Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
THE STYLE AND CONTENT OF CARTOGRAPHIC
REPRESENTATIONS IN STRATEGIC SPATIAL PLANS IN
EUROPE
The analysis of the form and style of cartographic representations in strategic spatial
plans in the Netherlands, Germany and England showed that there are significant
differences in how planning is understood and conducted in the different systems,
and this also affects the content and layout of 'plan maps' (cf. Chapter 4). Despite
more or less far-reaching reforms of the planning systems in the countries under
study, the approach to 'mapping' has to date remained largely unaffected and the
'traditional' approach to the cartographic representation of spatial policy continues
in most cases, although planning discourse has moved on significantly in the mean-
time. Thus, while planning systems and professionals and their policies are interact-
ing more (and possibly converging), there continue to remain significant differences
in the way these policy options are cartographically represented. The analysis
showed that generally spatial policies are expressed in a more 'spatial' way and
therefore represented more comprehensively in the Dutch and German system than
the indicative policy guidelines in the English plans. However, even between plan-
ning systems within one 'planning tradition', there are differences in the approach to
mapping. While the binding German plans at
Länder
level present a detailed, territo-
rial and comprehensive approach to visualising, indicative Dutch strategic plans are
also comprehensive and very complex, yet generally less detailed and 'scientific-
rational' than German 'plan maps'. The approaches to mapping thus reflect the dif-
ferent mechanisms within the two systems for achieving conformity between plans
at different levels of scale. In Germany a hierarchical and regulative planning
approach is followed, whereby federal framework legislation provides a large degree
of uniformity and standardisation in the content and symbolisation of spatial plans
across the territory. The Dutch planning system, in comparison, relies on the power
of consensus, which leaves more scope for different visualisation techniques.
Indeed, Dutch planning strategies generally present a wide variety of different
mapping techniques, ranging from more 'scientific' GIS-led approaches to highly
abstract 'artist's impressions'. The
plankaart
, however, is often a highly complex and
integrated map, which is developed through the course of the document and com-
bines the various thematic 'maps' into one comprehensive illustration that is aimed
at showing the spatial impacts of sector policies on the territory. In contrast, the key
diagram in English RPGs/RSSs is exactly that: highly diagrammatic in style and of
limited complexity. In many cases, the function of these diagrams beyond allocating
regional policy funding or highlighting future road improvements remains unclear,
and overall, the analysis reconfirmed the impression that English planners feel more
comfortable putting policy guidance into words than 'on the map'.
