Project Aim
The project aimed to provide an evidence base which will support government and other policy makers in ensuring the UK’s land use patterns and practices are fit for the future, including:
- An analysis of land use challenges the UK could face over the next 50 years;
- An examination of existing structures and mechanisms and their capacity to help us meet these challenges; and
- Identification of opportunities to use and manage land differently now so that UK society continues to enjoy a good quality of life in the future.
The project was conceptualised around the idea that human use and management of land interacts with natural processes and ecosystems. These biophysical, social and economic processes come together to form a “land system”. Having a systemic perspective will help us to gain a better understanding of where “interventions” in the system may cause unforeseen problems and exacerbate vulnerabilities. Using systems thinking we were able to explore the future of land use in an integrated way.