditions to address these complexities. By bringing together cultural landscape and territorio, we show that climate change is a historical and spatial process influenced by power dynamics, different actors, and historical contexts. By integrating both concepts, the article uncovers the mechanisms behind still-contested geographies. This dialogue aims to contribute to and enrich ongoing debates in human geography and political ecology by incorporating diverse perspectives, demonstrating how these concepts illuminate the material forms of culture, labor, and power relations, thereby providing a nuanced view of human–environment interactions amid climate change.

The purpose of this paper is to view sustainability practice from the perspective of cultural landscape by looking at Masjid Kampung Kling, Malacca. The selected mosque is a traditional building gazetted under National Antiquity Act (2005) and is located within the area of UNESCO World Heritage Site. A qualitative case study was used in uncovering the practice of sustainability. The cultural landscape approach has guided the study by questioning the meanings embedded within the traditional mosque’s features thus providing a new angle of viewing the landscape as a social expression of symbols, icons, and metaphors. Concepts of sustainability and cultural landscape were reviewed for acquiring the sense of connection with each other. As for evidence, data was collected from several series of observation and interviews. Masjid Kampung Kling can be seen as a sub-cosmic from an enormous multi-culture of Malacca. Findings from the study suggested that the mosque has the portrayal of practical sustainability practice by both the contextual mean and testimonial proof. The sustainability practice can be viewed from three significance values of cultural landscape of the mosque namely (1) history (2) architecture and (3) archaeology. Current management should recognise Masjid Kampung Kling and other traditional mosques in general, for having the potential to present sustainability from cultural landscape perspective. Though Masjid Kampung Kling is already known as tourist attraction, concept improvement in the context of tourism will definitely add more values especially for academic and learning purpose.KeywordsSustainabilityCultural landscapeCase studyMasjid kampung Kling

Sustainable landscapes: contradiction, fiction or utopia?

Teesid: Käesolev artikkel tutvustab teatrietenduse psühholoogilist vastuvõtumudelit, mis kombineerib psühholoogilisi protsesse kultuuriteooriatega. Mudeli eesmärk on selgitada, millistel psühholoogilistel alustel me etendust vastu võtame ning analüüsime. Mudeli ja seal käsitletud protsesside illustreerimiseks on kasutatud näiteid eesti teatrite lavastustest, mis on rohkem või vähem seotud vaimse tervise ja heaoluga. Kokkuvõtteks toob artikkel esile, kuidas teatrietenduse vaatamine aktiveerib psühholoogilisi protsesse, mis võivad aidata suurendada vaimset heaolu. Mental health is a topic that is impossible to overlook in today’s world. Many of us have experienced mental health issues either personally or indirectly. While psychology and psychiatry are the primary fields that study this subject, culture – and particularly theatre – can also play a significant role. Culture is often said to be something that nourishes the soul: even the word psychology derives from the Greek word psyche, meaning soul. Nevertheless, psychology and culture have seemingly grown apart, and are rarely examined together. In this study, I seek to bridge these two disciplines and analyse culture, specifically theatre and its reception, from a psychological perspective. This article introduces a psychological reception model for theatre performances and explains how theatre can influence mental well-being. By combining psychological phenomena such as cognitive processes, changes in belief and attitude, and cognitive dissonance with cultural theories such as the horizon of expectations and identification, I propose a framework that illustrates how these processes are activated during a performance and how they shape the audience’s experience. These psychological mechanisms and cultural theories are integrated into a psychological reception model for theatre, which explains what happens to the audience on a psychological level during a performance. While this model is partially based on previous theories, it offers an innovative synthesis that provides new perspectives on the psychological effect of theatre. Additionally, my analysis draws on my background in psychology, both from academic studies and from practical work as a psychologist and therapist. The research is based on examples from Estonian theatre productions that are directly or indirectly related to mental well-being. First, I analyse Kui sa tuled, too mul lilli (“If You Come, Bring Me Flowers”, Ugala Theatre, directed by Liis Aedmaa and Laura Kalle, 2021), which explores domestic violence. I then turn to Musträstas (“The Blackbird”, Nuutrum and Oliivipuu OÜ, directed by Johan Elm, 2022), which deals with the topic of paedophilia. In both cases, my focus is on how these performances are received through the lens of a psychological reception model, how they help illuminate the psychological impact of theatre, and in what ways they may shape audiences’ attitudes and beliefs toward the issues portrayed. My study is guided by two main research questions: first, on what psychological foundations does theatre reception take place, and second, what impact does a theatrical performance have on the audience? These two questions are closely connected because the psychological mechanisms of reception directly shape how theatre affects the viewer, for example, what emotional and cognitive processes are activated and how do they, in turn, influence attitude and belief change. I argue that because human cognition is engaged in any activity involving perception or thought, it is impossible to discuss theatre reception without considering psychological processes. Watching a performance activates thought processes and emotions, as well as deeper mechanisms such as attitude and belief systems that shape the interpretation of what unfolds on stage. At the same time, cultural context influences receptivity, as individuals are shaped by the cultural environment in which they have grown up and the informational landscape that surrounds them. Furthermore, I argue that theatre has the power to influence the audience’s knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. During a performance, the viewer enters a new informational field where they are exposed to novel perspectives that can reinforce existing attitudes or, conversely, create cognitive dissonance, a situation in which previously held mental frameworks require revision. This can lead to modifications in attitudes and perceptions, which, in turn, can affect everyday life and personal decision-making. When addressing health issues, we often turn to practical solutions such as bandages or medication. Similarly, we could view theatre as a practical tool that can support our mental well-being. Theatre is not merely Entertainment, it is an experience that allows us to make sense of our lives and generate new perspectives. Since new perspectives are crucial when dealing with mental health challenges, theatre could serve as an important resource alongside therapy and antidepressants.

The concept of sustainability has long been a concern, while we face several environmental and sociocultural issues on the way of economic growth and development. However, the concept of sustainability has occurred in the tourism agenda regarding the negative impacts of mass tourism. It is well known that sustainability refers to the continuation of tourism activities and benefits of destinations whatever the scale and type of tourism. On the other hand, the aspects of sustainability match with the concept of alternative tourism, which is opposite to mass tourism by means of supply and demand. If the natural, historical, and cultural environment cannot be protected, there can be no expectations for sustainability in destination areas. From this manifest, we discuss what we understand from the sustainability of alternative tourism in the case of Turkey. Alternative tourism is also considered as a new tool for reducing regional disparities and increasing local development of relatively less-developed regions in Turkey. Therefore, in this paper, we focus on the role of alternative tourism for small historical villages due to the cultural and environmental sustainability and local involvement. In the case of Bursa (Cumalikizik), how an historical village has become an alternative tourism destination and what the experiences are in terms of challenges on sustainability are the main questions. We propose an integrated approach through the combination of culture, nature, and rural tourism for the sustainability of Cumalikizik.

The article is devoted to the study of the formation of the cultural and landscape environment of Moscow. The cultural landscape is considered as a result of the co-creation of nature and man, which is especially pronounced in urbanized space. This can be traced in historical and cultural contexts on the example of the territory located in the valley of the Ramenka River. The relevance of the study is due to the insufficient study of this territory, which became part of Moscow only in the middle of the twentieth century and the importance of scientific understanding of modern architectural and landscape transformations. The work is based on literary, archival, cartographic sources, data from their own local history observations. The work uses historical and cartographic research methods, as well as methods of local history observations, system-structural analysis. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the systematization and generalization of multiple diverse information characterizing the history of the formation of the cultural landscape of one of the districts of Moscow; in identifying the factors that determined the peculiarities of the formation and change in time of these landscapes, in assessing the impact of modern architectural and urban planning approaches on the environmental situation. The main conclusions of the study: despite the centuries-old efforts of people to dominate the "nature-society-man" system, with the development of ecological culture, the priority of natural values in the formation of urban landscapes increases; the natural heritage of Moscow is an integral element of its cultural heritage; the construction of modern residential complexes near natural heritage sites, paradoxically, contributes to the improvement of environmental situation, creative improvement of the visual environment.

Pearl River Delta: Scales, Times, Domains

Pearl River Delta: Scales, Times, Domains

AjiChay is one of the most important rivers in the Urmia catchment area, which collects relatively large regional waters from the East Azerbaijan province and sends them to Lake Urmia. In recent years, in order to revive Lake Urmia, parts of the river have been rehabilitated and reorganized to transfer water to the main body of Lake Urmia. In this research, the effects of environmental damage on the improvement of the AjiChay River in physical, biological, social, economic and cultural environments were studied and evaluated using two methods of organizing and non-organizing of Pastakia matrix and weighted checklist (scaled). The study of the construction and operation of the project based on the results of the method of Pastakia showed that the positive effects of the project are 61% and its negative effects are 31.7%, and 7.3% of the works are not effective. The results of the checklist method also showed that the failure to implement the Aji Chai River Arrangement Plan would result in 13 positive effects versus 29 negative ones. Positive effects are limited to natural and physical environments and biological environments, but negative effects will occur in addition to those environments in the economic and social environments. In general, the results of both methods show that the most positive effects of this plan are related to socio-economic aspects. Ultimately, the environmental impact assessment shows that the Ajichay scheme has succeeded in achieving its primary goals.

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the role of plants in the formation of urban landscapes. With the conviction that ‘Nature’, or better plant elements, participate substantially in the shape of urban landscapes and social identities, a new reading of the contemporary Greek landscape is proposed, seeking the tools of this reading in the Palm tree. Palms, in their majority, are considered as tropical trees, in the sense that they originate from tropical and subtropical regions. However, today Palms are found all around the world, which proves that they are great travellers. The perpetual journey of plants has deeply reformed alimentary and agricultural practices all over the world. The introduction of new plants in the new ecosystems, changes their evolution, their inflorescence. At the same time, a new balance is to be found on a social level as well. Transplantation of plants in different cultural environments changes their content, their social role and they are called upon to play a new role there. Since antiquity, Palms have been returning to the Greek territory, either as a seed, a fruit, a tree or a myth. The presence of the Palm tree seems to characterize the Greek landscape, especially since its re-introduction during the era of Palingenesis, the era when the new Modern Greek State was established. Palms have been introduced into the Greek landscape several times, each time in a different way, under different cultural and socio-economic conditions. It seems that the Palm tree in Greece can abolish, renew or enrich its conceptual content and manages to be an active element in the contemporary landscape. In some cases, it dominates the city, becoming not only part of the cityscape, but also part of its social identity and history.