PERCEPTION OF CONTEMPORARY RURAL LANDSCAPE BY ITS FUTURE MANAGERS: CZECH AND JAPANESE STUDENTS OF LANDSCAPE PLANNING

Lapka M., Cudlinova E., Kindlmann P, Dobiasova B.: Perception of contemporary rural landscape by its future managers: Czech and Japanese students of landscape planning. Ekologia (Bratislava), Vol. 27, No. 2, p. , 2008. The problem of rural areas anywhere in the world is their changing identity due to the recent changes in land use and in agricultural practices and due to their growing industrialization. As the experience of landscape beauty is an important part of human flourishing, it should have a prominent place in landscape planning, but we know next to nothing about how it is influenced by the contemporary changes. Here we show how six different rural landscape situations in regions experiencing the changing identity are perceived by university students of landscape planning and landscape architecture. We have compared responses of Czech and Japanese students, in order to compare respondents with different cultural backgrounds. We found a relatively homogenous and cultural-independent pattern of rural landscape evaluations based on aesthetical and ecological values more than on agricultural production. The best-valued landscape represents a combination of aesthetical attractiveness and possibility of recreation activities and consists of a mixture and relatively balance of man-made and natural patches. Our study enables a prognosis of the future development of rural areas, as our respondents will become experts in landscape architecture and planning, and therefore their preferences today could become a reality tomorrow.