the good, the bad and the ignorant: ethics and landscape heritage maps

The good

The bad

‘The ignorant’

CulturalLandscape

Landscapeheritage

Ethics

Maps,information

The good, the bad and the ignorant:

Ethics and landscape heritage maps

Sophie Visser Symposium Mapping Ethics Lausanne, April 14-15, 2011

Personal background

-M. Sc. In Chemistry & Informatics

-Career in information systems (organization & user oriented)

-M.A. in (Historical) Geography 2006

-Independent consultant LandZij/ PhD student Utrecht University

Landscape heritage maps:

‘hardly useful’ – why?

Example : “Main heritage structure“ map, Province of South-Holland

ÞDoes what it says (‘main structure’) Þbut: - (too) selective

- no object-names - no object-information

Example: “Knowledge Infrastructure Cult. Heritage”, National system, < 2010

ÞRepresents ‘knowledge’ ?! Þ - selectivity!

- object-names : yes - object-information : hardly

-Appears to show more objects-But: -point icons for everything -hardly ‘real’ landscape objects + information => e.g. 3 unnamed objects + 7 general descriptions

Example: “Knowledge Infrastructure Cult. Heritage”, National system, > 2010

‘Social responsibility framework’ for maps (and more …..)

Levels (aggregated) Is about

Map as visualization ‘clear’ + useful

Landscape heritage & information what + why present + information

Choices & criteria ‘why’ (or not)

Process & method

Policy & process context

Effects & impacts on use & users Practical /emotional effects => on use

Effects & impacts on society Impacts on landscape

In the present

Towardsthe future

More background: what, how, whom, why (or not)

‘Social responsibility framework’ (2)

=> Judged from a local perspective

Framework levels Province KICH < 2010 KICH > 2010

Map visualization +/- + - Landscape heritage & information +/- Region-dependent:

- - +-

Choices & criteria

Process & method

Policy & process context

Effects & impacts on use & users

What do with it? Not for landscape…

Hardly used in general?

Effects & impacts on society

√

e.g. – non-mapped cultural history? - status, power, …?

~general

in recentreports

~general

Policies from‘90s!

(+ partly not clear)

National

Provincial

Regional

Local

Administrative levels/scale

Activity types

Problem => Views and heritage maps : provided needed (1)

Policy general detailed management education,plan plan & tourism

maintenance

Heritage map

Heritage map

needed heritageinformation

Other needs views people activities contexts

By – professionals - authorities

‘Represen-tation’

Landscape/heritage activities use(Future)

Landscape/heritage

Heritageevaluation

Cultural history research

Mapping => a processes-in-context with actors and impacts(1)

Text, Visualization, Publication

Topographic map

GIS

Mapping as communication-in-context

(1) Uses-in-context(s)(2) ‘Inscribing the landscape’

(Future)Landscape/heritage

Mapping => a processe-in-context with actors and impacts(2)

‘ignorant’ ‘good’

Is all this ‘an issue’? => expertise, awareness, discussion, …

Thank you!

j.s.visser@planet.nl

Upon clicking: 10 objects

Unnamed built heritage 1800-1945

Area: Netherlands

Unnamed built heritage 1800-1945

Area: Regional description

Area: Fens

Mid-Netherlands fens area

Peat/fens reclamation

Lakes from peat digging

Unspecified border

Peat reclamation parcellation

Example: “Knowledge Infrastructure Cult. Heritage”, National system, > 2010