The future of the Cornwall National Landscape: An Invitation to Co-Design a New Research Project

 

An Invitation to Co-Design a New Research Project

The Cornwall National Landscape (CNL) is more than a protected area; it is a living, working, culturally rich place. From the rugged Atlantic coast to Bodmin Moor, from fishing coves and estuaries to farmland and historic settlements, these landscapes carry deep ecological value, shape local identity, and support thousands of livelihoods.

But they also face growing pressures: climate change, coastal erosion, rising visitor numbers, shifting agricultural policy, rural housing challenges, and competing demands on land and sea.

My PhD research at Falmouth University explores these pressures and possibilities, and I want to involve the people who know these landscapes best.

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The Research Question

How does social capital influence environmental stewardship and sustainable business development in protected landscapes, and in what ways can the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) be applied to assess and enhance governance outcomes in the Cornwall National Landscape (CNL) five-year plan?

Research Aim

To explore tensions between sustainable business growth and conservation.

Research Focus

To understand how social capital, the relationships, trust, networks, and norms that connect people and organisations, shapes environmental stewardship and sustainable economic development across the CNL.

This project is guided by a simple principle:

Cornwall’s landscapes are lived-in and cared-for by communities: so they should play a central role in shaping the research.

This blog post is an invitation to co-design the project, refine what matters, and ensure that the outcomes reflect real experiences on the ground.

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What Is the Research About?

At its core, the project asks how protected landscapes, historically focused on conservation and recreation, can also help strengthen:

• Local economies
• Community wellbeing
• Cultural resilience
• Ecological integrity

This brings together several ongoing debates in Cornwall and the wider UK:

• Heritage & Identity: Engine houses, fishing harbours, Cornish hedges, and Kernewek all require investment, care, and sensitive management.
• Tourism: A vital economic driver, but one that places pressure on ecosystems, infrastructure, and community life.
• Land & Sea Stewardship: Policies increasingly emphasise nature recovery, climate action, and sustainable land management.
• Community Voice: Many Cornish communities seek more inclusive governance models that reflect their identity, rights, and aspirations for year-round living and working.

Understanding these dynamics requires collaboration and not just academic analysis.

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Why Co-Design?

Cornwall National Landscape is a complex social–ecological system shaped by farming, fishing, mining, migration, culture, and centuries of environmental change. To study it meaningfully, the research must involve those who understand it from lived experience.

Co-design brings:

Local knowledge

Insights from residents, farmers, fishers, guides, and community volunteers who understand seasonal rhythms, pressures, and opportunities.

Industry & heritage expertise

Tourism operators, environmental bodies, and cultural organisations can highlight business realities, visitor trends, and heritage needs.

Shared decision-making

Participants help shape the research questions, methods, and interpretation of findings.

Real-world impact

Co-produced research produces recommendations that support planning, governance, sustainable tourism, cultural initiatives, and community-led action.

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How You Can Contribute

There are several ways to get involved, all voluntary and flexible:

1. Feedback on Research Direction

• What issues matter most to you?
• What tensions or opportunities do you see?
• Where do policies or practices fall short?

2. Community Conversations / Interviews

Share lived experience of tourism, farming, fishing, conservation, heritage, housing, or local business.

3. Participatory Workshops

Workshops will explore priorities such as sustainable tourism, nature recovery, cultural identity, and community wellbeing.

4. Longer-Term Collaboration (optional)

Help sense-check findings, co-interpret results, or co-develop practical frameworks.

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Themes Where Your Insight Matters Most

I particularly welcome views on:

• The future role of tourism
• Balancing heritage (from mining landscapes to Kernewek) with sustainability
• Farming, fishing, and land/sea management experiences
• Community wellbeing, cultural identity, and economic resilience
• Environmental change, coastal pressures, and seasonality
• How relationships, networks, and social capital shape decision-making
• What a “sustainable future for Cornwall” looks like to you

Your perspective will help shape a more grounded, meaningful research project.

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Get Involved

If you’d like to participate or stay informed:

📩 Email: NG286123@falmouth.ac.uk
👥 Attend a workshop: Dates to be announced
🔗 Recommend people or groups to contact

All participation is confidential and entirely voluntary.

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Closing Thoughts

Protected landscapes belong to both their past and their future. As Cornwall navigates changes in tourism, environment, governance, livelihoods, and cultural identity, we need new ways of understanding and managing these places.

Co-designed research recognises that landscape stewardship is not an abstract policy exercise, it is lived, negotiated, contested, and cared for every day by the people who call Cornwall home.

Whether you farm on Bodmin Moor, manage a heritage site, run a business, volunteer in conservation, speak Kernewek, or simply love Cornwall’s landscapes,  your insight is invaluable.

I look forward to listening, learning, and shaping this research together.

Heritage, Carbon, and Conservation: Reflections on the TSS Earnslaw in a Protected Landscape

Travelling aboard the heritage TSS Earnslaw on Lake Wakatipu, with the soaring peaks of Fiordland National Park rising in the distance, offers an evocative reminder of the layered histories embodied within protected landscapes. Launched in 1912, the Earnslaw is both a living museum piece and a symbol of regional identity. Yet its operation — still powered by coal and consuming roughly one ton per return journey, producing around 2.4 tonnes of CO₂ — foregrounds the central dilemma shaping contemporary heritage tourism: how can culturally significant experiences be maintained without undermining the ecological values of the very landscapes that make them meaningful?

Protected Landscapes as Living Social–Ecological Systems

Protected landscapes such as those found within the Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Area are not solely conserved for their natural attributes. According to IUCN Category V principles, they represent areas where the interaction of people and nature has produced distinct ecological, cultural, and aesthetic features over time (Phillips, 2002). The Earnslaw, once vital transport infrastructure, is today a curated heritage experience that contributes to regional tourism economies and reinforces collective place identity.

Yet these same landscapes function as complex social–ecological systems, where tourism, local livelihoods, ecological processes, and governance structures interact dynamically (Morse, 2023). In such systems, heritage attractions can deliver meaningful social and economic benefits — but only if their impacts remain within the ecological thresholds necessary to safeguard landscape integrity.

Tourism, Emissions, and the Paradox of Heritage in National Parks

The operation of a coal-fired vessel within a national park region encapsulates a broader paradox in protected area tourism. On one hand, attractions like the TSS Earnslaw sustain jobs, stimulate local economies, and support community resilience (Clark, 2024; Clark, 2025). They also enable visitors to engage with regional histories and cultural narratives embedded in the landscape.

On the other hand, heritage tourism can impose measurable ecological costs. Tourism already contributes approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions, and high-carbon experiences — even those with cultural value — challenge the sustainability commitments of both operators and destination managers (Higham & Font, 2021; Leung et al., 2018). In Aotearoa New Zealand, concerns have been raised about the cumulative pressures of visitor activity on fragile protected areas, from carbon emissions to infrastructure demands (Higham et al., 2019).

The Earnslaw thus stands at the intersection of heritage conservation, economic necessity, and environmental responsibility. Its continued operation raises difficult but necessary questions about what forms of heritage are compatible with the future of low-carbon protected landscapes.

Towards Integrated Landscape Governance

My doctoral research is positioned within these tensions and is guided by the question:

How can protected landscapes, historically designed for conservation and recreation, also act as drivers of local economic resilience and community wellbeing — without compromising their ecological integrity?

Addressing this question requires integrated governance approaches that recognise protected landscapes as multifunctional spaces. Scholars argue that sustainable tourism in such settings must align heritage values with emissions reductions, ecological monitoring, and community benefit-sharing mechanisms (Woodhouse et al., 2022; Yu et al., 2025). Tools such as ecological integrity assessments and resilience frameworks provide pathways for balancing cultural continuity with environmental limits.

Standing aboard the Earnslaw, watching coal being fed into its firebox as Fiordland’s mountains emerged through the steam, the contradictions of managing heritage in protected landscapes became powerfully tangible. This iconic vessel demonstrates both the significance of cultural heritage and the urgent need to reconcile it with contemporary sustainability imperatives.

As protected landscapes continue to serve conservation goals, provide recreational opportunities, and support local economies, examples like the TSS Earnslaw highlight the importance of developing nuanced, systems-based approaches capable of navigating competing values. These tensions do not diminish the value of heritage tourism — rather, they underscore the need for deliberate, adaptive strategies that enable cultural and ecological futures to coexist.

References

Baloch, Q. B., et al. (2022). Impact of tourism development upon environmental sustainability: A global analysis. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

Clark, C. (2024). Building community resilience and adaptive capacity in a nature-based tourism destination. Journal of Travel Research.

Clark, C. (2025). Rewilding as a destination development phenomenon. Tourism Management (in press).

Higham, J., Espiner, S., & Fountain, J. (2019). The environmental impacts of tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand. Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.

Higham, J., & Font, X. (2021). Code red for sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism.

Leung, Y.-F., et al. (2018). Tourism and Visitor Management in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Sustainability. IUCN.

Morse, W. (2023). Protected area tourism and management as a social–ecological complex adaptive system. Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism.

Phillips, A. (2002). Management Guidelines for IUCN Category V Protected Landscapes/Seascapes. IUCN.

Woodhouse, E., et al. (2022). Rethinking entrenched narratives about protected areas and human wellbeing. People and Nature.

Yu, M., et al. (2025). Landscape ecological integrity assessment to improve protected area management. Conservation (MDPI). 

Cornwall National Landscape (CNL) Research Overview and Proposed Focus Areas

As my research continues to take shape and develop, here is a handy overview of the key frameworks behind it and some exciting next steps. 

Research question:

How does social capital influence environmental stewardship and sustainable business development in protected landscapes, and in what ways can the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) be applied to assess and enhance governance outcomes in the Cornwall National Landscape (CNL) five-year plan?

Research Aim:

Explore the tensions between mandatory sustainable business growth and conservation within Cornwall’s National Landscape (formerly Cornwall AONB). Understand how social capital influences environmental stewardship and sustainable business development within protected landscapes, using the Cornwall National Landscape (CNL) as a primary case study.

Why?

This research responds to a novel and essential challenge in UK environmental governance:

How can protected landscapes historically designed for conservation and recreation also act as drivers of local economic resilience and community wellbeing, without compromising their ecological integrity?

Overview of the research

This research examines how social capital influences environmental stewardship and sustainable business development within the Cornwall National Landscape (CNL). Social capital is the networks, trust, relationships, and norms that enable people and organisations to work effectively together, the glue that holds a community together. 

The study uses the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) to explore how governance structures, partnerships, and resource flows intersect across natural, cultural, social, financial, built, political, and human capitals. Applying CCF across CNL areas ensures context-sensitive governance that aligns environmental goals with local livelihoods and identities.

The novelty of this study lies in developing a social-capital-informed sustainability framework that can help protected landscapes act as drivers of local economic resilience and community wellbeing, without compromising their ecological integrity.

Why the Community Capitals Framework (CCF)?

The CCF provides a structured way to examine how natural, social, human, cultural, financial, built, and political capitals interact. It is especially relevant in Cornwall, where the strength of the landscape is often balanced against limited public funding, volunteer reliance, and the need for community-driven stewardship.

Using CCF will allow the study to identify:

• Where capital strengths can be leveraged.

• Where capital deficits restrict plan delivery.

• How building social and political capital could unlock better environmental and economic outcomes.

    Why Social Capital?:

• Social capital reveals what enables or blocks effective joint working between agencies, communities, businesses, and volunteers.

• Shows how policies are adapted locally, depending on the quality of relationships and communication channels.

• Operational asset, not just a theory, directly influencing stewardship, business development, and community wellbeing in protected landscapes.

Why governance matters

Recent national and local political changes create a fluid governance context, making it possible to see how shifting priorites shape environmental stewardship in real time. This is valuable for the research question because it allows a direct examination of how governance conditions affect sustainable development in protected landscapes.

For this thesis, which asks how social capital shapes environmental stewardship and sustainable development in the Cornwall National Landscape (CNL), these governance dynamics present a rare opportunity. They allow for the examination of how trust, collaboration, networks, and cross-sector relationships either buffer or amplify the effects of political shifts. This is particularly novel because few studies analyse a protected landscape operating through a unitary council, bordered by multi-tier authorities and cross-county complexities. 

This establishes the CNL as a compelling site for advancing theoretical and practical understandings of landscape governance.

Proposed focus areas

To reflect the geographical, cultural, and socio-economic heterogeneity of Cornwall, four contrasting case study sites have been selected.

Given the distinctive character of all 12 CNL areas, it is not feasible, within the scope and capacity of this research, to undertake full social-capital analysis across the entire area. Selecting four differing case-study areas enables sufficiently deep, context-specific exploration while still allowing meaningful cross-site comparison to identify shared patterns and important variations.

Tamar Valley

• Cross-border, multi-authority governance presents opportunities for collaborative working.

• Peri-urban pressures from Plymouth highlight tensions and opportunities around land use, access, and landscape protection.

St Agnes & North Coast

• Biodiversity significance and intense visitor pressure create a dynamic space for studying community stewardship and visitor management partnerships.

• A highly active local community offers insight into grassroots delivery.

Bodmin Moor

• Upland area of moorland which presents a differing economic and geological landscape. 

• Traditional farming systems and common land governance provide rich examples of natural, cultural and social capital in action.

• Highlights rural service provision and environmental management challenges.

West Penwith

• Strong cultural identity and thriving but seasonal visitor economy.

• Area of significant industrial heritage.

• Issues around housing, service provision, and social cohesion reveal how financial, cultural and social capital interact.

The new Critical Minerals Strategy: Creates a real-world test of how a protected landscape balances conservation duties with national economic priorities. The case illustrates how social capital, governance arrangements, and the interaction of multiple community capitals shape the outcomes of high-impact development proposals within or adjacent to the Cornwall National Landscape.

What the research will deliver

• A map of stakeholder networks, trust dynamics, and partner relationships.

• Analysis of how governance arrangements (unitary Cornwall vs cross-border areas like Tamar Valley and Hartland) influence delivery.

• Recommendations for strengthening partnership working, community engagement, and sustainable business development.

• A refined CCF-based model for protected landscape governance that can inform future iterations of the CNL Management Plan.

Next Steps 

• Align early fieldwork with ongoing or upcoming projects where governance dynamics can be observed.

Key References:

If you wanted to do some more reading of your own then here are some great sources to get started with:

Emery, M. & Flora, C.B. (2006) ‘Spiraling-Up: Mapping Community Transformation with the Community Capitals Framework’, Community Development, 37(1), pp. 19–35.

Seminal CCF paper showing how bonding/bridging social capital catalyses gains across all seven capitals, offering a rigorous logic model to trace “spiraling-up” community change. (Accessed 17 Oct 2025).

Fine, B. (2001) Social Capital versus Social Theory: Political Economy and Social Science at the Turn of the Millennium. London: Routledge.

Gkartzios, M., Scott, M. & Gallent, N. (2022) ‘A capitals framework for rural areas: “Place-planning” the periphery’, Land Use Policy, 116, 106058.

Extends capitals thinking in UK/European rural planning, clarifying how planning instruments interact with capitals, bridging theory and spatial governance relevant to AONB/National Landscape contexts. (Accessed 17 Oct 2025).

Pretty, J. & Ward, H. (2001) ‘Social Capital and the Environment’, World Development, 29(2), pp. 209–227.

Classic environment–society analysis defining social capital (trust, reciprocity, norms) and evidencing how participatory groups improve environmental outcomes. (Accessed 17 Oct 2025).

 

Research Updates

Welcome back to my research blog. With the PhD now taking shape and the project moving from early scoping into deeper conceptual and methodological work, it felt like the right moment to share a full update on where the research is heading, what has evolved, and what new questions are coming into focus.

Over the past few months, the project has grown from an initial exploration of sustainable business in the Cornwall National Landscape into a broader investigation of governance, social capital, and cultural identity within protected landscapes. Below is an overview of the direction the research is now taking and the ideas guiding its next steps.

An Evolving Focus: From Sustainable Business to Governance and Social Capital

At the start of the PhD, it was primarily looking at sustainable business development within the Cornwall National Landscape (CNL). After digging deeper into policies, management plans, and community dynamics, a different pattern started to emerge:

Sustainable outcomes in protected landscapes depend just as much on relationships as they do on regulations.

This realisation shifted the emphasis of the research. The central question is now:

How does social capital influence environmental stewardship and sustainable business development in protected landscapes, and in what ways can the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) be applied to assess and enhance governance outcomes in the Cornwall National Landscape (CNL) five-year plan?

Instead of looking only at business opportunities, I’m now analysing the wider governance ecosystem:

• how local communities work with institutions
  

• how partnership networks form
  

• how trust, shared identity, and cultural heritage shape action
  

• how policies translate into practice across the CNL’s diverse landscapes
  

This gives the project a stronger conceptual foundation and connects it to wider debates in environmental governance and rural development.

Building a Theoretical Toolkit

A big part of the recent work has focused on refining the thesis’s conceptual scaffolding. The three key pieces are now:

1. Social Capital

Networks, trust, shared norms, and connections across groups (bonding, bridging, and linking ties). These influence everything from volunteer mobilisation to cross-sector partnerships and compliance with planning decisions.

2. Community Capitals Framework (CCF)

This framework identifies seven capitals (natural, cultural, social, human, political, financial, built) and helps show how community assets interact to support or hinder sustainable outcomes. It’s especially useful for unpacking governance complexity.

3. Landscape Governance

Protected landscapes are no longer just conservation spaces, they are arenas where ecological, social, economic, political, and cultural components meet. Governance is increasingly multi-actor, place-based, and negotiated.

Bringing these three lenses together creates a clearer way to analyse Cornwall’s protected landscape and understand the forces shaping its future.

Why This Research Matters

Protected landscapes are undergoing a major shift, moving from “scenic designations” to active spaces of climate action, nature recovery, and sustainable economic development. The Cornwall National Landscape is at the forefront of this shift.

Yet policies can only do so much. Real progress depends on:

• trust between agencies and communities
  

• collaboration across sectors
  

• strong linking ties to decision-makers
  

By exploring these dynamics, the research hopes to offer:

• tools for building effective partnerships
  

• evidence for strengthening governance capacity
  

• insights into connecting policy ambitions to place-based realities
  

Next Steps

Upcoming work includes:

• mapping stakeholder networks
  

• analysing the CNL Plan through the lens of community capitals
  

• beginning interviews with land managers, businesses, community groups, and policymakers
  

• exploring the role of cultural narratives (including poems, songs, and folklore) in shaping perceptions of Cornwall’s landscapes
  
  

There’s much still to uncover, and the project will continue to evolve as new connections, tensions, and opportunities come into focus.

Thanks for reading and following along with this research journey. More updates, field notes, and reflections coming soon.

Welcome to my blog

The SW Coastal Footpath at Morwenstow

Welcome to my PhD research blog! Here, I will share the journey and insights of my doctoral research at Falmouth University, which commences in September 2024.

Research Introduction

Title: Enabling Sustainable Business in Cornwall National Landscape: An Exploration of Opportunities and Solutions within the 2022-2027 Management Plan

Formerly known as the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Cornwall National Landscape (CNL) is a region of significant ecological and economic value. My PhD research focuses on fostering sustainable business practices within this vital area, aligning with the goals set out in the CNL’s 2022-2027 Management Plan. This study will bridge theoretical frameworks of sustainable development and reflexive modernity with practical applications in conservation landscapes.

Research Aims

The central aim of my research is to explore and develop sustainable business opportunities within the CNL. This includes balancing economic growth with environmental conservation and engaging with community and policy dynamics. The outcomes of this research will not only benefit Cornwall but also serve as a model for sustainable business development in natural landscapes globally.

Research Objectives

1. Opportunity Assessment: Identify potential opportunities within the CNL’s Management Plan for sustainable business development.
2. Barrier Analysis: Investigate challenges to sustainable business, including tourism pressures, technological advances, and demographic shifts.
3. Best Practice Models: Adapt and apply successful sustainable business models from both national and international contexts to the CNL.
4. Key Attributes: Define the characteristics of sustainable businesses in natural landscapes.
5. Framework Development: Create a practical framework to guide sustainable business practices aligned with CNL’s goals, with potential for broader application.
6. Innovation Pathways: Develop strategies to support student-led SMEs within the CNL.
7. Stakeholder Engagement Models: Establish effective engagement methods for community and business stakeholders in the CNL.

Significance of the Research

This research aims to provide new insights and practical solutions for sustainable business development in protected natural areas. The findings will offer empirical evidence and a theoretical framework applicable to similar regions worldwide, potentially influencing policy, community engagement, and sustainable economic practices.

The study addresses a significant research gap by investigating sustainable operations in conservation landscapes, exploring the balance between economic growth and environmental conservation, and engaging community and policy dynamics.

Expected Outcomes

• Comprehensive Analysis: A detailed evaluation of the potential for sustainable businesses in the CNL.
• Practical Framework: A versatile framework to support the growth of sustainable SMEs, including certification for sustainable tourism.
• Policy Recommendations: Suggestions for policy improvements and the creation of business support networks to foster sustainable growth in the CNL.
• Implementation Plan: A detailed strategy for implementing the CNL Management Plan, which can serve as a template for future university-led initiatives.

Conclusion

This research promises to integrate economic development with environmental stewardship, offering a holistic approach to sustainability in natural landscapes. Follow my blog for updates, insights, and findings as I embark on this exciting research journey.

Thank you for joining me on this path toward a more sustainable future for Cornwall and beyond.