The Observation of Informal Landscape Public Participation

Abstract

The discussion about Landscape Observatories might be advantaged by an analysis about what civil society currently does and how it relates to the landscape. Only if we understand the actual practices of citizens towards the places they live in will we be able to more effectively develop a relevant platform of public participation such as Landscape Observatories. In this perspective, the paper will illustrate research on citizens’ actions which give meaning to, make connection with and develop empathy towards places. Though many surveys have concluded that individualism, urban sprawl and consumerism are the paradigms of contemporary society, this study showed an increase in citizen awareness and common activity. The research was conducted in 2019 and focused on case studies located in the Venetian area of Italy. The paper describes the specific languages and features of these cases; thus, it illustrates how they involve and connect people and generate symbolic and physical transformations. The thesis is that these actions can be assessed as innovative landscape practices inspiring methods and solutions as they allow institutional platforms to understand more about the social landscape. The paper shows how Landscape Observatories can support and foster these informal movements and groups.