TY - JOUR

T1 - Periphery and Integrated Planning

T2 - Coping with Rural and Touristic Challenges across Scales in the German Wadden Sea Region

AU - Mehnen, Nora

AU - Mose, Ingo

AU - Schaal, Peter

AU - Sijtsma, Frans

AU - Muñoz-Rojas, José

AU - Fedoriak, Mariia

AU - Angelstam, Per

N1 - Funding Information: Financial support from German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through the funding measure “Kommunen innovativ” is gratefully acknowledged. Grant to Per Angelstam from FORMAS (grant number 2017-1342) and the Sustainable Landscape & Regions Research theme of the University of Groningen’s Rudolf Agricola School. National funds have also been obtained by José Muñoz-Rojas from the FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia—Portugal), the CHANGE laboratory, and the MED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment, and Development (University of Évora), funded by Project UIDB/05183/2020.

PY - 2023/4/18

Y1 - 2023/4/18

N2 - Rural landscapes face multiple challenges, but they can be attractive for developing nature-based tourism. Encouraging place-based participatory governance in local communities represents a relevant transdisciplinary landscape approach. In this study, we map (1) rural and touristic challenges and (2) coping strategies in peripheral–rural municipalities, and we (3) discuss the need for integration of local and regional-level actions. Two island and two mainland municipalities with different demographic profiles and different degrees of touristic specialization in the German Wadden Sea Region were selected as case studies. Through meetings and interviews we mapped perceived challenges and analyzed policies and other coping strategies. We then discuss the need for integration at multiple scales. Island municipalities were more exposed to tourism development challenges than mainland municipalities. Securing public services and welfare, and the sustainable conservation of ecological green infrastructures were particularly challenging. Applying a participatory approach was a coping strategy at the local level. However, there is a need for activities at multiple scales. In coping with rural development challenges, local level participatory approaches and regional planning complement each other. Combination and integration of local and regional-level concepts should be encouraged to support collaborative learning through evaluation.

AB - Rural landscapes face multiple challenges, but they can be attractive for developing nature-based tourism. Encouraging place-based participatory governance in local communities represents a relevant transdisciplinary landscape approach. In this study, we map (1) rural and touristic challenges and (2) coping strategies in peripheral–rural municipalities, and we (3) discuss the need for integration of local and regional-level actions. Two island and two mainland municipalities with different demographic profiles and different degrees of touristic specialization in the German Wadden Sea Region were selected as case studies. Through meetings and interviews we mapped perceived challenges and analyzed policies and other coping strategies. We then discuss the need for integration at multiple scales. Island municipalities were more exposed to tourism development challenges than mainland municipalities. Securing public services and welfare, and the sustainable conservation of ecological green infrastructures were particularly challenging. Applying a participatory approach was a coping strategy at the local level. However, there is a need for activities at multiple scales. In coping with rural development challenges, local level participatory approaches and regional planning complement each other. Combination and integration of local and regional-level concepts should be encouraged to support collaborative learning through evaluation.

KW - demographic transitions

KW - governance

KW - landscape approach

KW - rural development

KW - tourism

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85158109045&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/land12040904

DO - 10.3390/land12040904

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85158109045

VL - 12

JO - Land

JF - Land

IS - 4

M1 - 904

ER -