From Fragmented to Integrated Landscape Management. Values of Green Cultural Heritage and implications for future policies and practises

The project "From Fragmented to Integrated Landscape Management. Values of Green Cultural Heritage and implications for future policies and practices" (FRAGLA) started in January 2015 and is finishing by the end of October 2018. The project is led by Professor Annegreth Dietze-Schirdewahn from School of Landscape Architecture, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). The other two partners are Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) and Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR). FRAGLA addresses the issue of fragmented management of cultural landscape, caused by changing land use and ownership, diverse values and interests held by various sectors and protected by individual Acts and legal instruments. This fragmentation negatively affects landscape management and leads to the tension in the local planning system. The project developed new knowledge that can be incorporated into management policy and practice, and can facilitate integration of values and uses of cultural landscape within the local planning and development process. The research is based on the case study of Austrått, a manorial landscape in Ørland peninsular that has particular natural, cultural, historical and military significances. Four issues are highlighted in the research: understanding the "biography" of a landscape; involving local people´s view on value recognition; recognizing values of "Green Cultural Heritage" (i.e. cultural landscapes with heritage values, which is a roof to foster consensus building and integrated management plan) and deliver them into local and regional development plans; planning in an integrated way. The research has directly benefited to the policy and practice of Austrått and Ørland development by providing new knowledge and working strategy for an integrated management plan. Research findings are transferrable to other localities and regions with similar challenges. By the end of the project period, Austrått Landscape has become a role model for the EU project "Rural regeneration through systematic heritage-led strategies" (2018-2022).

-The concept of Green Cultural Heritage was appreciated by international scientific audience. -The thought of integrated heritage management with the care of local community´s place identity is recognized by national and international audience. -FRAGLA has led to other international projects: EU Horizon2020 and ERASMUS+. -FRAGLA has led to other national projects: archaeological projects and LIDAR survey. The local Ørland Cultural Centre has been using the results of FRAGLA to implement the first management actions in the landscape. -The values of Austrått are more recognized: the regional (Fylke) and national (Riksantikvaren) cultural heritage authorities lined out an area of buffer-zone; Austrått is since 2018 listed as important cultural landscape in Agriculture (Utvalgte kulturlandskap i jordbruket). For more details see final report.

This project addresses the issue of fragmented management of cultural landscape due to changing land use and ownership, diverse values and interests held by various sectors and protected by individual Acts and legal instruments. This fragmentation makes integrated landscape management a challenge and leads to tension in the local planning system. How do we manage interactions across and between designated objects/sites and everyday landscapes? The project aims to answer such question by developing new knowledge that can be incorporated into management policy and practice to facilitate integration of values and uses of cultural landscape within the local planning and development process. The term "Green Cultural Heritage" (i.e. man-made landscapes with heritage values) is introduced, bringing to mind a holistic landscape with complex values instead of fragmented zones of single value, and serving as a roof to foster consensus building and integrated management plan for a landscape with multiple values. Main research is based on the case-study of Austrått, a manorial landscape in Ørland peninsular with particular natural, cultural heritage and military significances. Four issues will stay in the heart: understanding the "biography" of a landscape; involving local people's view on value recognition; recognising Green Cultural Heritage values and deliver them into local and regional development plans; planning in an integrated way. The research has direct benefits to the policy and practice of Austrått and Ørland development by providing new knowledge and working strategy for an integrated management. Research findings will also be transferrable to other localities and regions with similar challenges, and will serve as a model for other Green Cultural Heritages in Norway with outstanding values for both local community development and national and international heritage protection.