The vision of GEOLAND is to establish a learning path for the Higher Education students and their professors so that they are able to apply their geospatial analysis knowledge in in decision-making for landscape management, planning and protection of NATURA 2000 sites across Europe. GEOLAND provides the opportunity to students, citizens and stakeholders to become interested in the definition and implementation of landscape policies and to play an active part in setting sustainability indicators of desirable landscape quality objectives (Landscape Quality Objectives/LQO). This is a case study of landscape policy in Spain

1. GEOLAND
A learning path
for HE students and professors
Case Study - Spain

2. Implementing the Landscape Convention
• National Plan for Cultural Landscapes
• Cultural landscape is the result of the interaction between
people and natural environment
• Landscape unites spatial social, temporal, perceptive dimensions
• Safeguarding landscapes of cultural interest by identification,
characterisation, documentation, research, protection,
improvement, revitalization
• Created in cooperation with the Autonomous Communities
https://www.culturaydeporte.gob.es/planes-nacionales/dam/jcr:da397288-43a3-4ba4-ad32-
7e279d29c953/folleto-leer-plan-paisaje.pdf

3. Implementing the Landscape Convention
9 lines of action established
inventory/Record of landscapes of cultural interest
creating Catalogues
characterisation studies of cultural landscapes.
research projects
training actions
dissemination
development of master plans
intervention projects.
promotion of cultural tourism

4. National level Planning for the future
• proposes reforms of national planning systems
• Purpose is to streamline and modernise the planning process
(Karimi and Adams, 2019)
• Aim to bring a design focus and increased sustainability
• Contributions to infrastructure and enable more land to be
made available for development where needed
Karimi, A. and Adams, V.M., 2019. Planning for the future: Combining spatially-explicit public
preferences with tenure policies to support land-use planning. Land use policy, 82, pp.497-508.

5. National level Planning for the future
• Part of governmental Strategy for Spain 2050.
• Landscape mentioned in relation to climate change and water
retention (transformation of ecosystems), variation in
production of goods in agriculture and food industry,
contributing in carbon neutrality, protection of biodiversity
and regeneration and vertebration of the landscape.
• Agriculture and forest zones should be managed for fire risk to
create a climate change resilient landscape.

6. Landscape Designation at national level
• Law 16/1985. Spanish Historical Heritage – historical landscape
• Land Law 8/2007 - principle of sustainable territorial and urban
development
• Law 42/2007, Natural Heritage and Biodiversity – landscape
based on ELC
• Law 45/2007, sustainable development of rural areas -
landscape as a resource to be protected
• Royal Decree 1/2008, Law on Environmental Impact Assessment

7. Organisations involved
• Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Ministry for the
Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge are
responsible
• Scientific and other organisations are involved, such as
International Association for Spatial Planning (FUNDICOT), the
Spanish Association of Landscapers, the Center for Landscape and
Territory Studies of Andalusia, the Higher Council for Scientific
Research (CESIC): Laboratory of Landscape Archeology and Remote
Sensing (LabTel)

8. How is participation organised?
• The “portal de la transparencia” has
different citizen participation projects
that allow feedback on proposals for
citizens
• Organised through Ministries
• The participatory process is defined
https://transparencia.gob.es/transparencia/en/trans
parencia_Home/index/ParticipacionCiudadana.html

9. How is participation organised?
• Projects are
mapped out for
different
Ministries – such
as Agriculture
Food and
Fisheries
https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/ministerio/s
ervicios/participacion-publica/default.aspx

10. Regional/local level case study: Aragon
• Aragon Territorial Planning
Strategy was approved on
December 2, 2014
• Aragon Territorial Planning Law
includes policies for active natural
environment and cultural heritage
protection with special attention
to landscape management

11. Regional/local level case study: Aragon
Aragon Territorial Planning Strategy (EOTA)
• Approved July 29 2014
• Purpose is to determine sustainable territorial planning and
development model of the entire Autonomous Community
• Identify the strategies to achieve it and
• Indicators to monitor the evolution of the territorial structure
Source: https://claveroabogados.com/eota-estrategia-de-ordenacion-territorial-de-aragon/

12. Regional/local level case study: Aragon
• Geographical Institute of Aragon tasked to coordinate the
elaboration and keep landscape maps updated
• Territorial reports deal with the coherence of the planning in the
regional planning policy of the Autonomous Community
• Sectoral plans with an impact on the territory must be submitted
by the various departments of the Administration of the
Autonomous Community
• Promoters must include an analysis of the effects of the planned
action on the use, exploitation and conservation of basic natural
resources, natural heritage and landscape

13. Regional/local level case study: Aragon
• Landscape Character Assessment is not
directly undertaken
• Significant projects must pass an
Environmental impact evaluation on
nature and landscape.
• This analyses the possible significant
effects of projects on the environment,
as well as the plans, programs that are
intended to be carried out in the
Autonomous Community of Aragon.

14. Regional/local level case study: Aragon
• The General Directorate for Citizen Participation, Foreign Action
and Cooperation and the General Directorate for Territorial
Planning were responsible
• Different agents involved, convening 97 representative entities
of different interests and fields
• At regional level a participation
process and portal has been
developed for Aragon Planning
• Called MIA https://mia.aragon.es/

15. Local landscape framework: Aragon
• There are no local Landscape designations.
• There are other frameworks, mostly related to the
Planning and Management of the Protected Natural
Areas, National parks or Natural parks
• There are also plans for natural resources, plans of
use and management, etc.

16. For more about GEOLAND
GEOLAND Web site
https://www.geolandproject.eu
GEOLAND on social media
https://www.facebook.com/GEOLANDthePROJECT