Public participation in strengthening cultural heritage: The role of landscape character assessment in Denmark

Geografisk Tidsskrift—Danish Journal of Geography 109(1):33–45, 2009 This paper describes how stakeholders are being consulted and how they participate in a joint decision-making process based on a Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) conducted in a planned national park in North Zealand Denmark. The process has been developed as a result of an increased focus on environmental and landscape issues in Denmark. It focuses on experienced barriers to successful implementation of the cultural-historical heritage sector within municipal land use and landscape planning. The analysis identified a need for public participation in order to create awareness of the LCA, to ensure an effective implementation and to incorporate local cultural/historical heritage. In addition, it illustrates how new and valuable information regarding the local heritage and visions for future local development are collected through the participatory process. Finally, this paper investigates how stakeholder participation can contribute additional information to the LCA. It is concluded that the implementation of the LCA method in Denmark should include a strategy for a participatory process which addresses the citizens concerned.