Land-Use Transformation in a Post-Mining Landscape: The Interplay Between Social Legitimacy, Territorial Governance and Development Trajectories

The transformation of post-mining landscapes represents a critical challenge for structurally affected coal regions undergoing decarbonisation. This study examines land-use transformation in a former brown coal mining area in the north-west of the Czech Republic, focusing on the interplay between social legitimacy, territorial governance, and development trajectories. The research aims to assess (i) the level of public awareness of the transformation process, (ii) the alignment between residents’ and key local actors’ preferences regarding future land-use trajectories, and (iii) the acceptance of renewable energy as part of the area’s future development. The empirical analysis combines a CAWI survey of residents with structured CATI interviews conducted with local stakeholders. The findings reveal strong support for environmental and landscape restoration, alongside conditionally positive but more ambivalent attitudes towards renewable energy development. While ecological renewal is widely perceived as desirable, the long-term sustainability of the transformation process depends on social legitimacy, institutional trust, and the degree of alignment between strategic planning and local preferences. The results highlight that successful post-mining land-use transformation requires not only environmental and economic planning but also systematic engagement with social acceptance and territorially embedded governance.