The ways we own and use land influence many parts of our everyday lives – from the price and availability of housing, access to green space, the effects of derelict sites in the heart of our communities, our ability to take climate action, or simply the means and confidence for people to build businesses and communities. Our recently launched ‘#MyLandScotland’ campaign explores the ways land impacts individuals and how people can get involved in influencing what happens to and benefitting from the land around them.
At the centre of the campaign is a new content hub, MyLand.scot, to connect the public with land and how it has an effect on everyday life. The campaign aims to inspire Scottish residents – initially with a focus on those in urban Scotland – to participate in land-related conversations, ensuring land is used fairly and productively. MyLand.scot is also a place where residents within Scotland can find relevant information and resources.
MyLand.scot shines a light on communities taking an interest in the land around them so that it benefits everybody. We hope that these stories inspire people to have a look at the land around them and stir interest to take action. Helping to create a Scotland where everybody benefits from the ownership, management and use of the nation’s land.
As a conversation starter, land is probably not first on the list. It is often seen as something ‘out there’ that you visit, rather than something that impacts everybody every day no matter where you live. However, MyLand’s new campaign aims to change that, highlighting various local stories of people coming together to use land to benefit the community and help to combat social inequalities, loneliness, and lack of facilities, to name a few, in the hope that these stories will inspire more of us to follow suit, get involved with land and take action in our local communities. The Scottish Land Commission is working hard to get people to start thinking about the land around them, how they value it, what it is used for and how that land can be used for the greater good.
As part of the campaign, we have also launched a brand-new podcast, The Lay of the Land, hosted by filmmaker and broadcaster Calum Maclean. This new podcast explores what land means to the people of Scotland: from the way it is used and owned and how those decisions are made, to the reuse of derelict sites and the wonderful transformations that have happened in communities across Scotland. Through discussion with a variety of guests, the podcast will explore how we can become more involved with the land around us and how being more engaged in the conversation can bring significant benefits to our lives and our local communities.
Local authorities play a key role in enabling communities to address local needs with local solutions. Supporting communities to have the conversations and proactively consider the role that land can play in meeting their aspirations. Enabling access to land for that purpose is a powerful way of empowering communities and transforming land.
We are continuously building on the content of MyLand.scot so if you have any great stories you would like to share with us or resources you would like to include, please get in touch at commsteam@landcommission.gov.scot
Join the conversation on social media with #MyLandScotland
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