Landscape Character Assessment for Sustainable Rural Development in Border Insular Areas: A Case Study of Ano Mirabello, Crete

Aikaterini Gkoltsiou ()
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Aikaterini Gkoltsiou: Laboratory of Floriculture & Landscape Architecture, Department of Crop Science, School of Plant Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-31

Abstract: This article seeks to demonstrate the value of landscape character assessment in addressing the unique needs of remote areas, located at national insular borders, with lower levels of development and economic activity. The paper assesses and presents the predominant landscape character of a remote agricultural area in the north part of the island of Crete in Greece, the specific assets of various landscape character types with the main productive economic sectors, leading to a proposal for tourism development sustainable strategies. To achieve this, a landscape character assessment methodology was applied in combination with a literature review and landscape evaluation per each economic sector. The goals of a landscape strategy for the area were formulated to preserve and enhance the landscape character and uniqueness, as natural and cultural heritage, for the benefit of the island inhabitants. At the end, landscape strategies for the planning, management and protection of the specific area were proposed for its sustainable development.

Keywords: landscape character assessment; rural development; landscape strategies; planning; management; protection; border areas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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