Societal research perspectives on protected areas in Europe

Abstract

Managed large protected areas today are faced with tasks that go beyond conservation and landscape protection, especially societal demands for regional development and an active role in shaping the future. This means that protected areas research needs to focus more on the involvement of protected areas in shaping the future of their regions. Analysing the results of a European expert workshop, the authors have identified six priority areas for research: first, the material and immaterial benefits of protected areas; second, tourism and recreation; third, innovations in regional economy geared towards conservation and landscape protection goals; fourth, images and regional identities; fifth, handling regional and global change, and sixth, participation and governance. What this means for protected areas research is a strong orientation on interdisciplinarity, more comparative analyses and greater involvement in transdisciplinary networks at the interface of research and practice.