The role of emotions and values in territorial planning teaching: insights from a Basque University case study

Territory is a multifaceted concept, encompassing geographical, social, economic, and ecological dimensions. How people understand this concept depends on their values and emotions, and influences their human interactions with the environment, leading to possibly conservation, improvement or degradation of it. Territory planning, which involves formulating strategies to guide land use and allocation, is essential in navigating this complex interplay between human needs and environmental constraints, even more so in an era of rapid change. We aim to understand how future planners relate to (perceive, value and feel) territory. Those three dimensions are the ground for action. With that objective, we surveyed students at the University of the Basque Country in a territorial planning and environment course. We use a pluralistic lens with emotional geographies to assess their answers about territory. The study highlights that students value territory primarily for its cultural, recreational, and aesthetic significance, strengthening emotional ties and fostering stewardship. Those prioritizing biodiversity and ecosystem services express negative emotions like fear and shame, reflecting moral responsibility toward conservation. While students show strong emotional ties to the territory, their engagement with territorial planning is limited. Our findings thus underscore the necessity of fostering deeper emotional connections within planning curricula to foster more empathetic and inclusive decision-making, improving governance and sustainability outcomes.