The critical divide: Landscape policy and its implementation

Forecasts made in planning policy are rarely achieved in the practicalities of local application, and the case for landscape conservation is no exception. The critical divide between landscape policy developed by upper-tier government agencies and the implementation of those conservation measures at a local level is a phenomenon common to many locations. A specific case of this divide was studied in Ontario, Canada over a span of time between the passing and defeat of one planning act and the introduction of another. Through a series of interviews conducted with both the creators and the future implementers of the landscape policy in those acts, central issues that contribute to conservation resistance were examined. This qualitative study compares the responses, identifies the differences, and in the end suggests strategies that may be useful to other jurisdictions to help foster a better land-use planning environment for landscape interpretation, use, and protection in the development process. The concept of landscape: Theory and application "Landscape" is an idea that has a long tradition in academic literature (Sauer, 1925; Hartshorne, 1939; Hoskins, 1969; Meinig, 1979; Cosgrove, 1984; Schama, 1995). Interest in the concept's utility for planning has grown in the last decade (Mitchell et al., 1993; Maines and Bridger, 1992; Watson and Labelle, 1997; Cardinall and Day, 1998; Rydin, 1998; McGinnis et al., 1999). It has been acknowledged that it can serve as a basis from which planners can integrate natural and cultural elements and issues – historically, two realms polarized from each other (Olwig, 1996).