Data Dissemination and Data Exchange via Internet

In this chapter we wish to outline a vision for the future development of digital Landscape Master Plans. Some of it is already reality, other points like the interactive master plan on the Internet is, due to the progressively changing online world, likely to become part of our daily life very soon.

Data storage is an essential feature of data management, because it is vital for the future maintenance and exchange of digital material. Commonly used media and data formats are a good choice for easy data handling in the longer term. System independent data formats, like most of the file formats on the Internet, fulfil a certain standard and have a longer "life expectancy” than other formats. Although there is already a "next generation” CD on the market (DVD-ROM, Digital Versatile Disk), the ISO standard CD ROM is still a good choice for the storage of data, since it is in widespread use. The data burned on a CD ROM is write protected and can be read by most PCs, Apple Macs and Workstations to start digital presentations or to copy and maintain the planning data.

Another advantage of digital data is that it is possible to send information via networks such as the Internet, Intranet or Extranet. The increasing network connections between authorities, landscape planners, communities and private Internet users offer new ways of public participation and communication between all involved parties. The following online concept addresses three user groups:

The planner frequently co-ordinates planning steps with the responsible authorities and queries basic information. The provision of digital data facilitates the information flow between authorities and planner on the Internet. Questions and disagreements concerning proposed measures can be clarified verbally or graphically by e-mail and based on the latest GIS online maps. The final master plan reaches the responsible authorities digitally on the Internet, so reducing expenses for copying and sending all documents and maps of the plan.

Normally, all citizens in the study area are informed about the planning stage and procedure at public meetings of the community council. In Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg the plan has to be approved by the community council and there is a legally defined time limit for citizens to file an objection. The publication of the master plan on the Internet ensures all interested parties can access the information on a 24hour basis. Receipt of information is no longer limited to office-hours, gatherings and official meetings late in the evening. Because of the time constraints, the publication of planning results on the Internet make sense. It would even be possible to file an objection via e-mail although the legal implications would have to be addressed.

Not only information from Landscape Master Plans but all spatial information of public interest could be disseminated via the Internet. For instance you may think about a Visitors Information System for the nature park Obere Donau in the FORAM Study area Upper Danube Valley. Following graphic shows the concept of an Info-System, which is based on GIS.


Fig. 9: The Visitor Information System (BInfoS) for Study Area Upper Danube Valley Click on the Image to make it big!

Answers to the question of technical feasibility can be found on the Internet itself. The file formats on the WWW have reached a certain standard, which is even compatible to different platforms and operating systems. Most of the Internet Browsers are able to read JPEG and GIF images and to play sound (*.wav) or video (*.mpg, *.avi) files. The implemented small programmes of the latest Browser generations (Plug-Ins, Java Applets and Scripts or Active-X) help to navigate three-dimensional landscape models in real time, play sound and music files, make a phone call via the Internet and send e-mails. In addition, the necessary helper programmes and Java scripts required to display and query digital maps on the WWW can be downloaded from the net, for example, the user shells from Autodesk and Esri which can be used to receive and read vector and GIF data. The zoom command of these shells enables the receiver to ask for more detailed data from the server. The server then delivers the information dependent on the chosen scale. Additionally, polygons and points of the online map can be linked with reports or tables.

The above acceptance study has shown that using the Internet is not a viable alternative for people who are not familiar with PCs. They are often afraid of the complicated and expensive hardware and software. New techniques recently presented in Berlin in the exposition Internationale Funkausstellung which combine the WWW with the common television set have the potential to deliver the Internet to people in a more familiar format. This innovative technique will probably be an important factor in the wider acceptance and usage of the World Wide Web.