Working Group 4.5

Putting rurality on the map: GIS as an analytical and integrative tool in rural and regional studies

Convenors:
Chris Kjeldsen, University of Southern Denmark, chk@sam.sdu.dk
Niels Christian Nielsen, University of Southern Denmark, ncn@sitkom.sdu.dk

WG website:
http://www.ruralsociology.eu/2009/wg4.5

Spatiality is a basic dimension in the description and analysis of rural issues. This is obvious when research topics involve questions of distance and area, but also applies to relations between land use, natural features and regionally based socio-economic characteristics. Quantitative approaches are already well integrated in sociology, with some applications relying on statistical (census) data and mathematical approaches such as multiple linear regression, principal component analysis or game theory (Doreian and Hummon 1976). The neighbouring discipline of human geography has for centuries studied the spatial dimension of human interaction, and shown that economy and society could be analysed qualitatively as well as quantitatively (given sufficient data and power to perform often advanced calculations).

The integration of different approaches in rural and regional studies can be facilitated by the rapid development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in general and in Geographical Information System (GIS) software in particular (Steinberg and Steinberg 2006). GIS allows integration of data from many different sources. Also the recent spread of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has the potential to change the ways in which field work is planned and performed, not only by facilitating navigation but also by precisely geo-referencing observations such as audio-files and photography. The emergence of internet-based mapping, web-GIS and geo-imagery services, incorporating user-generated information such as geo-tagged images and comments allows for Web 2.0 type interactivity on spatial aspects of rural development – provided that relevant and attractive interfaces are built.

The introduction of GIS in academia has also allowed better integration into rural studies of historical and landscape dimensions. One example is the analysis of cultural environments from older topographic maps and other sources. At the same time, GIS allows for spatially explicit modelling of various spatial consequences of future scenarios (Walz et al 2007), which could be used in rural and regional planning, development and visioning processes (Bahaire and Elliott-White 1999). Depending on the availability and detail of data, models of future developments – or reconstructions of historical processes such as urbanisation or agricultural change – can be agent-based or statistical/parameterised (Bonabeau 2002, Gimblet and Skov-Petersen 2008). GIS thus allows the construction of spatially explicit models following the tradition of geographers Christaller, Lösch, Hägerstrand, which can be subject to rigid testing in relation to their hypotheses about distance and proximity. Finally, GIS can potentially contribute to evidence-based policy development, which is an area of growing importance. Potentially the collection and communication of evidence could be supported by a spatial approach and the use of GIS in data management and modelling – and eventually inform policy decisions.

Papers/presentations could be on topics such as:

1. Cross-border comparison of data at different spatial scales such as NUTS levels;
2. Application of various classification schemes in description, segmentation and comparison of rural areas;
3. Combining quantitative and qualitative data in a GIS framework;
4. Visualisation of planning data and scenario development for rural communities;
5. Historical maps and delineation of valuable cultural environments;
6. Development of innovative user interfaces of GIS-based applications intended for use in rural or regional planning and development

Bahaire, T. and Elliott-White, M. (1999): The Application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Sustainable Tourism Planning: A Review. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 7(2): 152-174.
Bonabeau, E, Agent-based modeling: Methods and techniques for simulating human systems. PNAS, 2002, 99(spp3):7280-7287.
Doreian, P. and Hummon, N. (1976). Modeling Social Processes. New York: Elsevier.
Gimblet, R. and Skov-Petersen, H. (2008): Monitoring, Simulation and Management of Visitor Landscapes. University of Arizona Press, Tuscon.
Steinberg, S. J. and S. L. Steinberg (2006) Geographic information systems for the social sciences: Investigating space and place (London: SAGE Publications)
Walz, A., C. Lardelli, H. Behrendt, C. Lundstöm, A. Grêt-Regamey, S. Kytzia and P. Bebi. (2007):  Participatory scenario analysis for integrated regional modelling. Landscape and Urban Planning 81, 114-131