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The prevailing scientific and political consensus considers accelerated landscape transformations problematic and difficult to manage in a sustainable way. This article compares two possible views and responses: the traditional top-down view, and the increasingly promoted bottom-up view. Analysis of policy measures in the European Union and Alpine countries confirms that the top-down response is in many respects inadequate for achieving sustainable development. The bottom-up view is discussed here as an alternative, using the results of two research projects in the Alpine area to reveal the views of local people and to identify local governance capacity. Some empirical evidence about the effects of a participatory approach is provided by an analysis and evaluation of a set of “best practice” examples. The tentative conclusions support the introduction of a more bottom-up view, but also indicate that the most important success factor is adequate consideration of the socioeconomic context and local governance capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]