Nørreådalen – Landscape Observatory

The collaboration on the landscape strategy “Nørreådalens Fremtid” will now be continues with a new Landscape Council, consisting of landowners, representatives from local communities and associations, local politicians, and the Danish Nature Agency.

The international and national goals set for climate, water quality, and biodiversity often set a different agenda than the desire and expectations that landowners may have for the development of the river valley. Therefore, planning and knowledge are crucial conditions for the ongoing work with the sustainable transformation in the river valleys and lowland areas. The upcoming Landscape Council will be tasked with driving a comprehensive planning process in the river valley and will have advisory status in relation to the municipal councils in Randers, Favrskov, and Viborg municipalities.

The collaboration has received a grant of DKK 850,000 from the Plan22+ partnership, consisting of the Danish Nature Agency and philanthropic Realdania Fund. Plan2++ and the projects in Nørreådalen aim to investigate and demonstrate how physical planning can contribute to achieving climate goals while ensuring frameworks for developing well-functioning cities and rural areas with high quality of life for people. Universities measure and report, among other things, the socio-economic impact.

Denmark’s First Landscape Observatory

It is the intention to establish Nørreådalen as the first Danish ‘Landscape Observatory’ in line with the ambitions of the landscape strategy under the European Landscape Convention. The Landscape Observatory aims to support the professional work of the Landscape Council and advise the municipal councils. The observatory is composed of researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University, representatives from the landscape council, the participating municipalities, and the Danish Nature Agency.