<div class="csl-bib-body">
<div class="csl-entry">Grinzinger, E., & Steinbrunner, B. (2026, July 3). <i>Soil Walks: a participatory method to strengthen local dialogue and awareness on sustainable land use</i> [Conference Presentation]. 6th World Planning Schools Congress 2026: Peripheral Visions, Helsinki, Finland.</div>
</div>
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dc.identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12708/229440
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dc.description.abstract
Soil Walks are a participatory method developed to initiate public dialogue and support collaborative planning processes within municipalities. Through guided on-site walks, residents, researchers and local decision makers jointly explore areas of interest to discuss current challenges and opportunities in land use. The approach combines scientific insights with local knowledge and municipal planning perspectives, fostering a shared understanding of how land resources are used, valued and contested. Findings generated during these walks provide a basis for informed and forward looking planning decisions and can serve as starting points for subsequent community or regional initiatives.
A careful and transparent approach to land use has become increasingly important, as the demand for space and the pressures on soil ecosystems continue to grow. Unsealed and functional soils provide essential societal and environmental benefits, from supporting biodiversity to improving local microclimates and maintaining natural water cycles. Yet planning decisions at municipal level often accelerate soil sealing, highlighting the need for tools that promote awareness and dialogue.
The Soil Walks project addresses this gap by offering an open access method that encourages broad engagement with land use issues. Its development followed a design thinking framework, which structured the process from problem exploration to concept development and implementation, ensuring that the final method meets the needs of diverse user groups.
The method was tested in four pilot municipalities. Insights from these pilots informed the development of a training video and a handbook that enable municipalities across Austria to organise Soil Walks independently. The method is supported by a newly developed data dashboard that visualises key indicators on land use and soil sealing at municipal, regional and national levels, making complex spatial information accessible to a broad audience.
en
dc.description.sponsorship
BM f. Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Regionen und Wasserwirtschaft
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dc.language.iso
en
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dc.subject
land use
en
dc.subject
soil sealing
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dc.subject
awareness
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dc.subject
methods
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dc.title
Soil Walks: a participatory method to strengthen local dialogue and awareness on sustainable land use
en
dc.type
Presentation
en
dc.type
Vortrag
de
dc.relation.grantno
101867
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dc.type.category
Conference Presentation
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tuw.project.title
Soil Walks: Bewusstsein für Flächeninanspruchnahme, Versiegelung und Innenentwicklung
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tuw.researchTopic.id
A2
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tuw.researchTopic.name
Urban and Regional Transformation
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tuw.researchTopic.value
100
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tuw.publication.orgunit
E280-07 - Forschungsbereich Regionalplanung und Regionalentwicklung
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tuw.publication.orgunit
E280-08 - Forschungsbereich Bodenpolitik und Bodenmanagement
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tuw.author.orcid
0009-0008-6832-8076
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tuw.author.orcid
0000-0003-0351-4640
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tuw.event.name
6th World Planning Schools Congress 2026: Peripheral Visions
