To path indicator Subpages of “News / Events“ To navigation To quick access To footer with other services
To content
Logo of the Research Group EPC
Department of Spatial Planning
[Translate to English:] © Karsten Zimmermann​/​TU Dortmund

Local politics matter for land use change

© After Karolin Kriesch​/​TU Dortmund und OpenClipart-Vectors​/​Pixabay; modified
The final paper of a series about the impact of local politics on land use change in the four European countries Poland, Sweden, Germany (federal state of NRW) and Portugal has been published.

The four papers are all based on the political market framework ans use similar methodology with a Land Use Change Index (LUCI) calculated based on Corine Land Cover Data as dependant variable and local politics as part of the set of independent variables explaining the conversion towards more intensive land uses.

Our research supports the thesis that local politics matter for land use change. Spatial analysis shows significant correlations between the LUCI and variables describing the political constellation at the local level (Poland: mayoral margin of electoral victory, farmers in the municipal council; Sweden: margin of victory, coalition, vote share Green party; Germany: Local turnout, representatives share, majority change; Portugal: political alignment between mayor and council, left mayor). A key finding regarding the relevance of political majorities in the council for decisions on land use changes is that the power of ruling politicians is more significant than the party affiliation.

Read more in detail:

Deslatte, Aaron; Szmigiel-Rawska, Katarzyna; Tavares, António F.; Ślawska, Justyna; Karsznia, Izabela; Łukomska, Julita (2022). Land use institutions and social-ecological systems: A spatial analysis of local landscape changes in Poland. Land Use Policy, 114, 105937. Doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105937

Feiertag, Patricia; Szmigiel-Rawska, Katarzyna; Zimmermann, Karsten (2025). Political interest mediation at the local levels as a factor explaining land take. The case of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 1-19. Doi:10.1080/09640568.2025.2455616

Wittberg, Emanuel; Tavares, António F.; Szmigiel-Rawska, Katarzyna (2025). Local politics and land take: Using remote sensing data to analyse land-use changes in Sweden. Journal of Environmental Management, 384, 125387. Doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125387

Tavares, António F. (2026). Of wineries and olive trees: Political institutions and land use changes in Portugal. Land Use Policy, 168, 108078. Doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.108078

 

We would like to thank Katarzyna Szmigiel-Rawska (University of Warsaw) for initiating this European collaboration.

Back