Cultural landscapes are the landscapes that people have modified or altered in some way, usually through settlement. The changes humans make to the landscape can be physical, (roads, buildings) or the changes can be perceptual. The way we interpret our landscapes reflects our values of it. Our perceptions are often expressed through our art.(paintings, poetry). Cultural landscapes tell the stories of people, events and places through time, they are a dynamic history of the interaction between human and nature, Cultural landscapes reflect the human values and ideologies that have created them, as well as the physical technologies that created them. Cultural landscapes may be iconic, famous places, or the everyday places that we live in. It is easy to understand the significance of special well-known places that are symbols Of our culture (Parliament Buildings and the Beehive in Wellington). These places give us a sense of national identity and feeling of belonging. Iconic landscapes, have obvious significance to people, and are valued by the community who care about their management. Conversely the landscapes that we live in everyday may appear so familiar and Ordinary' to us that they are 'invisible' and seem to have little significance. These taken for granted places are just as significant to our cultural heritage and sense of who we are, To be valued by the community, these landscapes need first to be understood. In land use planning terms we tend not to think about cultural landscapes until they are either under threat or have been already altered or lost.2 To appreciate the value of a cultural landscape serves as a foundation on which to build informed comment on future change and land management. Cultural landscapes are the landscapes that people have modified or altered in some way, usually through settlement. The changes humans make to the landscape can be physical, (roads, buildings) or the changes can be perceptual. The way we interpret our landscapes reflects our values of it. Our perceptions are often expressed through our art.(paintings, poetry). Cultural landscapes tell the stories of people, events and places through time, they are a dynamic history of the interaction between human and nature, Cultural landscapes reflect the human values and ideologies that have created them, as well as the physical technologies that created them. Cultural landscapes may be iconic, famous places, or the everyday places that we live in. It is easy to understand the significance of special well-known places that are symbols Of our culture (Parliament Buildings and the Beehive in Wellington). These places give us a sense of national identity and feeling of belonging. Iconic landscapes, have obvious significance to people, and are valued by the community who care about their management. Conversely the landscapes that we live in everyday may appear so familiar and Ordinary' to us that they are 'invisible' and seem to have little significance. These taken for granted places are just as significant to our cultural heritage and sense of who we are, To be valued by the community, these landscapes need first to be understood. In land use planning terms we tend not to think about cultural landscapes until they are either under threat or have been already altered or lost.2 To appreciate the value of a cultural landscape serves as a foundation on which to build informed comment on future change and land management.