The legal geography of landscape and its application in the brazilian cultural heritage system
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Landscapes are vital expressions of national heritage and spatial justice when framed through Legal Geography, which integrates natural and cultural preservation with sustainable development. Recognizing landscape as a human right affirms the need for equitable access to balanced, healthy, and culturally meaningful environments. From this perspective, landscape in environmental law involves not only ecological and biological dimensions, but also geographical, technological, and economic dynamics linked to territorial monitoring. Methodologically, the article follows a normative-analytical approach grounded in legal doctrine and international conventions. It is divided into five sections: the geographical concept of landscape; its legal integration under Legal Geography; international comparative models; the Brazilian legal framework; and a proposal for the formal recognition of the right to landscape in Brazilian law. By aligning landscape protection with human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the study reinforces the role of Legal Geography in advancing cultural heritage and socio-environmental justice. It concludes that landscape should be formally recognized in Brazilian law as a public good and a human right, with participatory governance and international cooperation being essential to ensure its preservation, management, and planning.
Authors: Luiz Ugeda, Karine Sanches
Institution: University of Coimbra
Language: English
Topic: Environmental law and policy
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4414965684