ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the basic aims, types and concepts of landscape analysis. It focuses on the practice and theory in landscape architecture and landscape planning, drawing upon these and closely related disciplines. The appearance of the landscape at any particular time reflects social, economic and technical conditions. The landscape concept is also scale-dependent. Key drivers of landscape include both natural factors such as erosion and coastal transformation, and human factors such as technological change, markets, urbanisation, and public policy interventions, including landscape planning. All of the human dynamics that influence landscape change are mediated to some degree by public policy. When undertaking landscape analysis in relation to a policy, planning or design task it is therefore vital to ask what role the analysis plays and how it fits into a wider decision-making process. There are two broad applications of landscape analysis: Situation analyses and spatial analysis.
