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Sprawl is a serious problem in Rhode Island. According to Grow Smart Rhode Island, inefficient development patterns have consumed 11,500 acres of farm and forest land, an area almost the size of Providence, between 1988 and 1995. (1) One of the many strategies to combat sprawl is purchasing open space. In the 2000 election, voters in Rhode Island approved a $34 million bond, two-thirds of which is dedicated to acquiring open space; South Kingstown has approved an open space impact fee for all new residential development.(2)

Unfortunately, there is always more land to preserve than available funding. Prioritizing acquisition has increasingly relied on the technology of geographic information systems (GIS). Projects like URI's Critical Lands for Conservation identify regions with particularly high natural, recreational, and cultural value. However, statewide cultural resource data layers are frequently outdated, inaccurate at the parcel-level, and not representative of existing data. Moreover, traditional GIS is ineffective at incorporating qualitative data — such as history, narrative, and personal voice — and multimedia, the main data types gathered in cultural studies. If cultural resource inventories exist only on paper (as is often advocated by planning professionals), they not only risk being overlooked in planning decisions, but open space purchases will miss the opportunity to preserve the sense of place, the unique locally-defined character of place.

This project combines information from the Rhode Island Geographic Information System, statewide historic and scenic studies, and a citizen-led planning effort undertaken in South Kingstown to produce a cultural resource inventory accessible in GIS and partially available on the Internet. By linking HTML webpages with a traditional GIS architecture, the inventory dramatically expands the amount of information available to planners, while online hypermaps (hyperlinked maps) deliver the same content to web users. These multimedia representations of space facilitate geographic identification by lay planners and represent the best way to introduce GIS to non-GIS experts. (3)

The South Kingstown Cultural Resource Inventory demonstrates that:

• Primary qualitative cultural data — including images, local history, and narrative — can be associated with a traditional tax parcel GIS system
• The number of properties designated culturally significant increases dramatically when all existing data is mapped
• Some parcels have received multiple cultural designations and can be targeted first for preservation

Funding levels for open space acquisition in South Kingstown have never been greater and neither has growth pressure. Many residents feel that the pace of development is compromising the character of the town. Documenting cultural resources not only facilitates open space planning, but can also shape the direction and character of all future growth.

1. Chung, H. C., Hoben, B., Chalder, G. and Eigen, R. (1999). The Costs of Suburban Sprawl and Urban Decay. Providence, RI: Grow Smart Rhode Island.
2. Rhode Island Open Space 2000 Campaign. Department of Environmental Management. Accessed 24 April 2001: http://www.state.ri.us/DEM/programs/bpoladm/plandev/landacq/bond/rios2000.htm
3. Shiffer, M. J. (1995a). Environmental review with hypermedia systems. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 22, 359-372