Information made on a certain area or landscape - like here the Wadden island of Terschelling and Top & Twel in a low peat area, both in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands - is made up of objecttypes, objects, and information on both. The object types are crucial in that. In this poster, made for the PECSRL conference in 2012 in Friesland, the object types and the information are analysed on certain aspects like content and communication.

1. A CLOSER LOOK AT CULTURAL LANDSCAPE INFORMATION
THE CASE OF FRIESLAND
What this study is about Relation to PhD Research
Information is a main – and primarily in-between - product in This study is part of a PhD project on information and
activities on cultural landscapes and heritage. It is also a communication regarding cultural-historical landscapes from
crucial factor in what people get - or are allowed - to know a local perspective. In this field several ‘worlds’ coincide and
about a certain landscape. The information, however, is 1 interact: those of information and communication
always the result of a specific ‘make-context’, and hence on one hand, those of landscape, cultural history and
selective. A make-context is a specific combination of aims, heritage on the other. The local perspective is the reference
persons, organizations, processes, methods, etc. frame for the project. The central issue is what, how, and
Information as meant here is pre-made and indirect why actors do in indirect information/communication forms
communication. Therefore, it has to be kept ‘fit for use’ over like GISses, documents, websites, etc. Actors may use free
time, distance, and users. Its usefulness and usability to users language (e.g. text), structured language (data, like in GIS)
depend on a number of factors. The use-context is one such and visualization (e.g. maps, pictures), or combinations
factor. This poster presupposes the aim of using existing thereof (‘multimodal’). All those means and forms act and
information ‘to get to know a (specific) cultural-historical perform differently themselves, hence they differ in both
landscape’ from a local perspective, as a necessary basis for 2 affordances and performances. Every aspect –
further actions. The information context - the central issue content, presentation, and interactions – contributes to that.
of this poster – is another factor, relating to the question Therefore, insight into what and how is done in information
what I&C artefacts offer (‘allow for’, ‘afford’) as potential and communication, is essential.
knowledge for knowing a cultural landscape.
A pragmatic way to answer that question is by means of the 5 Case areas: (1) Terschelling (coastal, Wadden Island)
W’s en 1 H: ‘what, where, when, where, who, and how’. (2) Top & Twel (low peat & lakes area)
Content analysis Information context as a factor Aims and approach
This poster investigates the subject from two information The way(s) information and communication are realized The affordances of (some) I&C artifacts in ‘getting to know a
genres on two Frisian landscape areas: GIS-based maps and through form(s), modes and media is a main factor. Main media cultural landscape’ from a local perspective take centre stage.
related text documents. Both may contain entities like objects, are GIS database systems, text documents and internet; main Affordances are the action-possibilities of objects (cf.
object types, ensembles, patterns, relationships (in space and modes are maps, texts, pictures, etc. The types of information ‘information qualities/values’). The concept of affordances is
time), values, etc. Their styles, ways of expression, structures, content, (re)presentation and interaction are essentially related related to an (information) ecology approach.
etc, however, are different. GISs, for example, start from ‘what’ to these, as well as to genres. Genres differ in style (e.g. word As affordances are related to personal and situational needs
and ‘where’. Other information may include ´when´, ´why´, etc. use, text structure), in the way they handle concepts (e.g. and views, an analysis of general affordances is somewhat
Watlas has been left out, as it is not operational at the moment. objects, relationships, etc.) and in modes. Whether information tricky. Therefore, the analysis is kept as factual as possible,
– e.g. on maps – actually is a representation of a landscape or which is also pragmatic (e.g. leaving semantics out). This
an area is a contested issue. Hence, information as such is an Content & Communication Analysis (CCA) is applied to two
CHK2 KICH CHK2 KICH
issue as well. Combinations of modes and media into Frisian landscape areas: Terschelling (a Wadden Sea island) and
Most relevant types Terschelling Terschelling Top & Twel Top & Twel information environment are common, e.g. public GIS-maps Top & Twel (in the Low Central peat area). The I&C artifacts are
Physical landscape 5 types n.a. 4 types n.a. typically combine GIS and web viewers. three GIS-based (cultural) landscape systems and related text
Landscape types 4 types n.a. 2 types n.a. documents: Watlas, CHK2, and KICH (see table).
Parcellation 34 units 1 item 5 units 4 items
(3 types) (2 types)
Settlement /pattern 12 3 2
Communication Analysis
Dwelling mound As NLM 2 As NLM 3
Farmsteads/places 59 'places' Information modes (maps, texts, pictures, etc.) and genres (GIS
Duck decoy 14 1 none DBs, text documents, internet) lead to different affordances
Church, etc, 9 3 2 1 towards knowledge. (Re)presentations and interactions are
Burial place/item As NLM 4 As NLM 2 main factors in that:
Military, defence 1 (OPNW) 1 -map icons may or may not give a quick visual overview
Castle/manor/estate 2 3 1 -web viewers both facilitate and constrain GIS capabilities
Paths, roads, rails 6 (OPNW) > 4 paths 6 (OPNW) 2 - getting information may be direct or need extra steps
Pond/wheel 2 (OPNW) 1 - information may be easy to understand (e.g. concrete texts),
Dyke 4 systems 2 or not (e.g. abstract concepts and categories).
Waterway 9 for ships > 15
Bridge, ferry, ford 2 Issue Aspect CHK2 KICH
Polder/pumping mill 1 Overview via ´search´ On location Number of choices
Harbor, rescue 5 (OPNW) 4 buildings Visual over- Object type Partly More or less
Main GISs with cultural history on Friesland view: icon as Object shape Direct Indirect (in case of
Craft, industry, mills 1 4 1
representation & location lines and polygons)
Mining places 1
Nat. listed 100 101 3 3 Approaching Clicking on Direct object Indirect: choosing
monuments Terschelling in CHK2 object(types) map locations info from a list
Charact. Buildings 72 88 20 15 Selection of Flexible, while Through search:
1850-1940 (MIP) object types using the map either 1 layer, or all
Understan- Abstract/ Mostly Mostly concrete
Number of objects or -types present in a GIS dibility: concrete concrete
(OPNW = project on regional paths and CH objects, Concepts, etc. Meaning clear Mostly clear Mostly clear
NLM = National Listed Monuments) Webviewer Relationships no no
capabilities, in
Analysis no no
view of GIS
Extrapolation no no
Issues aspects CHK2 KICH
More info Form ´Info-object´ ´Info-object´
about objects? Name? Type-dependent Landscape: few
Location? Type-dependent Landscape: few Conclusions
Further info? Type-dependent Landscape: few
Ensembles? In text-info, if In text-info, if -The GISs differ in affordances in getting to know a landscape,
History? present present but both are more or less limited to what the experts/
Values? Partly (State) Foremost values
authorities see as significant (CHK2) and/or valuable (KICH));
Info about Present? Type-dependent no
object types? Form?
- The text documents do help, but may be too general. As they are
As Info-object no
related to the GISs, they may share (some of) the limitations;
Ensembles? In text-info, if In text-info, if
History? present present -(Re)presentations , typologies and interactions - including search
Information Form? Province-wide At different scales
facilities – are main factors in the retrieval of information,
on an area within GIS? no yes and can make this easy, or awkward;
Specif. objects Examples (few) Examples (more) -Local initiatives may fill in the gaps, e.g. on old paths and
Completeness Objecttypes? no no special elements (OPNW, in a separate provincial GIS map), or
in Objects/type? Type-dependent Type-dependent on World War II (`Wad´n Erfgoed`);
Info on ´why´ of objects/types Not explicitly Not explicitly -Areas and places differ in information sources, e.g. there is
Example: Top & Twel in KICH
much more information on Terschelling than on Top & Twel.
Additional information on objects and types in the GISs
Hence, the degree in which places can become known differs too.
PECSRL Conference, August 2012, Leeuwarden
LandZij J. Sophie Visser, M.Sc., M.A.
Consultant LandZij / PhD Student Utrecht University
j.s.visser@planet.nl