Landscape Governance in the Age of Social Media (Second Edition)

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Planning and Landscape Architecture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 24 February 2025 | Viewed by 8244

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Architectural Composition, ETSAM Madrid School of Architecture, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: heritage management; cultural landscape; new media studies; cartography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: social-ecological systems; urban–rural gradients; land planning; simulation scenarios; landscape structure; global change; socioeconomic models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
Interests: history and theory of architecture; housing as revolutionary architecture; research methods in digital humanities

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

At the end of the 20th century, documents like the World Heritage Guidelines or the European Landscape Convention proposed new and challenging ways of conceptualizing landscape assessment and governance. Consequently, in the last two decades, numerous countries have reevaluated their national planning systems and landscape conservation policies.

During the same time, social media has grown into an extensive source of data with a certain influence on how we regard spaces. Currently, numerous researchers are advocating for the value of social media data in better comprehending ecosystem services’ provision, use, and intensity. Through social media, we may also better comprehend people's patterns of behavior, or how they perceive their landscapes.

The relationship between social media and our current understanding of landscapes and urbanscapes allows for pertinent questions: Is social media useful for administrations in recognizing and adapting to changes in land use, patterns of mobility, or landscape meaning? Is it bringing about a more democratic understanding of the landscape and its conservation? Does it serve local communities to express their feelings towards governance policies? Do any of these factors align with the concepts laid out by international organizations like the IUCN, UNESCO, or the European Council?

In this new Special Issue, we also wanted to extend the scope to the influence of the virtual in our daily lives. New digital technologies have been incorporated into social and cultural processes to such a degree that the divide between the physical and the virtual has largely diffused. This new reality profoundly affects contemporary conceptions of landscapes, both cultural and natural, with dramatic implications for urbanscapes and their constituent architectural elements.

We invite you to delve into the relationship between contemporary forms of landscape valuation and governance and current social media. Possible lines of research include the current connections of social media with the following topics:

  • The impact of social media and the virtual in general in the places we inhabit;
  • User-Generated Content (UGC) or online surveys and the social perception of space;
  • Big data, social media, and spatial research: implications of the meshing of qualitative and quantitative research methods;
  • New methods for urban management and professional practices;
  • Participatory scenarios and land planning based on online technologies;
  • Digital twins, deep mapping, and the virtual datafication of physical spaces: their uses and impact;
  • Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and governance decentralization;
  • Multi-scale processes and social–ecological resilience;
  • Spatio-temporal patterns for the maintenance of the living landscape;
  • Sustainable governance and rural landscape stewardship;
  • Inclusive and participatory land governance: a cross-country comparison.

Dr. Nicolas Marine
Dr. Cecilia Arnaiz Schmitz
Dr. Yael Allweil
Guest Editors

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 12988 KiB  
Article
Digital Walking Tours as a Tool for Assessing Place Attachment and Community Responses to Regional Environmental Change
by Frances Simmons, Benjamin D. Hennig and Matthias Kokorsch
Land 2024, 13(8), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081326 - 21 Aug 2024
Viewed by 871
Abstract
Understanding a community’s place attachment is vital for effective land-use planning and disaster risk management that aligns with local needs and priorities. This study examines the methodologies employed to grasp these values, emphasising the significance of meaningful participatory approaches. It sheds light on [...] Read more.
Understanding a community’s place attachment is vital for effective land-use planning and disaster risk management that aligns with local needs and priorities. This study examines the methodologies employed to grasp these values, emphasising the significance of meaningful participatory approaches. It sheds light on the challenges encountered due to COVID-19 restrictions, which prevented direct face-to-face engagement with community members. To address this issue, researchers devised “digital walking tours” as an alternative to traditional walking transect methods, aiming to investigate the relationship between place attachment and perceptions of the landscape in Patreksfjörður, a small fishing community in the Westfjords, during the pandemic. The evaluation of this method demonstrated its suitability for conducting comprehensive and cost-effective community consultations. Participants expressed enjoyment and found the technology (online video calls and StreetView imagery) user-friendly and engaging. To further enhance the method, several recommendations are proposed, including the integration of virtual tours with in-person methods whenever feasible, incorporating additional sensory input, adopting a slower pace, and offering more opportunities for participants to divert to personally significant locations. Other contextual considerations encompass the use of participants’ native language and the facilitation of digital walking tours with pairs or small groups of participants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Governance in the Age of Social Media (Second Edition))
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32 pages, 2973 KiB  
Article
Social Media Users’ Visual and Emotional Preferences of Internet-Famous Sites in Urban Riverfront Public Spaces: A Case Study in Changsha, China
by Yuanyuan Huang and Bohong Zheng
Land 2024, 13(7), 930; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13070930 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1248
Abstract
With the increasing online exposure of urban public spaces, the new concept of “internet-famous sites” has emerged in China. Social media users are the main contributors to this new phenomenon. To fully understand social media users’ preferences in such kinds of public spaces, [...] Read more.
With the increasing online exposure of urban public spaces, the new concept of “internet-famous sites” has emerged in China. Social media users are the main contributors to this new phenomenon. To fully understand social media users’ preferences in such kinds of public spaces, this article took 27 typical riverfront internet-famous sites (RIFSs) in Changsha City (China) as an example. Through social media platform selection, keyword research, text and image data extraction, visual and emotional symbol coding, and manual calculations of coding frequency, this study investigated social media users’ perception of RIFSs, especially on visual and emotional preferences. The online images and review comments were extracted from the popular Chinese social media platform “Xiaohongshu”. We found that (1) the popularity of each RIFS had a significant head effect and there were far more positive emotions than neutral and negative emotions in review comments. (2) RIFSs in Changsha were divided into five categories: commercial RIFSs, art exhibition RIFSs, historical and cultural RIFSs, ecological recreational RIFSs, and uncultivated RIFSs. Social media users had different visual focuses on each kind of RIFS. (3) Social media users provided specific reasons for their emotional preferences towards different types of RIFSs. This study can provide a new perspective on improving waterfront vitality and offer a targeted and attractive method for waterfront regeneration that is different from traditional methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Governance in the Age of Social Media (Second Edition))
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32 pages, 1717 KiB  
Article
Integrating Virtual Walkthroughs for Subjective Urban Evaluations: A Case Study of Neighbourhoods in Sheffield, England
by Sneha Roychowdhury, Suvodeep Mazumdar, Dhavalkumar Thakker, Alessandro Checco, Vitaveska Lanfranchi and Barry Goodchild
Land 2024, 13(6), 831; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060831 - 11 Jun 2024
Viewed by 769
Abstract
This study explores the correlation between residents’ subjective assessments of urban neighbourhoods, obtained through virtual walkthroughs, and objective measures of deprivation. Our study was set within a specific city in the United Kingdom, with neighbourhoods selected based on Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). [...] Read more.
This study explores the correlation between residents’ subjective assessments of urban neighbourhoods, obtained through virtual walkthroughs, and objective measures of deprivation. Our study was set within a specific city in the United Kingdom, with neighbourhoods selected based on Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). We invited residents in the UK through Prolific, a crowdsourcing platform. Employing complete case analysis, TF-IDF keyword extraction, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman’s rank-order correlation, our study examines the alignment between subjective assessments and existing deprivation measures (IMD). The results reveal a nuanced relationship, suggesting potential subjective biases influencing residents’ perceptions. Despite these complexities, the study highlights the value of virtual walkthroughs in offering a holistic overview of neighbourhoods. While acknowledging the limitations posed by subjective biases, we argue that virtual walkthroughs provide insights into residents’ experiences that potentially complement traditional objective measures of deprivation. By capturing the intricacies of residents’ perceptions, virtual walkthroughs contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of neighbourhood deprivation. This research informs future endeavours to integrate subjective assessments with objective measures for robust neighbourhood evaluations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Governance in the Age of Social Media (Second Edition))
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21 pages, 42728 KiB  
Article
Digital Footprint as a Public Participatory Tool: Identifying and Assessing Industrial Heritage Landscape through User-Generated Content on Social Media
by Ji Li, Jinsheng Pan, Qixuan Dou, Fei Fu and Yaling Shi
Land 2024, 13(6), 743; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060743 - 26 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 917
Abstract
International heritage management approaches have developed into a more inclusive process wherein public participation is identified as a pivotal tool. Thus, determining how to assess public interests and include the public’s ideas in heritage protection has become a technical issue, but relevant research [...] Read more.
International heritage management approaches have developed into a more inclusive process wherein public participation is identified as a pivotal tool. Thus, determining how to assess public interests and include the public’s ideas in heritage protection has become a technical issue, but relevant research still remains limited. This paper aims to test the digital footprints of social media users as a public participatory tool, with the objectives of identifying industrial heritage landscape attributes and assessing associated values. Targeting the Sanxian industrial heritage landscape of Liangdancheng in China as a case study, in this research the data from user-generated content on social media platforms Ctrip, Weibo, and Meituan were collected and processed with ROST CM 6 and NVivo 12, and content analysis (CA) and importance-performance analysis (IPA) were conducted. Results revealed that the industrial heritage landscape of Liangdancheng encompasses various built, cultural, and natural environmental resources, including both tangible and intangible attributes such as architectural constructions, historic artifacts, cultural events, and plants. These attributes were assessed and categorized into four quadrants of importance–performance characteristics, wherein cultural environmental resources show relatively high performance but built environmental resources need further actions to improve their value perception and interpretation among the public. This research demonstrated that the digital footprints of social media users as a participatory tool can work well in terms of data accessibility, value identification, and public representation, advancing the theoretical framework of Chinese industrial heritage management and global practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Governance in the Age of Social Media (Second Edition))
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17 pages, 3783 KiB  
Article
The Landscape of Tranquility in Sweden: Lessons for Urban Design from Crowdsourced Data and Deep Learning
by Yijun Zeng, Brian Deal, Susan Ask and Tianchen Huang
Land 2024, 13(4), 501; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040501 - 12 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1383
Abstract
Tranquility is typically associated with low noise levels and remote natural areas. Various methods for preserving potentially tranquil places have been proposed, although these typically involve setting aside places with low noise levels located in remote areas. To gain the benefits of tranquility [...] Read more.
Tranquility is typically associated with low noise levels and remote natural areas. Various methods for preserving potentially tranquil places have been proposed, although these typically involve setting aside places with low noise levels located in remote areas. To gain the benefits of tranquility in accessible urban areas, we need to identify the characteristics of tranquil spaces. This study focuses on the landscape-based, visual aspects of the phenomena. We investigated the role of visual context using a nationwide dataset of crowdsourced photographs from Sweden. Text mining identified personal perception and accompanying photographs identified the physical features. The photographs were characterized by time period and landscape conditions using computer vision technology. We found that waterbodies consistently enhanced tranquil views, while grass, flowers, and other dense vegetation were generally not well connected. Trees were positively correlated during daylight hours but had a negative impact at night. Dynamic objects such as people and vehicles were negatively associated, potentially due to aural considerations. Their effect was less significant during hours when noise would generally be less of a factor. This study provides insights for future research and design practices aimed at promoting tranquil experiences in urban environments and demonstrates the potential for crowdsourced data to help understand the qualities of built environments as perceived by the public. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Governance in the Age of Social Media (Second Edition))
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31 pages, 8085 KiB  
Article
Post-Conflict Urban Landscape Storytelling: Two Approaches to Contemporary Virtual Visualisation of Oral Narratives
by Ghieth Alkhateeb, Joanna Storie and Mart Külvik
Land 2024, 13(4), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040406 - 22 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1627
Abstract
Armed conflicts and resulting displacement disrupt people’s sense of place, leading to an imbalance in the people–place relationship, exaggerated by rehabilitation efforts that overlook the sense of place among conflict- and displacement-impacted communities. A continuous landscape narrative that extends from pre- to post-conflict [...] Read more.
Armed conflicts and resulting displacement disrupt people’s sense of place, leading to an imbalance in the people–place relationship, exaggerated by rehabilitation efforts that overlook the sense of place among conflict- and displacement-impacted communities. A continuous landscape narrative that extends from pre- to post-conflict times contributes to recreating the essence of lost landscapes and therefore reconnecting their sense of place. Focusing on a Syrian city that hosted internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the aftermath of the Syrian conflict, this study aims to structure a virtual landscape and narrative depiction of conflict-impacted landscapes. This study proposes a storytelling approach for narrative construction and an AI-powered visualisation approach to revive the image of the elusive landscapes. This study utilised qualitative research methods through in-depth, semi-structured interviews for data collection and an online survey for exploring the perception of virtual landscape images generated with AI text-to-image models (DALL.E 2 and Bing Image Creator). This study indicates that narratives, supported by AI visualisation, are reliable for comprehending landscape transformation and changes in the sense of place. The two approaches can serve as rehabilitation initiatives in post-crisis settings to recall images of elusive landscapes to save them from being lost forever. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape Governance in the Age of Social Media (Second Edition))
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