Getting acquainted with their landscape: research by design as a tool to understand people's perception of current and future landscapes

In the current policy setting in Western European society, spatial planning tends to emphasise the achievement of policy intentions through the realisation of actual spatial interventions and the growing importance of citizens as spatial actors. The place-based planning approach refers to the fact that the design of integrated interventions must be tailored to places, since it largely depends on the knowledge and preference of people living in it. This paper unpacks the planning practice in Flanders by analysing and describing two landscape cases, as the actual arenas where different social activities compete, many key-actors are gathered and spatial planning processes and interventions take place. The key concepts “governance”, landscape quality” and “research by design” are defined. We investigate if research by design can be used as a tool to explore people's perception of current and future landscapes. The case studies disclose a deliberative process, which makes use of a research by design methodology, is not only able to gain knowledge on people's perception of current and future landscapes but can also improve the mutual understanding of the appreciation of landscapes by various spatial actors. Both cases illustrate the current struggle of authorities with the growing importance and knowledge of citizens and the difficulties the policy makers experience introducing these actors and knowledge in planning processes. The designs and masterplan developed within the cases refer to the place-based approach, as it is proposed by the European authorities

How to stay a smart city? Inspiration from a place-based spatial policy in Ghent: working together with local, smart citizens

Spatial planning in Europe and in Flanders is changing fundamentally. In the Europe 2020 strategy (2010-2020) Europe introduced the idea of a ‘place-based approach’ as an alternative or addition to traditional spatial planning. It refers to the context-dependent nature of efficiency and equity problems that the policy deals with, and to the fact that design of integrated interventions must be tailored to places, as it largely depends on the knowledge and preferences of the people living in it. Nevertheless, little research has examined the use of the place-based approach in Flanders. In this paper the place-based approach, also called area development, is referred to as a proactive planning approach, characterized by an intensive coordination of initiators, plans and projects in one specific area, in order to implement the plans and projects in the field. Participating with citizens in planning processes is not new. In general, we can distinguish three generations in citizen participation: from consultation by the authorities, to co-creation initiated by the authorities, and recently to citizen initiatives which are only supported and stimulated by the authorities. This paper reports results from a case-study in Ghent, Flanders. Within the neighbourhood around the main railway-station inhabitants and the local government are working together to create a new concept for the area, and are co-realising these new ideas in the field. We found earlier that authorities have been experimenting with place-based planning in Flanders for several years, but that results, actors and instruments differ. The new insight from the local, urban case in Ghent can be used to develop future place-based planning, programs and projects in Flanders and in cities within Flanders