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This paper introduces a data-driven agent-based simulation model of rural land exchange in the Netherlands. The model development process is part of an ongoing research program aiming at understanding the effects of climate change and socioeconomic drivers on agriculture land use and nature conservation. The first model version reported in this paper, is being developed for the Baakse Beek region in the Netherlands and is empirically grounded. The general framework described in this paper will be applied to another case study area in the Netherlands in the second phase of our research program and compare the projected land use patterns in the two case studies region.

Community-based landscape governance is considered as conditional to achieving sustainable landscape. I consider landscape governance from the point of view of adapting landscapes to create value out of ecosystem services, using the social–ecological system model as a theoretical framework. I advocate the use of the term landscape services because it can serve as a common ground between science and local communities, and between scientists from different disciplines. Six principles for sustainable landscape change are presented, which can be developed as a checklist in planning, and as requirements to scientific methods. From the current literature it is obvious that ecosystem service research does not provide the type of science that is required to support sustainable, community-based landscape planning. Research is mainly science driven, focussed on assessments at large spatial scale, and with policy users in mind. Active involvement of local stakeholders is scarce. There is a strong demand for approaches that are able to involve local governance networks and move the ecosystem services research out of the static mapping and evaluation approaches towards dynamic systems thinking. The chapter ends with a research agenda.

Presently, peri-urbanisation is one of the most pervasive processes of land use change in Europe with strong impacts on both the environment and quality of life. It is a matter of great urgency to determine strategies and tools in support of sustainable development. The book synthesizes the results of PLUREL, a large European Commission funded research project (2007-2010). Tools and strategies of PLUREL address main challenges of managing land use in peri-urban areas. These results are presented and illustrated by means of 7 case studies which are at the core of the book. This volume presents a novel, future oriented approach to the planning and management of peri-urban areas with a main focus on scenarios and sustainability impact analysis. The research is unique in that it focuses on the future by linking quantitative scenario modeling and sustainability impact analysis with qualitative and in-depth analysis of regional strategies, as well as including a study at European level with case study work also involving a Chinese case study.

The book proposes a set of original contributions in research areas shared by planning theory, architectural research, design and ethical inquiry. The contributors gathered in 2010 at the Ethics of the Built Environment seminar organized by the editors at Delft University of Technology. Both prominent and emerging scholars presented their researches in the areas of aesthetics, technological risks, planning theory and architecture. The scope of the seminar was highlighting shared lines of ethical inquiry among the themes discussed, in order to identify perspectives of innovative interdisciplinary research. After the seminar all seminar participants have elaborated their proposed contributions. Some of the most prominent international authors in the field were subsequently invited to join in with this inquiry. Claudia Basta teaches "Network Infrastructures and Mobility" at Wageningen University. Between 2009 and 2011 she worked as Coordinator of the 3TU Centre of Excellence for Ethics and Technology of Delft University, where she completed her post-doc research on the shared areas of investigation between risk theories, planning theories and ethical inquiry. Her main research interests concern the matter of assessing and governing technological risks in relation to sustainable land use planning. She wrote a number of journal articles and contributions to collective books on these themes. Stefano Moroni teaches “Land use ethics and the law” at Milan Politecnico. His main research interests concern planning theory and ethics. He is the author of a number of books and journal articles. Recent publications (as co-author): Contractual Communities in the Self-Organizing City (Springer 2012).

Landscape Ecology, 25 (3), ISSN:0921-2973, ISSN:1572-9761

Sustainable development is a widely accepted strategic framework for decisionmaking about the future use of land, but it is not very well adopted in landscape research and planning. Sustainable landscape development aims to ensure the longterm potential of the landscape to sustain ecological, cultural and economic functions. It also entails that local actors take part in planning and design of landscapes. Ecological sustainability, one of the three pillars of sustainable development, is achieved if (regionally chosen) ecological functions are sustained by the landscape structure. I introduce a conceptual model of the landscape based on the principles of sustainable landscape development; it includes the ecophysical landscape, the sociological landscape, the economic landscape and the decision-making landscape. Integrative landscape research should aim to identify and quantify the interrelations between these landscape constructs. As a conceptual tool to facilitate research, decision-making and communication, I propose the concept of the ecosystem network. This is a functional network of ecosystem patches, interacting by the exchange of seeds or individuals of plant and animal species, and connected to the surrounding landscape matrix by abiotic fluxes. I hypothesize that the ecosystem network may also be the template of recreation and water management functions. A key feature of the network is that it can sustain similar ecological functioning (e.g. in terms of persistent populations of species) at different spatial configurations. This principle allows flexibility in design and facilitates decision-making in a multifunctional landscape context. As the most important research questions are proposed: identifying the spatial scale of the network in relation to its function, quantifying the potential to deliver goods and services, and methods to facilitate the balancing of competing interests on the short term and long term. Keywords: sustainable landscape; local stakeholder involvement; decision-making; combining land-use functions; landscape change.

Research in the INTELS project has revealed that many integrative (= interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary) landscape projects frequently face similar challenges. There are, however, few guidelines available to help projects avoid common problems. In this chapter, we present what we consider the ten most important steps towards successful integrative research projects. We define successful projects as those that reach integration and project goals, produce tangible outcomes, contribute to progress in integrative research and provide positive experiences for their participants. In order to reach success, we recommend that projects are specifically organized to reach integration through the development of an Integration Implementation Plan. Projects should identify a common research question and clear project goals; these will identify the relevant disciplinary expertise needed. Because integrative projects have a higher time demand, we suggest adopting time management practices and the allocation of realistic time budgets, especially at the beginning of projects. Strong leadership plays a crucial role in the success of integrative research and requires a high level of interpersonal skills as well as research credibility. Frequent meetings among the participants and the support of the wider research environment also help to achieve success. Project teams need to arrive at a common understanding and definition of the integrative concept and prepare for overcoming epistemological hurdles by acquiring basic skills in the disciplines involved. We recommend that projects are planned for tangible project outcomes/deliverables, particularly in terms of scientific publications. A publication plan identifies target groups, specifies media and journals, lists responsible authors, arranges writing meetings and sets milestones and ubmission dates. We conclude'with the suggestion that projects agree on evaluation criteria and use these to assess the project and its outcomes on a regular basis. Integrative projects can learn from past experiences, and we therefore encourage participants to report experiences from integrative projects. These experiences contain valuable knowledge that will, over time, lead to more successful integrative research.

Research policy favours projects that integrate disciplinary knowledge and involve non-academic stakeholders. Consequently, integrative concepts - interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity - are gaining currency in landscape research and planning. Researchers are excited by the prospect of merging disciplinary and non-academic expertise to improve their understanding and performance, but often struggle with the challenges of operationalizing integration. This book provides guidelines for those coping with these challenges, whether they are members of an integrative research team or individuals working on a problem that demands integration. They must define terminology, choose appropriate methodologies, overcome epistemological barriers and cope with the high expectations of some stakeholders while encouraging others to participate at all. The book deals with the development of integrative theory and concepts, the development of integrative tools and methods, training and education for integration, and the application of integrative concepts in landscape research. As it also presents examples of successful integrative PhD studies, it is not only valuable for experienced scientists but will also help other PhD students find their way in integrative research.

The training of PhD students is currently very dynamic and varies widely from place to place. We present some examples of this variation and comment on how it may affect the way PhD students cope with integrative studies. Our focus is on the training needs of PhD students studying integrative research questions and their need for support from both supervisors and the wider institutional infrastructure. The role of supervisors seems key to the success or failure of integrative PhD projects. We find evidence that the disciplinary background, interest and motivation of the supervisor have much influence on research outcomes, in terms of the quality and whether PhD studies are completed on time (or at all). One clearly growing trend in PhD training isthe inclusion of coursework, and more recently the inclusion of training in transferable skills aimed at easing the flow of doctoral students into the wider job market since the majority of PhD students will not end up in academic appointments. PhD students represent major academic and financial investments and contribute to much of the original research in universities. To help PhD students we need to guide them through the many choices of method and theoretical approaches, a guide that builds on existing knowledge of what works and does not work under different conditions and one that results in the generation of new integrative knowledge.

The Frontis Workshop on the New Dimensions of the European Landscape was held on 10-12 June 2002. Wageningen University and Research Centre organized this workshop aiming to develop visions on the landscape in Europe, its development and design in the future and to strengthen the international network in landscape planning