According to the European Landscape Convention, landscape means an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.

The landscape is the entirety of where everything happens. It is the common habitat for people, plants and animals and it constitutes an important capital for local and regional growth. The landscape is a shared resource for society and also a living archive, giving perspective to our existence in time and space.

Time- the fourth dimension of landscape

The landscape is the result of thousands of years of interplay between humans and the environment. The past is all around us, in open agricultural landscapes as well as forests and in the middle of cities. The depth of time is, therefore, an important dimension in the landscape.

As society changes the landscape does too. Fields are abandoned, boundaries are moved, places are renamed, urban areas grow, new roads are built and older buildings are torn down to make space for modern ones. We neither can nor should prevent the landscape from changing. However, changes must be based on the principle of a sustainable use of the landscape.

Common asset - shared responsibility

The European Landscape Convention emphasises that the landscape is a common asset and a shared responsibility. The landscape holds a variety of values and assets - cultural, ecological, aesthetic, social and economical. We must often negotiate how the resources of the landscape should be used and developed. Therefore close cooperation between different authorities, organisations, companies and individuals is necessary to be able to manage the diverse amenities of the landscape in a sustainable manner.

What does the Swedish National Heritage Board do?

The mission of the Swedish National Heritage Board is to contribute to a sustainable management and development of the landscape. In cooperation with other authorities and organisations we: