ABSTRACT
Since the end of the 1980s, a process has been taking place in the Netherlands that depicts a turning point in the development of landscape. Instead of handling complex questions and problems in a technocratic and mono-disciplinary way, a new integrative approach has come into being, which views landscape, with its multifaceted uses and functions, as a whole. This can partly be explained by the fact that the previous flood protection policy, which was designed to ensure not only the safety of open spaces, but also to provide locations for the development of housing, industry, and infrastructure, had reached its limitations, making a change in thought absolutely essential. A second process also opened up a new possibility for a change in approach to dealing with landscape: The catalyst for this process was the rediscovery of nature. In the 1980s, on the Flevoland Polder, which was emerging to the east of Amsterdam, a secondary wilderness appeared almost by chance on an area of land that was being held available for industrial purposes but not yet in use. This was the so-called Oostvaardersplassen. This spontaneous development of a nature area was celebrated in the Netherlands as “new nature” and drew the interest not only of specialists, but also of people from all walks of life. The rediscovery of nature and the increase in its importance for society can be understood as a reaction to the
14.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 267 14.2 A Mentality of Making .................................................................................268 14.3 From Making Landscape to Making Nature ................................................269 14.4 A New Paradigm in the Understanding of Nature? ...................................... 278 14.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 281 References .............................................................................................................. 282
enormous economization of the landscape, which, for its part, creates a longing for harmony between man and nature. In the light of the rediscovery of nature, a paradigm shift in the way of planning landscape had become apparent (cf. Kost 2009).
