Communication, education and public awareness are critically important, together with the need for transparent information about the state and trends of ecological, economic, social and cultural/spiritual dimensions of landscapes as social-ecological systems. The term landscape approach captures this and can be operationalized by applying concepts such as Model Forest, Biosphere Reserve, and traditional village systems. In this paper we advocate an approach that supports communication, education and public awareness and that relies on landscapes as laboratories for learning and knowledge production. We stress that to implement policies about sustainable development and sustainability, the context of landscapes in terms of environmental history, biophysical conditions, cultural heritage and modes for government and governance in the landscape need to be considered.