Landscape as a system. A useful concept from the Besançon school of geography

Samuel Robert

UMR ESPACE, CNRS / Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis (FR)

When dealing with landscape, one should know that this word covers a wide range of meanings. Scientists, local authorities, managers and planners, as well as citizens may all use "landscape" with their own understanding. This often leads to conceptual divergences that prevent to run integrated policies, which are yet strongly recommended since year 2000 with the signature of the European Landscape Convention in Florence, Italy.

At the end of the seventies and the beginning of the eighties, geographers from Besançon (East of France) engaged for years in landscape studies, proposed a global approach in order to show that in spite of all its existing senses, landscape can be defined as a unique concept. Their work relies on the general theory of systems and results in the "poly-système paysage", a global understanding of landscape based on the interaction of three sub-systems : production of landscape, visibility of landscape and use of landscape.

The purpose of this presentation is to show how useful this approach is still today. It is indeed appropriate to understand and run integrated landscape management policies. It is also helpful to prepare conceptual modelling prior to data modelling when GI solutions are planned. As regards coastal areas, thinking landscape as a system complies a lot with the principles of Integrated Coastal Area Management.