The landscapes of clay

Abstract

The analysis of the physical and human characteristics and the main cause-effect relationships between them is key to understanding the landscape of the region of Tierra de Campos. The importance of the settlement pattern is a key feature of the territory, as well as its relationship with the other elements, like the rural plot types, the land uses and the fluvial and infrastructural network. The singularity of the environment not only stems from the coherence of its built landscape, but also from the fact that it creates an unmistakable territorial identity. It is necessary to find out the global socioeconomic dynamics that are intensely affecting the agrarian landscape, rapidly transforming the local spaces. Only this way will it be possible to handle the undesired consequences, like visual degradation. We have detected two main kinds of negative impact: the emergence of new industrial constructions and the decadence of traditional buildings.