Is the definition of ‘industrial landscape’ still valid? review and synthesis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ‘Industrial landscape’ is a term broadly used in the landscape literature. However, it remains a concept that requires further analysis, reconsideration, and updating, as it was based mainly on the imaginary formed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which was as a product of the first phase of the Industrial Revolution. This study aims to contextualise and typologise the concept of ‘industrial landscape’ to provide an updated definition and categorisation from the perspectives of landscape ecology and geography. A qualitative narrative literature review was conducted of works from different professional backgrounds and nationalities. Definitions of approaches to landscape studies over time were examined through an assessment of the reviewed literature. Characterisation and categorisation of the concept of ‘industrial landscape’ are built upon previous definitions. Approaches to the landscape studies over time were identified and summarised in a timeline of the reviewed literature; A contemporary characterisation of landscape studies is presented. A contextualisation of the term ‘industrial landscape’, among other landscape types, is provided, with a new categorisation of based on the qualities of contemporary industry. Finally, A revised definition of ‘industrial landscape’ is proposed. Based on the reviewed literature, the research elaborates on the importance of the ‘industrial landscape’ as a product of the industrial revolutions and its emergence from industrial activities conducted in different landscapes. A different approach to its categorisation is suggested, based on technological and spatial features. It is concluded that the ‘industrial landscape’ has outgrown its original conception of 19th-century factories and its means to modify the natural and agricultural landscapes. Thus, a new definition for industrial landscape is proposed.
Source: Landscape Ecology
Institution: Gdańsk University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,390
OpenAlex ID: W7124928539