Future Land Use

In collaboration with the think tank CONCITO, Schønherr has developed a vision model that translates the analysis from the Future Land Use project into a concrete proposal for a transformed landscape. The vision model exemplifies a supplementary planning tools of our studio – tailored for municipalities, organizations, and clients who wish to work strategically with sustainable development and the landscapes of the future.

The model is based on an area northwest of Aarhus – a typical Danish cultural landscape comprised by villages, motorways, and intensive agriculture, where future transformations will also take place.

The land use question is vital for solving the biodiversity and climate crises. If we wish to ensure a climate-positive and biologically diverse Denmark, it is necessary also to account for drinking water, energy, and food supply as part of citizens’ quality of life. This requires major changes – but also strong visions that weave together nature, production, and everyday life.

The vision illustrates a landscape in which expanded village structures, interconnected natural areas, and river systems create a new balance between people and nature. The model is designed as a conversation arena: behind small windows questions are inviting citizens, planners, and decision-makers into a broad democratic debate about the future landscape.

In parallel, anthropological studies have shed light on how major physical changes are experienced in local communities. Thus, technical analysis are combined with human experiences – pointing towards sustainable planning where landscape beauty, identity, and community become fundamental values in the welfare society of the future.

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