How can we get to know and study our landscapes? Which landscapes are important for residents and which for visitors? How have the landscapes we see today evolved and what factors have contributed to this evolution? In their everyday lives citizens interact with landscapes, either by utilizing their benefits or by changing them.
At MedINA, we believe that both residents living in the landscape and people who benefit from it need to be actively engaged with its management. An important prerequisite for the active engagement of citizens is the prior identification and study of the landscape. To this end we have assessed existing public participation tools and their practical application to landscape management purposes in Greece, creating a specialized digital platform-toolkit. We organized this information in two thematic categories: 1) How to record landscape values and 2) How to record landscape changes, in which we present the steps that interested individuals can follow though examples of projects and studies in Greece and around the world.
Additionally, we highlight pilot landscape studies took place in Prespa and Western Messinia, involving local communities in formulation of landscape management proposals for their areas.
This digital toolkit is addressed to both citizens and Civil Society Organisations as well as to researchers interested in participatory approaches in landscape management. In the near future, it will be enriched with additional tools and further pilot projects which are planned. We also hope that the toolkit will be useful for local and regional authorities wishing to engage citizens in the design of policies and measures that affect the landscape.
