Landscape planning: The applied branch in complex physical geography

Some issues related to the relationship between physical geography and landscape planning in Russia are considered. It is proposed to assess the geosystem components and determine the goal functions of their territorial development on the basis of the contour grid of the landscape map adapted to the goals of landscape planning, which provides a possibility of utilizing the totality of information accumulated in databases, during all stages of work, up to planning decision-making. It is emphasized that the traditions of Russian and soviet physical geography necessarily imply a detailed substantiation of efforts in terms of landscape science; however, landscape science cannot attempt to offer universal coverage of the complex problem of multicomponent diversity of landscapes. Specific reference is made to the need for consultation with sectoral experts already at the stage of selecting or generating the basis for maps of assessing the significance and sensitivity of geosystem components, and maps of the goals of territorial development. It is established that in conditions where in the case of so-called territorial planning there is no division into specialized sectors and all the other sectoral plannings are virtually non-existent, the problem of introducing landscape planning in Russia in terms of the landscape science approach. It is determined that landscape planning in Russia has not yet become a sector or a means for ecologization of territorial planning.