My cookie preferencesOpen Spaces in the European Alps—GIS-Based Analysis and Implications for Spatial Planning from a Transnational Perspective
Job H, Meyer C, Coronado O, Koblar S, Laner P, Omizzolo A, Plassmann G, Riedler W,
This article presents an open space concept of areas that are kept permanently free from
buildings, technical infrastructure, and soil sealing. In the European Alps, space is scarce because of
the topography; conflicts often arise between competing land uses such as permanent settlements
and commercial activity. However, the presence of open spaces is important for carbon sequestration
and the prevention of natural hazards, especially given climate change. A GIS-based analysis was
conducted to identify an alpine-wide inventory of large-scale near-natural areas, or simply stated,
open spaces. The method used identified the degree of infrastructure development for natural
landscape units. Within the Alpine Convention perimeter, near-natural areas (with a degree of
infrastructural development of up to 20%) account for a share of 51.5%. Only 14.5% of those areas are
highly protected and are mostly located in high altitudes of over 1500 m or 2000 m above sea level.
We advocate that the remaining Alpine open spaces must be preserved through the delimitation of
more effective protection mechanisms, and green corridors should be safeguarded through spatial
planning. To enhance the ecological connectivity of open spaces, there is the need for tailored spatial
and sectoral planning strategies to prevent further landscape fragmentation and to coordinate new
forms of land use for renewable energy production.
DOI: 10.3390/land11091605
