Spatial Mechanism for Opening the "Black Box": A Translational Pathway From Landscape Ecological Research to Landscape Ecological Planning and Design Practice

Highlights

	· Proposes a three-level research system linking up landscape ecological research and planning and design practice
	· The analysis of spatial mechanisms opens the "black box" between research and practice
	· Proposes a landscape ecological planning and design procedure through synergic analyses of spatial mechanisms

Abstract

In the field of Landscape Ecology, due to the excessive parallel development of landscape ecological science research and landscape ecological planning and design practice, the knowledge produced by landscape ecological research cannot effectively guide landscape ecological planning and design practice. This theory–practice gap has been widely concerned by landscape ecologists and landscape ecological planning designers. Although many scholars have made useful contributions to bridging the gap, a systematic translational pathway has not yet been formed. In this context, this study first reviews the development history of landscape ecological research and landscape ecological planning and design practice, as well as the evolutionary characteristics of their integration. Second, based on the internal relationship between the two, a three-level research system linking up research to planning and design practice is constructed. Third, the spatial mechanism analysis framework is further proposed to open the "black box" in the transformation from research to planning and design practice, and to bridge the theory–practice gap. The landscape ecological planning and design procedure through synergic analyses of spatial interaction mechanism and spatial constraint mechanism is constructed correspondingly. Finally, taking the Sanya Mangrove Ecological Park project in China as an example, the effectiveness of the procedure is verified.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Spatial Mechanism / Landscape Ecological Research / Landscape Ecological Planning and Design Practice / Theory–practice Gap / Translational Pathway / Knowledge Production / Black Box

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Acknowledgements

·Project of "Research on Land Use Conflict Mechanism and Fine Governance Method in the Northern Foot of Qinling Mountains, " The Ministry of Education Foundation on Humanities and Social Sciences (No. 24YJAZH209) ·Project of "Research on the Evaluation Method and Spatial Optimization Strategy of Green Space in Xi'an Urban Blocks From the Perspective of Children's Friendly City, " Youth Project of Shaanxi Provincial Science and Technology Department (No. 2024JC-YBQN-0602)

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