Multiculturalism is already a real fact in universities

335 Pages·2009·7.57 MB·English

Celebrating Geographical Diversity

Proceedings of the HERODOT Conference in Ayvalik, Turkey

28-31 May 2009

Edited by

Karl Donert
Yilmaz Ari
Maria Attard
Gerry O’Reilly
Daneila Schmeinck

Conference organiser: Yilmaz Ari
Cover design: Sebastian Tyszkowski

Published by:

The Herodot Thematic Network
e-mail: [email protected]
http://www.herodot.net

In collaboration with EUROGEO, Liverpool Hope University and Balikesir University

© HERODOT Thematic Network

The HERODOT Project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Publication reflects
the views only those who participated in the network conference, the Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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Contents

Section 1: Cultural Diversity 4
Diversity and Symbolism of the Cultural Patrimony of the Aranjuez Royal Palace 4
(Spain)
Geographic Diversity from an Artistic Perspective 11
Ethnic Diversity and its importance for the Vojvodina Region 17
Cultural Diversity and Nature: Nature conservation at Kazdagi National Park, Turkey 24
Images are coloured words in a multi-coloured world 30

Section 2: Educational Diversity 37
Windows on the World: Global Citizenship in Dutch Education 37
Using Problem-Based Learning to teach retailing and consumption geographies 42
Diversity of didactic approaches in teaching Geography 51
Reading Landscapes – Identity and Citizenship Issues: discovered by students on a 58
fieldwork visit to Belfast
Becoming Geographers – promoting skills and citizenship in undergraduate fieldwork 63
Geography teacher quality and effectiveness: Lower Secondary School Students’ points 69
of view
Scales of European Citizenship: how young European students see their future 75
Global Climate Change Education in Turkey 82
Do Polish Universities value Geography in the 21st Century 87
A Case for Geography and English Integrated Studies 93
Environmental study of landscape dynamics 99
Exploiting Research-based learning Resources Under the new Geography Curriculum in 104
China
Place of the interactive whiteboard in higher education of the Polish educational system 109
The Role of Geography in the Primary Schools curriculum: Example of Turkey 113

Section 3: Environmental Diversity 119
Possibilities for Environmental Education at the Department of Geography 119
The role of students as change agents in identifying perceived barriers and gateways to 125
achieving sustainability at a UK university
Between Fear and Fascination: An empirical Study on Risk Perception concerning 133
Global Warming
Natural Resources and Education for Sustainable Development 138
The Influence of Short-Term Environmental Education on Graduate Students: an 144
example from Kaz Dagi National Park, Turkey
Shades of forested landscape in a megacity of developing world: synthesising structural 150
and functional patterns
Geography of Energy in the higher education – the point of view of young geographers 155

Section 4: Geographical Diversity 161
Austria and Turkey: their burden of histories 161
Consumption and City Fragmentation 168
Making Representations of Diversity in Vilnius – Capital of the most peripheral central 176
region in Europe
Indicators of sustainable urban development: A review of urban regeneration projects in 183
Karachi, Pakistan
Diverse Approaches to the Importance of Geography: the Death of Geography or 188
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Geography Matters in the Information Age!
Field Project: Crossing the Czech and Austrian Border 194
On the origins of cities in the Near East and their implications today 201
Cross-Border Co-operationbetween Bulgaria and Turkey (Cultural and and Historical 209
Heritage Diversity – Opportunities for Tourism)
Parallels in nature and culture diversity of the European and Asian Southern Peninsulas 212
Regional Development and Spatial Planning in Bulgaria: geographical perspectives 219
The Main GeotourIsm Resources of Turkey 225
Celebrating Linguistic Diversity or accepting an `English-Only’ Europe? 232
Turkish Political History and Geographical Context 240
Water Reservoir Management and Nature Reserve Functioning – Jeziorsko Reservoir 246
(Central Poland)
A New Proposal for Environmental Safeguarding of the Coastal Zone 252
The Spatial Dimension of Human-Wildlife Conflicts – Discoveries of New Animal 255
Geography

Section 5: Geotechnological Diversity 264
Practical Aspects of Project Based Interdisciplinary Teaching with GIS 264
Diversity of approaches to using geoinformatics in public education: the case of 269
Slovenia
iGuess: Introducing GIS Use in Education in Several Subjects 275
GIS In Pre-Vocational Secondary Education 281
Teaching a Progression of Courses in Geographic Information Science at Higher 285
Education Institutions
IT to promote Europe in Primary School 290
Geoinformation support of derived mapping based on digital terrain model 296
Utilization of GIS in mediaeval archaeology and historical geography 304
A Framework to Manage the Time Dimension of GIS 308
The Use of GIS and Remote Sensing as Information Support for Landscape 314
Management
Dynamic Data Structures for Geographic Data 324
Digital:earth:at – Centre for Teaching and Learning Geography and Geoinformatics 329

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Section 1: Cultural Diversity

Diversity and Symbolism of the Cultural Patrimony of the Aranjuez Royal
Palace (Spain)1

Mª del Carmen Mínguez García
Department of Human Geography
Complutense University of Madrid
[email protected]

Abstract
Any landscape is in itself a manifestation or a celebration of geographical diversity. But, in
countries like ours, marked by a strong humanization, landscapes are even more valuable.
These landscapes become a great subject of study and not just for physical geographers, but
also for human geographers. This combination of environment and humankind, throughout
History, has not been as successfully implemented everywhere. And that is why we have
decided to concentrate and analyze the landscaping surrounding the Aranjuez Royal Place. It
is a place that perfectly represents a model that is constant in most European countries, where
manmade construction presides over nature.
As a result of this, there are multiple orchards, gardens and hedges around the palace, and also
a very peculiar baroque town. These particular conditions have given the city of Aranjuez the
honour of being included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO. This landmark, celebrated
in 2001, has been a turning point on the way this palace has been perceived and studied. The
different elements that are part of the landscape have been interpreted in order to understand
its symbolism and are now also considered essential part of the Spanish national heritage.

Key words: Landscape, Cultural, symbolism, patrimony, UNESCO

Introduction

In recent years geographers have learned to use the landscape of an area to understand the
history and culture of a place, not only at a specific moment in history but over an extensive
period of time when it was designed, transformed and consolidated; for us the landscape is
capable of transmitting intellectual, cultural and artistic information (Ortega, 1987:118-119),
since it is the result of the combination of natural surroundings and human influence.
In order to apply this dual analysis of the landscape I have chosen the Royal Site of Aranjuez,
located in the Madrid Region, Spain, since it was the place chosen by the Spanish monarchs
to install one of their residences in 1171. There is a distinguished physical landscape in
Aranjuez marked by the joining of the Tajo and Jarama rivers, the first of which runs through
some thirty kilometres of this territory. In addition, this fluvial presence has been crucial in
the shaping of the agricultural lands which are dominated by nutrient-rich clay soils, excellent
for growing a variety of crops (Gómez Mendoza et al. 1999). In the second place this is a
strongly humanized landscape with several historic landmarks, most noteworthy of which is
the Ilustración (s. XVIII); and it has been exactly this human intervention which has shaped

1 This call forms part of the Recent dynamics and strategies of intervention in national
heritage destinations research project. Ministry of Education and Science. I+D+I (2004-2007)
National Plan. Reference: SEJ2006-10898/GEOG. Director: M.A. Troitiño Vinuesa.
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the landscape over nine centuries, causing it to be transformed in conjunction with the
changes of society creating symbolic spaces.

In consideration, of all this the Royal Site of Aranjuez is a palimpsest in which a variety of
elements come together to create a geographic reality, with which not only do its inhabitants
identify, but with which we should all identify since it is ranked as a Cultural Landscape on
the world Heritage List, as it satisfies the following criteria2:
Criterion ii: Aranjuez represents the coming together of diverse cultural influences to
create a cultural landscape that had a formative influence on further developments in
this field, and criterion iv: The complex designed cultural landscape of Aranjuez,
derived from a variety of sources, mark a seminal stage in the development of
landscape design.

The fact that it was awarded this ranking pays tribute to a universal value, that comes from the
balance between culture and nature, but it also demonstrates a commitment that all institutions
should have to conserving the landscape, which should not be viewed as a burden for the local
government, but rather it should be taken as an element that foments development so as to
convert it into a local treasure which can attract tourism. Because of all this it is essential to
understand and appreciate the landscape and territorial characteristics of this place.

Methodology for the analysis of the landscape diversity of Aranjuez

The territory is of great importance in the study of the environmental and landscape
dimensions of Aranjuez (Comunidad de Madrid and al, 2001). To research at a deeper level
an exhaustive study has been carried out which has categorized the Territorial and Landscape
Units, which have been recorded on separate reports, which in addition to aiding
comprehension and interpretation of the territory, facilitate the understanding of many
processes and problems. This is a tool that has up until now been used primarily in the field of
Physical Geography and in Territorial Planning, and which presents a unique approach and
methodology for research to discover the integral essence of the landscape (Mínguez, 2008).

The Landscape and Territorial Units have been analysed separately taking into account their
problems and their physiognomic, natural, socioeconomic and dynamic characteristics, with
two scales of analysis. The first, a minor one, which permits a more general approach to the
natural elements, and the other, which gives results of greater detail that, facilitates the study
of the Landscape Units. Each of the landscape units that come from this study refer to a
specific place, which is unique due to the singular combination of its human and natural
aspects as well as the criteria followed for its definition (topography, litho logy and types of
soils and its inhabitants, functional and structural elements like the property of the land,
exploitation systems, and the type of occupation) (Mínguez, 2008).

The structure of these documents reflects different contents according to whether they refer to
the Territorial Units, or the Landscape ones. In the first ones, of a total of five, a variety of
urban, historic and physical (relief, vegetation, human presence) traits are identified. In each
one a series of Landscape Units are identified which total thirteen which are the result of a
combination of its uses, functions, urban structures, natural surroundings, land exploitation
and their repercussions on the environment (Troitiño et al, 1999). To create their content,

2 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1044
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environmental guides, state, preservation and protective plans which have been developed and
the Declaration file from the UNESCO (2000) were employed.

The diverse landscape of Aranjuez

It is impossible to talk about just one landscape in the Royal Site of Aranjuez, since there are
numerous and varied natural landscapes (from those that are created by the rivers to the
rolling hills to the dry non-irrigated lands) and places of more dense human activity (baroque
city, gardens, industrial areas, modern urban centres etc). So this area is defined by strong
contrasts in the landscape and its environmental quality (Brandis and del Río, 2000). From all
of them I have selected five because they are the most representative and have been included
in the World Heritage List by UNESCO.

The groves and the historic gardens.
The location of Aranjuez next to the river, and more specifically at the union of the Tajo river
with one of its main effluents, the Jarama river, corresponds to a very extensive geographic
model and which is held together by the presence of water and by the richness of its soils,
which are more fertile on the flood basins. But this location also comes with disadvantages
related to the force of the rivers during floods, etc. To regulate this, the cities which are
affected by these conditions develop a series of engineering interventions, which modify the
landscape, with the intention of domesticating the waters; so, retention dikes are created (like
the one dividing these groves), bridges, canalizations, etc. These groves and historic gardens
were born from the attempt to dominate natural systems, by altering water flows and
transforming riverside forests into irrigated agricultural land (Figure nº 1). This is the result of
a planned territorial organisation model implemented from the sixteenth to the eighteenth
century.

This is characterised by a series of
wide streets, flanked by three
rows of eleven different species of
trees, of which over thirty
kilometres are still preserved
today. This geometric plot was
designed to aesthetically enhance
the area, but later, as it was an
area used for growing crops, it
was used to gain access to these
areas and to separate them at the
same time. Later they were used
as recreational zones for walking
and strolling since they were cool
Figure 1: Lemus street, one of de most beautiful of
and pleasant and had wonderful
Aranjuez's groves.
views. With this exclusive model
of the Royal Site of Aranjuez one
of the primary objectives of the Ilustración was to demonstrate the power man can have over
nature (Mínguez, 2007).

Today despite being a unique and beautiful landscape its symbolic value has decreased, since
it is only known to the inhabitants of Aranjuez, who use the groves as a place of leisure and
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recreation. For now the efforts over the past five years to promote this area, to outside
tourists, have been fruitless despite the fact that it has a great potential to be used to for
horseback riding routes, walking and cycling trails, which would help to realize the true
purpose of a Royal Site. So for all of those not from Aranjuez it lacks any symbolic value.

The Tajo and Jarama plains
In close relation to the previous landscape we find the plains landscape, located on the
floodplains of the aforementioned rivers and the terraces and valley bottoms, with a surface
area of some 900 hectares. This is an agricultural area that was designed in the era of Felipe
II, and later expanded by the Bourbon kings, who attempted to achieve harmony on the
Aranjuez lands through the use of vegetation. They have garnered a great importance in
Aranjuez because during the reign of Carlos III, they became very relevant as they were
turned into laboratories in which agronomic exploitation models, of the era were verified
which converted them into an experimental field where phisiocratic, agricultural, livestock,
scientific and social ideas were tested and verified. This served to activate progress in this
area from a scholarly point of view (Mínguez, 2007).
Not only were the fertile plains used to experiment with the basic Mediterranean trilogy (vine
crops, olive trees and grain production), but in addition an area was dedicated to the raising of
livestock and horses. It was created by the Royal Farmhouse of San Isidro, where the
necessary facilities were built for processing and storage (storerooms, mills, oil and wine
presses, etc). These buildings still stand today and they enrich and diversify the patrimony of
this Royal Site. Thanks to all of this Aranjuez was converted into a model city that
represented the philosophy of the Ilustración (18th century).

The Historic Gardens.
These gardens are an essential element of great value in the Royal Site system; even more so
in Aranjuez where they take on a special importance because of their aesthetic dimensions
and characteristics, which makes them the most symbolic areas, for inhabitants as well as for
visitors. There are a total of six gardens in Aranjuez located in the Palace surroundings, four
of which border the North and East perimeters (the King and the Queen’s, the Parterre area –
Fiure nº2- and the Isla area –Figure nº 4-), whereas the other two, (the Prince –Figure nº 3-
and that of Isabel II), are isolated from the Palace, from the other gardens and from each
other. The first ones, because of their proximity to the Palace, have been the King’s gardens,
while the other two, especially the Prince’s, have been gardens of the Court. All of them, as
does the Palace, transport us to a different era and have become the icon of the 18th century
courtesan society. Centuries later they perfectly reflect the role that this place has had as a
recreational area.

The presence of the river is constant in almost all of them, in such a way that it allows the
natural landscape of the plains to melt together with that of the gardens, creating an
environment in which nature is blended with the domesticated world such as the agricultural
plains, gardens and rural areas.

The garden model that has been developed here is similar to those designed for the Versailles
Palace, where there are essentially two types: the French style and the English style. The first
of these in the case of Aranjuez is called the Garden of Parterre and is of modest dimensions
in comparison to the Le Notre garden of Versailles (Figure nº 2). The second type corresponds
to the Garden of the Prince (Figure nº 3), which in reality is a juxtaposition of a dozen gardens
in which the cultural contradictions of the time and the tastes of successive monarchs are
reflected. For this reason it has no one singular style but rather a mixture of the canons of the
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Muslim, Italian, Oriental, Flamenco and French gardens (Añón and Luengo Añón, 2003 and
Martínez, 1982).

Figure 2 (top). Parterre Garden Figure 3 (top right). Garden of the Prince
Figure 4 (bottom right). Garden of the Isla

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In the present activities of various natures are held in each so they are used for botanical,
historical, landscape and artistic research. In addition cultural activities are held such as
guided tours, concerts, theatre performances, etc. But walks and recreation are the most
common activity in these highly sensitive environs.

3.4 The Monumental Collection of Historic Buildings.
Is the most emblematic part of this Site, since it has a great historical artistic and cultural
significance, as it contains the primary architectonic heritage including the palace, the
gardens, the houses of the Court, the urban areas with access to the palace and the city centre.
The last of these was designed by Bonavía and has an incalculable urban value, even though it
goes largely unnoticed by the majority of visitors to Aranjuez given that the layout is more
difficult to differentiate and to enjoy than the other architectural elements. This baroque city
has a geometric design in which straight lines, perspective, uniformity and the historic nature
of its buildings and open spaces are predominant. For its design the Palace, the adjoining
houses and the pre-existing path system was taken as its point of reference. The model that
was implemented in Versailles of Trident or “The Goose Leg”, which divides the layout in
three great axis (Infantas streets, Prince Street and Queen Street) which in both cities begin at
the Palace. Regular blocks are constructed through the rest of the city whose houses have,
along with big interior patios, a large homogeneity with respect to the facades, heights, roofs
and materials (Figure nº 5). Using this urban model the population is divided in two sectors
separated by the San Antonio Square, which isolates the Palatine city from the Courtesan
(Mínguez, 2007).

Figure 5: Panoramic of Aranjuez's historical city. After it, they find the groves (zone with
trees) and finally the hilly area.

The historic complex is made up of a total of eighteen buildings of a monumental nature and,
to these must be added the Royal Palace, emblem of this city and symbol of power. It is from
a period of history associated with the Bourbon dynasty, which culminated in the Mutiny of
Aranjuez during which the people claimed absolute power in 1808.
Lastly a fifth type of landscape deserves mention, despite not being granted special
recognition by UNESCO, because of its large presence in the area as well as the fact that it is
a dry and poor landscape. It is part of the hilly area which comes into contact with the Ocaña
Plateau. Its location in an area where the Ocaña plateau and the Agricultural fields of the Tajo
river give rise to the mountainous country composed of gypsum and quartz covered by a
typically sparse vegetation of shrubs and bushes.
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Conclusions

Royal Sites are not simply palaces and gardens built near a capital of a European State. They
are a complex of architectural, urban, natural and topographic elements of great importance,
made up of a palatial residence and an urban nucleus, formed by civil and religious structures.
They are located in municipalities close to the capital, where the Court resides at the time of
the planning and construction (Calatrava Escobar, 2005). Let it suffice to say that they are
urban and natural systems which are not seen as such. Since 2005 various professors from the
Human Geography Department at the Universidad Complutense have wanted to transmit this
complex and enriching image of a place that is extremely well known by the people living in
the capital, albeit their understanding and appreciation is incomplete.
For this reason, we travel to Aranjuez and to another Royal Site, San Lorenzo de El Escorial,
with History students to show them Historic Geography and, also with secondary teachers, to
whom we want to give a vision which is not the typically tourist one, but rather a larger global
understanding of how Aranjuez fits into and how it has shaped its natural surroundings. This
way they can conduct more complete visits with their students and they can know how to read
history and geography in the landscape.

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