How can we ensure land use that safeguards both nature and societal development? The Norwegian Centre for LANDFUTURES will develop cutting-edge knowledge and concrete tools to support transformative strategies and action in land, freshwater, and coastal areas.

All research activities within the centre are deeply rooted in local and regional planning. By bringing together different sectors and viewpoints, the project aims to tackle the underlying causes of unsustainable land use – including power relations within decision-making. Through interdisciplinary research and user-driven case studies, the centre explores the practical, political, and personal aspects of land and nature use.

Objectives: What We Aim to Achieve

The main objective of LANDFUTURES is to enable local and regional land-use planners, politicians, landowners, industry actors, and civil society actors to make decisions that enhance sustainable land use.

To achieve this, the centre will focus on the following secondary objectives:

• Uncover the underlying causes of unsustainable land use.
• Provide a cross-sectoral understanding of sustainable land use in both theory and practice.
• Support local and regional actors to collaboratively address land-use dilemmas and conflicts through deliberative processes and shared solution-building.
• Develop and promote methods and approaches that ensure the success of ecological interventions, including the recovery of degraded nature.
• Co-develop and distribute maps and related tools that can be actively used by local and regional actors to guide sustainable land-use decision-making.
• Provide policy-relevant recommendations for national authorities.

Solutions and Practical Tools

This is a solution-seeking and actionable initiative. The centre’s work will result in co-created land-use maps, practical methods for local implementation, and new tools and processes designed for socially fair (equitable and just) and ecologically sound (sustainable and resilient) planning. By learning from past practices and critically examining current land use, LANDFUTURES will help build new narratives and perspectives that bridge political divides and reflect the diverse values of nature.

Long-Term Impact on Society

In the long term, LANDFUTURES will contribute to the sustainable use of land and nature in Norway, promoting protection and restoration when appropriate. This will support Norway’s ability to preserve and restore functioning terrestrial and marine ecosystems and achieve national and international goals – while still supporting short- and long-term societal development across the country in a multigenerational perspective.

Expected Outcomes:

1. Cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary issues are clearly identified, and appropriate solutions are developed and implemented.
2. Cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination are enhanced.
3. Constructive ways of engaging with conflicts of interest and dilemmas in land use are developed and implemented.
4. Knowledge and infrastructure for long-term national competence-building are developed and implemented.