Dr. Werner Nohl · landscape architect · honorary professor (Technical University of Munich)

Landscape planning always considered landscape as a health resource. Now neighboring sciences (environmental sciences, medicine, hygiene, sociology, psychology) discover this field. And that`s alright. We need alliance partners, for landscape is used more and more as porter of technical large-scale infrastructure (traffic lines, power lines, wind farms, antennas etc.) How does this development get along with the health aspect?

The paper "Does the factor `health` fall by the wayside with regard to landscape?" deals with this conflict area. It was given on the symposium "Landscape and Health" of the Landschaftsverband Rheinland at the Thomas-Morus-Academy in Bensberg (published in: Landschaftsverband Rheinland (ed.), "Landschaft und Gesundheit", Beiträge zur Landesentwicklung, Vol. 62, 74-87. Köln 2010).

download

This paper is part of the book ´Stadt und Landschaft´ (City and Landscape), edited by H.-D. Collinet and F. Pesch. It was published in early 2009 in the Klartext Verlag, Essen. All contributions of the book are dealing with the functional and visual change of landscape in the contemporary urban development. The book is subdivided into three chapters: ´Transformation der Landschaft´ (transformation of landscape), ´Stadt und Freiraum´ (city and open spaces) and ´Stadt und Region´ (city and region). - The following text tries to show that with regard to conflicts between aesthetics and recreation in periurban landscapes successful problem solving strategies have to draw on various well-founded modi of landscape aesthetic experience, which in turn may be explained by the manifold differentiation of the contemporary landscape.

download

Landscape sceneries belong to the finite resources and as such they are precious goods. Therefore the German laws of nature conservation prescribe to avoid, to reduce and to compensate damages of landscape sceneries, if necessary. These regulations affect wind turbines and wind farms, too. To figure out the necessary landscape compensation various evaluation models have been worked out, over the years. My own procedures for determining the amount of compensation in case of the erection of high-rise constructions like wind turbines, antennas and pylons in the landscape (Nohl, 1993) are employed in many Federal States, today.

In this paper, given on the symposium "Evaluating landscape sceneries, adequately" at the University of Duisburg-Essen in November 2007, I have a critical look at my own approaches, especially with regard to the landscape aesthetic destructive potential of modern wind turbines. Suggestions of improvement are made, too.

download

further information

In the face of the present covering of huge landscape areas in Germany with wind turbines this contribution published in March 2010 in the journal "Schönere Heimat" of the Bavarian Association for the protection of home tries to find an answer to the question, what role the aesthetic-legal context plays in which the erection of wind turbines is embedded. Responding to that question the nature protection law and the building law are critically discussed. On the other hand the many landscape aesthetic damages of wind turbines are described in detail, in order to demonstrate that qualified landscape aesthetic concepts can be used to overcome the empty phrases and vague terms in the law as well as the often doubtful practice of authorities and courts.

download

Recently, a massive turn-over of grassland into fields has been observed in the Federal Republic of Germany. The reason is the cultivation of plants for energy generation, particlarly of maize (corn). Biogas plants are no longer operated with dung, liquid manure, sludge, and plant material which stems from the everyday cultivation. However, to lay out fields for energy crops in flood lands or other non-arable areas points to the abandonment of "best practices" in agriculture, and will entail tremendous consequences on landscape scenery. The following article is based on a paper lecured in the International Academy for Nature Protection on the Island of Vilm (nr. Ruegen). It discusses the importance of grassland for the aesthetic experience of landscape and elaborates the role of grassland-rich landscapes for nature oriented recreation and tourism in Germany.

download

In response to the ubiquitous, overwhelming alterations of the landscape, predominately produced by intensified agriculture and forestry, the aesthetic forms of experiencing landscape have changed, too. In the past the “beautiful” was the basic mode, by which landescape was aesthetically perceived and experienced. However, the beautiful has lost this monopoly, meantime. – This paper is based on a lecture given on a conference of the research institute ‘Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon’ in Zurich/Switzerland. It discusses new modes of landscape aesthetic experience like the “interesting” (typical of periurban landscapes), the “plain” (typical of intensively used landscapes) and the “fascinating” (typical of wild and/or sponntaneous landscapes), comparing them among themselves and with the “beautiful” (typical of traditional cultural landscapes). It appears that under present landscape conditions the new aesthetic modes often do not (yet) lead to optimal aesthetic experiences; but there are indications, too, that the chances for more sustainable – and that means – for aesthetically more attractive landscapes will grow in proportion to the emotional acceptance of the new modes of gaining landscape aesthetic experiences.

download

further information

Cemeteries in Germany aren’t self-evident places, any longer. In their continued orientation to the big central cemeteries, as they were often founded in late 19th century, they cannot meet the changing cultural and societal demands which people voice today regarding cemeteries as funeral and mourning places. Searching for marks of a new contemporary cemetery culture the following paper “Cornerstones of a cemetery culture for the Second Modern Age”, which is based on a lecture in the working group “Cemetery Cologne”, leans on characteristics in present human mourning behavior. The paper was published in the internet by AETERNITAS, consumer organization for interment culture, Königswinter/Germany and can be downloaded there (see below: << further information; next: Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten finden; next: Bausteine für eine Friedhofskultur für die zweite Moderne) or directly here (see below: << download).

download

further information

Regional identity is based on participatory dealings with physical, social or cultural peculiarities of a region, by which people may enable themselves to identify with that region. There is no doubt that language, history, cultural goods, typical agrarian and industrial products amongst many other things belong to these peculiarities. But almost always regional identity is sparked off by the landscape, too. Without the aesthetic pleasure aroused by the special character of the landscape the feeling of regional identity will scarcely occur. But landscapes are different, therefore the following paper which was given on the congress of landscape conservation in Bergisch Gladbach nr. Cologne in 2011, and which will be published in “Beiträge zur Landschaftsentwicklung” of the Landschaftsverband Rheinland, tries to find out, what emotional-aesthetical identification processes will be evoked in traditional cultural landscapes, in intensified agrarian landscapes and other modern landscape types, and how these landscape types may aesthetically contribute to the development of regional identity.

download