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Recreation in Swedish agricultural areas – public attitudes to multifunctional greenway designs

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.852

Publication Date

2010

Abstract

Recreation in the agricultural landscape of SW Sweden is limited in several ways. There is little else than agricultural fields and urbanised areas, and outdoor recreation is limited to a few, small areas. Although the Swedish Right of Public Access allows for accessing the agricultural fields by foot, this is not allowed during periods when there is standing crop. Apart from this, the fields are not particularly inviting, since the winds are continuous and often harsh, and walking on the muddy fields is not comfortable. It should be stressed that this is the everyday landscape for a growing peri-urban population. Furthermore, the homogenisation process that this landscape has undergone for the last five or six decades has also resulted in reduced biodiversity, which further reduces the attraction of the landscape. To make the agricultural landscape more accessible for recreation, some landowners and municipalities have established narrow (3–6 meters wide) greenways along field margins. Since these greenways are primarily aimed at recreation, they are not particularly well suited for plant and animal wildlife, and they are generally too narrow to allow for different types of recreation, such as riding at the same time as walking with dogs or prams. A further drawback with the existing greenways is their lack of protection against the continuous winds in the open landscape. Since these aspects were not considered when the greenways were established, it is probable that simple modifications of the design could satisfy more needs. It is, however, unclear whether such a development would be acceptable and desirable to the involved users and landowners, and whether it could gain support from the authorities.

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