‘Landskap I kommunal planlegging' is a project which looks into how landscape
can be integrated in local spatial planning. The aim is to see how the
challenges that are specified in the European Landscape Convention can be
adressed locally, and how landscape issues can be taken into account in all
the processes that lead to a final area plan.
Through ‘Landskap i kommunal planlegging’ we have learned more about the
local landscape planning processes and which tools that are best in order to
implement landscape issues.
Organisation and funding
The project was launched 2007 and is mainly funded by the two regional
authorities, but also the Dep. of the Environment and the Dep. of
Agriculture. The project administration group consists of representatives
from different regional offices (agriculture, health, cultural heritage,
spatial planning, environment) and one representative from the
municipalities. A project leader works as a link between the municipalities
and the project administration, and ensures that the work is moving forward,
and that the municipalities get what they need in terms of professional
guidance and information.
The project municipalities
Four municipalitites participate in the project and they have chosen one of
their local planning processes which will be followed up with a specific look
to landscape themes. Each municipality has signed a partnership contract with
the project - based on a local political agreement. We can see that some of
the politicians are very interested and engaged in the work and this is
really important and helpful in order to set a local agenda for landscape.
The project municipalities has one contact person in the local planning
administraion - which makes the co operation and information flow between the
regional project administration and local planning level easier.
Levels of spatial planning
In Norway we have mainly three levels of spatial planning on a local
level:
-
an overall municipality plan which can be:
-
-
a) a municipality plan for the whole municipality
-
b) a major geographical part of the municipality
-
c) a larger geographical area with certain issues that need to be
adressed (i.e. urban development/ road construction/ infrastructure
etc.
-
a detailed 'regulation' plan, smaller in scale that the above.
-
a very small scale 'detail' plan showing numbers of houses, parking
spaces etc.
Landscape analysis
One of the major project tools are landscape analysis. We have so far given
the 4 project municipalities funding and resources to carry out a landscape
analysis for the local plan that they have chosen. The next step is to use
the knowledge (which the landscape analysis provides) in the local planning
process and make landscape one of the crucial issues to be adressed.
Below you will find the links to the English home pages of the County Council
and the County Governor who are the two project hosts.