Institute of Geography and Sustainability of the University of Lausanne
Research projects
Towards peaceful coexistence between humans and animals: a comparative study of management strategies and spatial planning measures in regions hosting large predators within the local ecosystem.
| Research fields |
Margins, environment, landscapes |
| Keywords |
Planning strategies Ecological infrastructure Landscape ecology Ethology Behavioral ecology Animal ecology Peaceful coexistence Georeferenced data Large predators Wolves Human beings |
| Funding | |
| Duration | February 2024 - January 2028 |
| Website | |
| Researchers |
Delabarre Muriel (Supervision) [web] [email] Valsangiacomo Nico (Doctoral student) [web] [email] |
In light of the permanent return of the wolf to Switzerland and the tensions it provokes, this project explores the role that spatial planning can play in fostering balanced coexistence between humans and large predators. Using landscape urbanism as the main analytical framework, the research offers a spatial, sensitive, and comparative analysis of three contexts: the cantons of Grisons and Ticino in Switzerland, and the Abruzzo National Park in Italy. Through the study of spatial typologies, local perceptions, and planning tools, the project aims to identify transferable patterns of coexistence, shed light on interspecies dynamics, and contribute to the public debate on the management of living beings.
 Testimony to the permanent human presence and the continuation of pastoral practices. These structures reflect a landscape-based coexistence between tradition and contemporary adaptation. |