| Abstract: | The tension between the rural environment as the lived experience of those who dwell within it, and the objectification of that environment as scenery, is examined in the context of a change in planning legislation and philosophy. A discursive analysis of relevant documents demonstrates the application of a strong picturesque aesthetic. While the process of expert landscape assessment, as undertaken in this case study, immediately establishes a tension between outsider and insider, expert and inhabitant, the application of the picturesque aesthetic exacerbates it. In addition, the conflation of scenic quality with ecological health, which is an implicit feature of the picturesque aesthetic, results in a failure to adequately protect significant ecosystems as required under New Zealand's new planning law. |
