<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Since 1990, eastern Germany has been facing not only economic transformation but also demographic change. Two components of demographic change are population decline and ageing. They have a strong influence on landscapes, for example on land consumption by housing and industry. Three rural case study areas in eastern Germany are analysed which have been facing a strong population decline and ageing process over the past 20 years. Expert interviews were carried out and statistics as well as documents were analysed. It is argued that demographic change can be seen as a characteristic of instability in social systems. Moreover, it is an important driving force of landscape change, weakening the socio-ecological resilience of landscapes.</p></abstract>

Since 1990, eastern Germany has been facing not only economic transformation but also demographic change. Two components of demographic change are population decline and ageing. They have a strong influence on landscapes, for example on land consumption by housing and industry. Three rural case study areas in eastern Germany are analysed which have been facing a strong population decline and ageing process over the past 20 years. Expert interviews were carried out and statistics as well as documents were analysed. It is argued that demographic change can be seen as a characteristic of instability in social systems. Moreover, it is an important driving force of landscape change, weakening the socio-ecological resilience of landscapes.

Landscapes in Eastern Germany at a turning point - linkages between population decline, ageing and land consumption

European Countryside

Since 1990, eastern Germany has been facing not only economic transformation but also demographic change. Two components of demographic change are population...

Landscapes in Eastern Germany at a turning point - linkages between population decline, ageing and land consumption

Published Online: Oct 19, 2011

Page range: 29 - 50

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10091-011-0007-y

Keywords
demographic change, population decline, ageing, landscape change, land consumption by housing and industry, resilience of landscapes, Germany

This content is open access.

Landscapes in Eastern Germany at a turning point - linkages between population decline, ageing and land consumption

Published Online: Oct 19, 2011

Page range: 29 - 50

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10091-011-0007-y

Keywordsdemographic change, population decline, ageing, landscape change, land consumption by housing and industry, resilience of landscapes, Germany

This content is open access.

Keywords
demographic change, population decline, ageing, landscape change, land consumption by housing and industry, resilience of landscapes, Germany