Track: State/Local Government, Cadastral, Land Records
Information Politics: Experiments in Equitable Diffusion
Ben NiemannTodd Sutphin
The planning and development of rural land in urbanizing regions such as Dane County, Wisconsin, is fraught with the politics that govern information access. Recent land use, transportation, and growth management plans underestimated the extent of rural residential growth by 35 percent. This paper explores the possible technical and political reasons for this underestimate. To assure that the entire land planning community has access to more timely and accurate data, various information diffusion techniques are being implemented. These include extensive briefings for the County executive and other elected officials through the use of ArcView GIS and E-size map products; public displays of map products, plus public presentations using data sets in ArcView GIS and PowerPoint; citizen surveys with the enticement of a free E-size map of their choice (110 out of 270 participants responded); and unlimited access to the data and map products via the Internet and LICGF Web site. The results and impact of the dissemination efforts will be provided as part of this paper.
Ben Niemann
The University of Wisconsin - Madison
550 Babcock Dr
Madison, WI 53706
USA
Telephone: 608-263-5534
Fax: 608-262-2500
E-mail: bniemann@facstaff.wisc.edu