De vaak kleine en onregelmatig gevormde percelen in het kleimozaïekgebied zijn meestal zeer kruinig, waardoor voor kavelinrichtingswerken hoge investeringen nodig zijn. Om een "beter inzicht in de te verwachten baten te krijgen zijn door de Provinciale Directie Groningen van de Cultuurtechnische Dienst voor een achttal proefcomplexen in de ruilverkaveling 'De Marne' alternatieve kavelinrichtingsplannen opgesteld.

Land systems are characterised by many feedbacks that can result in complex system behaviour. We defined feedbacks as the two-way influences between the land use system and a related system (e.g., climate, soils and markets), both of which are encompassed by the land system. Land models that include feedbacks thus probably more accurately mimic how land systems respond to, e.g., policy or climate change. However, representing feedbacks in land models is a challenge. We reviewed articles incorporating feedbacks into land models and analysed each with predefined indicators.

The concept of traffic calming has successfully improved road safety. This concept applied in rural areas has provided new insights in the mitigation of negative effects of roads and traffic. Earlier studies have shown that the concept, distinguishing between local access roads and rural arterial highways, also can improve landscape connectivity for wildlife. Physical speed reducing devices are frequently used in the context of traffic calming, but applying these devices may negatively impact the coherence and identity of the landscape.

Urban physical public infrastructure is a frontline defense mechanism to manage and mitigate climate-related impacts. Market instruments are often cited as possible means to spread risk and reduce financial burdens on the public sector. The authors argue that existing research tends to focus on the technical issues of instruments and neglects considering institutional dynamics that may enable or constrain local market-based financing mechanisms.

This article highlights the psychological dimension of social learning. Insights from psychology address the interrelated role of personal and group dynamics in social learning. This can provide a useful starting point for a rewarding use of social learning as an analytical tool in co-creative planning.

Ecological networks facilitate the mobility and vitality of species populations by providing a network of habitat patches that are embedded in a traversable landscape matrix. Climate change and land-use change pose threats to biodiversity, which can potentially be overcome by ecological networks. Yet, systematic assessments of ecological network performance under conditions of climate change and land-use change are rare. In this special issue we explore and evaluate approaches to assess the functionality of ecological networks under scenarios of global change.