Do You Sea What I See: Exploring the Representation of Place-Based Knowledge in Spatial Planning in Coastal Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract

Spatial planning is essential in the interdisciplinary management of dynamic coastal environments. However, conventional approaches to spatial planning do not focus on the comprehensive representation and visual communication of place-based knowledge. This oversight limits the contextual applicability of planning decisions. To understand this issue’s relevance in Nova Scotia, the suitability of six data representation (DR) tools used in spatial planning for representing local perspectives was explored. Through a scoping review and semi-structured interviews with spatial planners, researchers, and users of coastal environments in Nova Scotia, key characteristics that make each DR tool useful in representing place-based knowledge, as well as certain tool design limitations, were identified. Also identified were the generalized stages of the spatial planning process at which each of the selected DR tools was most effective. The Results are meant to inform the use and design of DR tools in a way that better serves coastal users throughout different stages of the spatial planning process – thereby supporting decision-making that is informed, and equitable.