Landscape dynamics in Germany

Modern lifestyles, new demographic trends, and the expansion of the European Community are changing the European countryside. At stake are cultural landscapes, their richness in wildlife, historical interest, scenic beauty, and the recreational opportunities they provide. Visible phenomena of change are symptoms of a growing socio-economic and ecological disparity between different regions. Agreements on AGENDA 2000 European policy provide a new platform for regional and agricultural development. The paper explores which landscape dynamics are in store. Employing examples from rural Germany, the paper presents corridors of possible futures for unique, and at the same time, dynamic places. Modern strategies of landscape and urban planning are discussed which aim at closer co-operation between a multitude of stakeholders, policy makers, planners, and other agents of change. Methods and tools are needed to build consensus among ever increasing numbers of participants representing potentially wide ranges of values.