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PhD Masterclass, October 2006

Public Engagement and Knowledge Exchange on the Process of Landscape Change

David MillerMacaulay InstituteAberdeenUnited Kingdom


Published:October 2006

Public Role of Science • Provision of evidence

base

• Development of techniques

• Policy oriented


1. Be able to understand and evaluate for ourselves what scientists tell us

2. Develop a better sense of ownership and participation in the achievements of our scientists

3. Continually improve the dialogue and interaction between the public and the science and innovation community

4. Ensure that this community is increasingly delivering science education to the public in a way that captures its interest, answers its concerns and is inclusive to all citizens.

Increasing Public Engagement


Example Research Topics• Does Public Participation lead to better decisions? (e.g. wind

turbines)

• How do residents perceive and value greenspaces for different uses and different user perspectives?

• What contributes towards a feeling of safety and attractiveness in greenspaces?

• Do new forms of data collection enhance deliberative democracy?

• How resilient are communities to different types of change?(See, for example, “Modern Local Government: In touch with the people” DETRA, 1998; “Communities and Planning”, Scottish Executive, 2006)


Landscape Futures?

Local economy

Incomes Biodiversity Farm sizesGHG emissionsWater quantity & qualityRecreation

C storage

Climate change

CAP reform

New technology

Water Framework Directive

Demographic changes

Landscape Convention

Ecological

Economic Social

Sustainabledevelopment of

natural resources


InternationalGlobalisationClimate change

European policies (EU or multilateral)

CAP reformWater Framework DirectiveLandscape conventionAarhus Declaration

National/local policyRenewable energyBiodiversity Strategies (e.g. LBAP)

Pressures for Change: “Policy Cascade”Scottish Biodiversity Strategy

Scottish Executive (2004), Scotland's Biodiversity: It's in Your Hands - A strategy for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity in Scotland.


Forces: Renewable Energy

(Sources: BWEA, 2005; www.ViewsofScotland.org, Nov 2004)

Status of windfarm

Number of windfarms

Number of turbines

Operational 14 506Under construction

266

Consented projects (onshore)

26 445

Consented projects (offshore)

2 -

In planning 74 2551Total 116 3768(Source: BWEA, www.bwea.org, April, 2006)

On what and who do forces act?

http://www.bwea.org/


Pressures: Agricultural Reform/Rural Development

Article 9“… to prepare farmers and other persons involved in agriculturalactivities for qualitative reorientation of production, the application of production practices compatible with the maintenance and enhancement of the landscape, the protection of the environment, hygiene standards and animal welfare and acquisition of the skills needed to enable them to manage an economically viable farm, …”

Proposals for maintaining landscape character under Tier 2 of Land Management Contracts(SEERAD, 2006)View enhancement

Maintaining a mosaic of semi-natural habitats

Creation of new landscape features

Tree protection and management in a designed landscape

Screening farm and forestry structures


Recognises that:• Landscapes evolve through time, as a result of

natural forces and human beings• People’s aspirations for landscapes change• Landscapes are diverse – the same policies

and measures will not be suitable for all landscapes

European Landscape Convention

European Landscape Convention (Council of Europe)


Engagement and Landscape: Public Agencies

Annual Report 2002/03THEME 2 - ENRICHING PEOPLE’S LIVESUnderpinning the rest of our work is a supporting programme of public engagement and awareness, including environmentaleducation, community involvement and lifelong learning, associated with natural heritage issues.

We hope that other gaps will be able to be partly filled over the following year by current work to develop landscape indicators(A5), assess native woodland condition (B3) and estimate values for social and environmental benefits (F5). New work will be required to monitor loss of woodland (A3) and to developappropriate measures of community involvement (E4).


(Public) ParticipationFAO definition

‘People, individually or through an organised grouping, can exchange information, express opinions and interests, and have the potential to influence decisions or the outcome of the matter at hand’ (FAO, et al.,2000)

i.e. Emphasis on a process and not a single event/opportunity to comment

(see also Renn et al. 1993)


Who? The Stakeholder?

United Kingdom Overseas Development Administration, 1995 ‘… any person, group or institution that has an interest …’

But, ‘interest’ goes beyond those who wish to engage. It includes all those affected by an issue, whether or not they care, or even know, about it.

Petts and Leach (2000): ‘people remain stakeholders even if they do not declare their stake’


Arnstein’s ‘Ladder of Participation’A gradation of power or control in public participation:

1. Manipulation2. Therapy3. Informing4. Consultation5. Placation6. Partnership7. Delegated power8. Citizen control

(see, Arnstein, 1969)

Degree of involvement


Levels of ParticipationEducation and information provision

e.g. Unstaffed exhibits, leaflets, WWW/CD

Market Research: finding out about peoplee.g. satisfaction surveys, opinion polls

Consultation: dialogue with peoplee.g. focus groups, in-depth interviews, interactive WWW

Deliberation: agenda-setting and decision-makinge.g. visioning exercises, citizen juries

(see also Arnstein, 1996; UK DETR, 1998; Institute for Environmental Assessment, 1999)


Participation into Planning

Drafted by council Major stakeholder inputMost conflicts resolved(?!) Not planner led


Examples of Participatory Methods

• Focus groups – to explore and clarify a set of issues (typically meet once)

• In-depth groups – concentrated consideration (typically meet several times)

• Citizen’s juries – participants weigh ‘expert’ presentations (meet several times)

• Consensus conferences – often private and public phases of a single event

(see, De Marchi and Ravetz, 2001)


Engagement

“entering into a deliberative process of dialogue with others, actively seeking and listening to their views and exchanging ideas, information and opinions, while being inclusive and sensitive to power imbalances.”

“Unlike 'mediation' or 'negotiation' engagement can occur without there being a dispute to resolve.”

It can be forward looking or visioning


Scientific Community

Land Managers

Elected Representatives/Policy

Advisors

General Public

Local

Regional

International

Stakeholders

CD/DVD Parliament

Scientific Exchange Reference and Evaluation Groups Capture Attention/Engage in Discussion

Knowledge Exchange:• Dissemination• Education and training• Feedback• Adoption

MEDIA

Design research and outputs of relevance to stakeholders


• What do stakeholders …• Expect• Anticipate• Prefer• Want

of our landscapes?

• Will ‘it’ be sustainable?

What Do We Want From Landscapes?Council of Europe:European Landscape Convention should “… respond to the public’s wish to enjoy high quality landscapes and to play an active part in the development of landscapes.”


What Will These People Want?

Consulting elected politicians:

Scottish Parliament(October 2005)


What Will These People Want?

Attract Interest: This is YOUR back garden!

The Public

‘I don’t want that there’

‘It’s my house and it will be my design!’

Access to information relevant to their areaFor effective discussion


Locally Identified Priorities

Recognise:‘In our landscape we see that cultural and environmental values go hand in hand’

North-west Sutherland‘We have the tranquillity and scenery which so many others crave. These precious assets have an economic value’

Crofting:Low impact production, which created and maintained many of the landscapes and habitats which we prize highly


• ‘monstrous turbines’• ‘… ironic that

opponents cite the beauty of mountains which will disappear with increased flooding and soil erosion.’

• ‘… put up with turbines for the benefit of the chattering classes in Edinburgh.’

Contentious Issues

• ‘It’s a question of balance’


Introduction

Attracting attention!

Informing: Offshore Windfarm

Toolse.g. Virtual Reality


Consulting: Feedback and Discussion

Voting


Consultation: Urban Greenspaces1. What contributes towards a feeling of safety and

attractiveness?2. Who and where is ‘excluded’ from greenspaces?


Consultation: Stakeholder by Sector

Examples for greenspaces:

• The homeless• Mothers of young children• Park employees• Unemployed• Local allotment society• ‘Friends groups’ of parks• Elected politicians• ‘Interest’ groups/societies (e.g. sports, ecological)

(After, Ravenscroft and Spellar, 2003)


Focus groups to elicit key issues, informing of factors for surveys

(e.g. local mother’s group)

Focus Group to Survey

Factors:Season, weather, time, light, trees, paths, traffic, people, wind

Autumn/overcast/night/peopleSpring/fog/daytime/no-one

Winter/rain/daytime/peopleSpring/rain/evening/people

Representation of multiple factors, but:

• Feasibility of representing weather?

• Interpretation of thepresence of people

• Number of scenarios v sample size

(see also Rohrmannand Bishop 2002)


Safety & Attractiveness

Attributes

Safe/ Unsafe/Attractive Unattractive

River walk greenspace

Spatial Expression of Outputs

V Bad Worse Null Better V Good


Exclusion Criteria:> 1500 m City Park +> 600 m Local Park +> 400 m Neighbourhood Park




‘Excluded’ Housing ‘Included’ HousingGreenspaces

Evaluate Policy Criteria: What is the Impact of Changing the Criteria?

> 75%> 50 – 75%< 50%

Relate to Population Census% Car Ownership

1500 m, but can people get there?


Urban Scenarios of ChangeWhat contributes towards a feeling of safety and attractiveness?

Introduction Instructions

Voting


Feedback and Awareness Raising

Feedback key results

Demonstrate tools

Encourage curiosity

Raise level of understanding


Joining-up Agendas: e.g. Climate Change, Biodiversity and Landscape Management

• e.g. BP Plc invest £10 million as part of their carbon trading

• Forestry Commission Scotland create habitat corridors through coniferous woodland

• Aim: Increase landscape quality

• Aim: Enable public participation in management choices


Clashindarroch Forest and Surroundings

Farm at Blackmiddens

Moorland to south-west

View from east to west from Tap O’Noth

New native woodland in grassland

Wind energy

Agriculture

Increased biodiversity

Examples of planned change


Huntly

Clashindarroch Forest

Consultation: Native Woodland Reintroduction

Coynachie

Old Merdrum

Blackmiddens

SFA sites

Tap O’ Noth 563 m

Old Merdrum

Blackmiddens

Study sites


Design Plans

Data source:

Scottish Forest Alliance,

Forest Enterprise Scotland

500 m

N

Proportions of species in each planting unit

515206020501020

1010101051015301552520155205405405102040101020

Specific bog species : Mainly Pinus Nigra4010203020402020

55565201532106010

755155

Open space

Scots pine

HazelAlderJuniperWillowAshHollyHawthornRowanBirchOakPlanting unit


Before Woodland Change

After Woodland Change

Woodland Change

Tools for:• Illustrating change• Testing preferences• Recording responses• Public direction of

change


Opinions on ChangeExamples of feedback on landscapes

Quality and content of tools can influence opinions, so validity of responses

Least preferred SD Most preferred SD

Mean ranking (1.0 to 5.0)

1.55 0.46 4.23 0.34

Example descriptive

phrases

Boring, barren, dull, bleak, bare

Diverse, varied, interesting,

scenic

But, respondents who use 'barren' or 'open'Mean ranking 3.2 0.61

Tool limitation Result SDMean ranking 3.82 0.58

Example descriptive

phrases

Artificial, not realistic,

But, respondents who use ‘barren’ or ‘open’

Visualisation limitation


Partnership: Wind Turbine LayoutIssues:How many?Which go?Where?

Mechanisms to:Explore factors and

reasons for layout

Influence size and layout of turbines

Support feedback process between stakeholders


Votes cast for individual turbines on each round of voting

Turbine NumberNumber

of Turbines

1 2 3 4 5 6 7Total

7 11 4 4 7 7 3 5 8 49

51

49

52

50

51

Too many

6 0 8 5 14 10 4 4 6 Too many

50 13 5 0 10 6 7 8

Visible on horizon

40 0 10 0 16 6 11 9

Could blend in

30 0 15 0 0 9 19 7

Hardly noticable

20 0 21 0 0 14 0 16

Practically invisible

No change

Comment

Selection of Turbines


Selection of Turbines: 2Original 7 turbines 6 turbines

4 turbines Last turbine


Audience Comments: Virtual Reality Tools

• “slightly ‘sick-making’”

• “A much better impression than a computer screen”

• “I would like to have sat back to see everything”

• “The differences were all on our left”


Citizen Control to Directing Change• What was it like/will

it be like?

• Sharing knowledge, aspirations, plans and fears

• What are the opportunities and limitations?

(Images from ‘Planning for Real’ event)


Knowledge Transfer,

Education and Awareness

Providing context for communication and learning (e.g. native woodlands, renewable energy)


Landscape Interpretations

Squirrel

Note the purple heather!

Interpretations of the countryside need not be computer assisted!


(Thanks to Pernette Messager)

Willow curtain

Wooden chimes

Wooden frames

XylophoneDoor

Fountain

Wind mills

Designed to stimulate a range of senses

Partnership: Pitcaple Sensory Garden

Aberdeenshire Council, “The People’s Millions”


Be Aware of …• Participation/consultation/survey fatigue• Highjacking of issues/events• Institutional disagreements (e.g. refusal to

participate on grounds of principal, historic events)

• Practical issues (e.g. obtaining participants!, venues)

• Importance of impartiality


Organisation and Support• Incentive/gratuity (e.g. direct

payment)• Hospitality• Support (e.g. children’s creche)• Ethics clearance (e.g. signed

letters of consent)• Children involved? – positive

vetting• Follow-up (e.g. results, invitation

to next event)• Documentation/recording• Feedback on process


Activity Arnstein Class

• Raise awareness Informing

• Facilitate participation and capacity Partnership

• Aid local appraisal of options Devolving Power

Royal Highland Show Exhibitions Disco, Huntly Hotel!Landscape Futures: It Is Knowledge Exchange


Concluding Remarks• Public engagement:

– a policy priority and research opportunity• Stakeholders drive and react to change• Distinguish between audiences• Distinguish between research and

other knowledge exchange activities• Focus on purpose

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