Everything you need to know for the study of the landscape of your project.

The European Landscape Convention defines landscape as: “Any part of the territory as perceived by the population, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors”.

This definition shows that the landscape has two components, visual space, formed by a portion of the terrain, and man's perception of the territory. To these two, another component should be added, which would be the latter's interpretation of that perception.

What does a landscape study consist of?

A landscape study is an instrument that allows us to identify the character of the territory. It also makes it easier to assess the possible impact and transformation that a project may have on that territory.

How do we do a Landscape Study?

Below we will provide the basic recipe for a landscape study:

Ingredients:

• Project: It can be a new building, an agricultural warehouse, an infrastructure, a wind farm, a solar park, etc.
• Landscape Units. These are homogeneous units in terms of their landscape components (physical, biotic and anthropic) into which we can divide the territory.
• Landscape Quality: The aesthetic value of each landscape unit
• Landscape Fragility: The capacity of each landscape unit to respond to change
• Visual Basin: It is the part of the territory that is visible from a given point.
• Observation points and scenic routes: Any potential place from which you can observe the landscape (cities, roads, viewpoints, isolated buildings,...)

Elaboration:
To begin with our Landscape Study, we must define an area of work depending on the type of project in question. Normally we will use an area of a certain radius around it. The calculation of the visual basin also helps us to define the scope of the study on some occasions. It also allows us to get an idea at a glance of how visible the object of the study is.

Once this has been defined, we proceed to delimit the landscape units to which a value of landscape quality and fragility will later be given, taking into account biotic and abiotic factors such as existing vegetation, presence of water, anthropization of the territory, etc.

We then continue to carry out a visual analysis. This means that, based on the observation points and scenic routes, we will define which parts of the territory are more or less visible. Then we will give them a value depending on the type and the distance to the point we observe.

Once the previous steps have been carried out, all that remains is to add a few simulations. These will allow us to see what the territory will look like with our project and finally a proposal for corrective measures to minimize the landscape impact of the project.

We will accompany this Landscape Study with a good mapping of the field of study.

Types of Landscape Study

Landscape studies, like many recipes, have multiple variants depending on the type of plan or project or the legislation on landscape that exists in the autonomous community in which we are located. In this regard, the Valencian Community, Catalonia and Galicia were pioneers in implementing specific legislation in the field of landscape. To these, others have been added, and some do not yet have any type of legislation in this area. In the case of Castilla-La Mancha, the Preliminary Draft of the Castilla-La Mancha Land and Landscape Planning Act is currently being processed.

In Environmental Ideas we have extensive experience in preparing landscape studies, preparing the one that best suits the needs of your project and in accordance with the specific legislation existing in the place where it is located.