Co-designing energy landscapes: Application of participatory mapping and geographic information systems in the exploration of low carbon futures

The chapter begins with a literature review of energy potential mapping, ecosystem services (ES) assessment and participatory mapping (PM). PM is a key technique to conduct tradeoff analysis while co-designing sustainable energy landscapes (SEL) with local communities. Stakeholders, among others, participate in the mapping of ‘hot spots’. Geographic Information System software can be used to analyse the existing landscape and renewable energy potentials as well as to process stakeholder values and preferences with regard to landscape quality/ES supply, and renewable energy technologies, respectively. The chapter introduces a framework for co-designing a SEL with special attention to the use of PM and ES, and discusses key opportunities and challenges associated with the approach. In particular, mutual benefits emerge once the domains of ES and renewable energy are approached in a concerted manner. The chapter illustrates that co-designing energy landscapes together with stakeholders can help to better understand and manage tradeoffs between ES.