Books in English or German by Hans Renes
Graaf, A. de, G.J. Hospers, M. Péro, H. Renes, E. Stegmeijer & F. Strolenberg (P.P. Witsen, ed.) ... more Graaf, A. de, G.J. Hospers, M. Péro, H. Renes, E. Stegmeijer & F. Strolenberg (P.P. Witsen, ed.) (2014). Attract and connect; population decline and [the] heritage in Europe, with practical examples from Germany, the UK, France and the Netherlands. Cultural Heritage Agency, Amersfoort [Webpublicatione]. Avec Résumé en français.
Danner, H.S., J. Renes, B. Toussaint, G.P. van de Ven & F.D. Zeiler (eds.). Polder pioneers; the ... more Danner, H.S., J. Renes, B. Toussaint, G.P. van de Ven & F.D. Zeiler (eds.). Polder pioneers; the influence of Dutch engineers on water management in Europe, 1600-2000. Royal Dutch Geographical Society/Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht (Netherlands Geographical Studies 338).
Gorp, B. van, M. Hoff & J. Renes (eds) (2003). Dutch windows; cultural geographical essays on the... more Gorp, B. van, M. Hoff & J. Renes (eds) (2003). Dutch windows; cultural geographical essays on the Netherlands. Faculteit Ruimtelijke Wetenschappen, Utrecht
Papers in English by Hans Renes
Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie 111 (5), pp. 771-785., 2020
Climate change poses worldwide challenges, perhaps most in coastal areas. Governments on differen... more Climate change poses worldwide challenges, perhaps most in coastal areas. Governments on different scales respond with planning and policy measures, many with drastic impact. In this paper we assess the role of cultural heritage in planning for climate change on the former island Goeree-Overflakkee in the Netherlands. We do so by exploring the theoretical discourse on the nexus of climate change and heritage discourses and relating these to an analysis of mitigation and adaptation measures on the island of Goeree-Overflakkee in the Dutch river delta. It appears that the scale and political urgency of climate change induces involvement of many different governments, resulting in an inconsistent integration of cultural heritage in these plans and policies. These outcomes demonstrate that in order to integrate heritage in climate adaptation and mitigation planning, governments cannot rely on established planning traditions for other spatial challenges.
PORTUSplus 9 (8) (Special Issue ‘Governance in port city regions’), 2019
ABSTRACT
Many former ports have been transformed into consumption spaces for the experience eco... more ABSTRACT
Many former ports have been transformed into consumption spaces for the experience economy or into attractive environments for the creative class. In Europe and North America, port heritage has been a major asset in these processes, adding reusable buildings as well as narratives to these new developments. In Asia, similar processes are taking place, but have attracted less attention. This paper looks at heritage conservation in four Asian port cities: Macao, Hong Kong, Qingdao and Taipei. These cities share a colonial past and cultural background, but nowadays operate in different political-administrative systems and economic contexts, offering interesting opportunities for comparison.
Conservation of port heritage is challenging as port buildings may lack architectural value, or prove hard to reuse for their size, lay out, or location. The limited access to port areas in the past may mean the public has little knowledge of, or connection with, this heritage. The main challenge for conservation is to move beyond a mere facelift of the waterfront and to preserve a coherent port landscape that tells the story of the port and its relation to the development of the city. Such an integral vision is hampered [1] by poor communication and cooperation between different government levels and agencies, [2] by different agendas of stakeholders and conservationists and [3] because public participation, although often mentioned, proves hard to establish in practice.
https://portusplus.org/index.php/pp/article/view/187
Renes, H., C. Centeri, S. Eiter, B. Gaillard, A. Kruse, Z. Kučera, O. Puschmann, M. Roth & M. Slámová (2020). Water meadows as part of the European agricultural heritage. In: C. Hein (ed.). Adaptive strategies for water heritage. Past, present and future. Springer, Cham (CH), pp. 107-130., 2019
The past, present and future of hay making structures in Europe. Sustainability 11(20), 5581, 2019
Hay-making structures are part of the agricultural landscape of meadows and pastures. Hay meadows... more Hay-making structures are part of the agricultural landscape of meadows and pastures. Hay meadows are still used and found all over Europe, but their distribution patterns as well as their characteristics and regional features depend on geographical area, climate, culture, and intensity of agriculture. Intensively used hay meadows are the most dominant, using heavy machinery to store hay mostly as rounded or square bales. Traditional hay-making structures Sustainability 2019, 11, 5581 2 of 19 represent structures or constructions, used to quickly dry freshly cut fodder and to protect it from humidity. The 'ancient' forms of traditional hay-making structures are becoming a relic, due to mechanisation and the use of new technologies. Both the need for drying hay and the traditional methods for doing so were similar across Europe. Our study of hay-making structures focuses on their current state, their development and history, current use and cultural values in various European countries. Regarding the construction and use of hay-making structures, we have distinguished three different types, which correlate to natural and regional conditions: (1) temporary hay racks of various shapes; (2) hay barracks, a special type of shelters for storing hay and (3) different types of permanent construction and buildings for drying and storing hay. Hay-making structures have been mostly preserved in connection with traditional agricultural landscapes, and particularly in the more remote regions or where associated with strong cultural identity.
Qingdao International Beer Festival. Place identity and colonial heritage. In: N. Wise & J. Harris (eds.). Events, Places and Societies. Routledge, London/New York, pp. 97-111, 2019
G. Fairclough, I. Sarlöv-Herlin & C. Swanwick (eds.). Routledge handbook of Landscape Character Assessment. Current approaches to characterisation and assessment. Routledge, London / New York, pp. 168-184, 2018
Kolen, J., H. Renes & K. Bosma (2018). The landscape biography approach to landscape characterisa... more Kolen, J., H. Renes & K. Bosma (2018). The landscape biography approach to landscape characterisation; Dutch perspectives.
The Wadden Sea region is a typical example of what is often called a 'maritime cultural landscape... more The Wadden Sea region is a typical example of what is often called a 'maritime cultural landscape', a landscape that is shaped by the forces of nature and culture and also a landscape in which the livelihood of the population is built on the use of resources from the land as well as from the sea. The author looks at the complex relation between nature and society in the Wadden Sea region in the past as well as in the present. For the sustainable management of this region, an integrated approach combining developments in nature and society is necessary. The artificial border between nature and culture introduced by some ecologists and authorities (the most notorious example being the inscription of the Wadden Sea as a World Heritage Site) is a source of conflict and complicates an integral management of the Wadden Sea region. The author is convinced that the Wadden Sea should be seen as a cultural landscape.
C. Dyer, E. Thoen & T. Williamson (eds). Peasants and their fields. The rationale of open-field agriculture. Brepols, Turnhout (Comparative Rural History of the North Sea Area – CORN 16), pp. 121-161., 2018
Heritage has become a major theme in Dutch spatial planning. A number of recent Dutch urban exten... more Heritage has become a major theme in Dutch spatial planning. A number of recent Dutch urban extension projects offer interesting case studies on the integration of heritage into planning. The projects were part of a large housing programme, known as the Vinex programme, which was initiated by the Dutch national government but executed by local authorities. They therefore provide interesting cases for comparison. This paper presents a number of these projects, focusing on the use of heritage, which allows us to classify different ways of incorporating heritage into plans: integration, embeddedness and isolation. Another classification involves different views and interpretations about heritage, and describes diminishing degrees of authenticity entailed in preservation, transformation and inspiration. Combining both types of classification may offer a framework for further research on the relationship between heritage and planning.
In the recent extensive literature on European cultural landscapes, much attention is given to re... more In the recent extensive literature on European cultural landscapes, much attention is given to regional variation. Less interest seems to be given to history. Ecologists in particular often use the ‘traditional landscapes’ model, which suggests a slow and gradual development of the man-made landscape, leading to a ‘climax’ during the 19th century. In that vision, landscape change sped up around 1900, after which time most landscapes underwent a process of rapid transformation. In this paper, I criticise the distinction between a stable pre-1900 and a dynamic post-1900 history, particularly by emphasising the flawed vision of a stable past. Developments in the past could be—and have often been—quick and intensive. The paper highlights the importance of historical research in landscape studies.
[Abstract] Landscape history is still mainly studied in local or regional projects and within nat... more [Abstract] Landscape history is still mainly studied in local or regional projects and within national research traditions. However, an international perspective becomes ever more necessary, not just for scientific reasons, but also in the light of the increasingly internationalisation of landscape politics; see for example the European Landscape Convention. The present article will focus on one particular type of landscape: the open fields, the grain-growing landscapes that were the backbone of medieval European agriculture. The landscape of open fields can (or at least could) be found over large parts of Europe in regions with very different legal and organizational structures, soil conditions and agricultural systems. Some of the lengthiest and most thorough discussions in landscape history were on the origin of the open fields. The present article stresses the necessity to treat the different components of open fields (land use, landownership, agrarian techniques) separately. Many of the explanations offered are based on research in limited areas. An international perspective is helpful, by putting local developments into a broader perspective. Since the Late Middle Ages, the open field landscapes have moved north-eastwards, following the moving geography of grain cultivation. Whereas open fields gradually disappeared through enclosure in Britain, Scandinavia and other regions, elsewhere, especially in the Eastern Baltic, new open fields were being developed during the sixteenth century. This changing geography of open fields is probably related to changes in the European economy, in which the regional markets for grain gave way to a pan- European market during the sixteenth century and to a world market in the last decades of the nineteenth century. Each phase offered new opportunities, as well as threats, to the open field regions.
Landscapes 15(1), pp. 44-58, 2014
Islands are interesting subjects for study, with their frequent fluctuations in population size a... more Islands are interesting subjects for study, with their frequent fluctuations in population size and economic activities, and their propensity for being at once both isolated from and dependent on the outside world. They are often seen as metaphors – for human societies faced with environmental dangers and limitations, and (on a larger scale) for the world as a whole. Using examples from different parts of Europe, and with a focus on the Wadden Sea, this article analyses the specific ‘island-ness’ of their landscapes’ character. In periods of population pressure, islandscapes developed into ‘pressure-cooker’ landscapes, with very intensive agriculture and extremely small-scale field patterns. In these situations, the sea acted as a safety valve: many islands typically show mixed economies of agriculture combined with shipping or fishing. In other periods, migration led to much lower population numbers, and some islands even became unpopulated. In the present phase of globalisation, many have ceased their agricultural activities, but others manage to continue cultivation by specialising in specific crops, and yet another group now use their landscapes for that other major global industry, tourism, very often capitalising on their ‘heritage landscape’ character that is a result of the alternating periods of activity (creation) and stagnation or desertion (preservation) that appear to be characteristic of islands in the first place.
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Books in English or German by Hans Renes
Papers in English by Hans Renes
Many former ports have been transformed into consumption spaces for the experience economy or into attractive environments for the creative class. In Europe and North America, port heritage has been a major asset in these processes, adding reusable buildings as well as narratives to these new developments. In Asia, similar processes are taking place, but have attracted less attention. This paper looks at heritage conservation in four Asian port cities: Macao, Hong Kong, Qingdao and Taipei. These cities share a colonial past and cultural background, but nowadays operate in different political-administrative systems and economic contexts, offering interesting opportunities for comparison.
Conservation of port heritage is challenging as port buildings may lack architectural value, or prove hard to reuse for their size, lay out, or location. The limited access to port areas in the past may mean the public has little knowledge of, or connection with, this heritage. The main challenge for conservation is to move beyond a mere facelift of the waterfront and to preserve a coherent port landscape that tells the story of the port and its relation to the development of the city. Such an integral vision is hampered [1] by poor communication and cooperation between different government levels and agencies, [2] by different agendas of stakeholders and conservationists and [3] because public participation, although often mentioned, proves hard to establish in practice.
https://portusplus.org/index.php/pp/article/view/187
Many former ports have been transformed into consumption spaces for the experience economy or into attractive environments for the creative class. In Europe and North America, port heritage has been a major asset in these processes, adding reusable buildings as well as narratives to these new developments. In Asia, similar processes are taking place, but have attracted less attention. This paper looks at heritage conservation in four Asian port cities: Macao, Hong Kong, Qingdao and Taipei. These cities share a colonial past and cultural background, but nowadays operate in different political-administrative systems and economic contexts, offering interesting opportunities for comparison.
Conservation of port heritage is challenging as port buildings may lack architectural value, or prove hard to reuse for their size, lay out, or location. The limited access to port areas in the past may mean the public has little knowledge of, or connection with, this heritage. The main challenge for conservation is to move beyond a mere facelift of the waterfront and to preserve a coherent port landscape that tells the story of the port and its relation to the development of the city. Such an integral vision is hampered [1] by poor communication and cooperation between different government levels and agencies, [2] by different agendas of stakeholders and conservationists and [3] because public participation, although often mentioned, proves hard to establish in practice.
https://portusplus.org/index.php/pp/article/view/187
research program for the long-term history, present-day
management and further development of the European
landscapes, including their natural and cultural heritage:
HERCULES. One of the subprojects of this program
(Work Package 2) links archaeological, historical and
historical ecological data to the analysis of geo-information
in order to develop models of long-term landscape change
in three carefully chosen study regions in the Netherlands,
Sweden and Estonia. This is framed theoretically by
integrating insights from landscape biography, historical
ecology and complex systems theory. The linking and
analysis of data will be done using a Spatial Data
Infrastructure and by means of dynamic modelling.
The 14th-century population decline was the first step in a series of reorganisations of the European agrarian landscape. In England it marked the start of a conversion from open arable fields to sheep pasture (an aspect of the so-called enclosure) that continued in later centuries. Open fields declined in Central Europe too, but the core region continued to produce grain.
The Early Modern period brought further changes, when ever more agricultural regions became part of a European economic system that was organised around an economic core in north-western Europe. Again some regions turned from arable or mixed farming towards specialisation on animal husbandry or specialised crops (wine, hops, etc.). Grain production moved further east, with new (partly planned) open fields developing in the eastern Baltic region.
In the course of the 18th century another phase of development began, which saw the ‘modernisation’ of even more of the remaining open fields. In some regions, most clearly in Southern Scandinavia around 1800 among the collective farms of central-eastern Europe after 1945, this was systematically undertaken by national governments; elsewhere this was a more gradual or more individual process of transformation towards large-scale exploitation.
The open field landscapes are an interesting part of European landscape heritage. However, as most research is carried out at a national level and often within different research traditions, instances of international comparative research are still quite rare.
- The old mining region (Middle Ages - 1969), in the south-eastern part of Dutch Limburg, centred on the village of Kerkrade. Here, coal mining existed in medieval times. Mining gradually developed from humble beginnings to the modern 20th-century mining business.
- The Eastern Mining District (1899-1974), west of the old mining region and centred around the town of Heerlen (Dutch Limburg). Here, several attempts to found coal mines failed because of lacking infrastructure and, especially, technical problems. Only during the 1890s, in a period of rising coal prices, these difficulties were overcome and mining started. In 1901 the Dutch government decided that future concessions would remain state-owned. For the exploitation a State Mining Company (DSM) was founded.
- The Western Mining District (1923-1967), around the towns of Sittard and Geleen (Dutch Limburg). Here, mining started during the 1920s with one, very large and modern, coal mine. Around the coal mine, DSM built up an extensive chemical industry. An intended second coal mine was never realised.
- The Kempen Mining District (1918-1992; Belgian Limburg) was developed from the beginning of the 20th century.
- During the 1960s, attempts were made to develop a new mining district east of Roermond (central Dutch Limburg). A state owned mine was founded, but never produced any coal.
The Eastern, Western and Kempen Districts were all characterized by a very rapid development in predominantly rural regions. Mining companies, housing associations and private firms started building houses, mostly within garden villages, on a large scale.
Most of the private mining companies were tied to firms in the old coal mining districts of Germany, Wallonia and France. Especially a number of large French and Wallonian iron and steel producing firms improved their resource base by investing in the Limburg coal basins. Only the Dutch state-owned mining company DSM developed a coal-based industry in the mining district itself.
During the 1960s, the future prospects for the coal mining industry became less promising. In the Netherlands the cheap imports of coal an the newly discovered natural gas resources made Limburg coal uncompetitive. Within a few years all mines were closed. The DSM chemical industry survived the closure of the coal mines. In Belgian Limburg, the mines survived for a number of years. Here, the last coal mine was closed in 1992.
one of the branches of the aspiring Van Arkel family. A new street with farms was laid out, the Achterstraat (backstreet), parallel to the older village streets. Back alleys, the Achterwal and the Broeksteeg, connected the backsides of the farms with the lands. Later, the Broeksteeg (nowadays known as the Middelweg, middle road) attracted ever more non-agrarian houses
• geographical position
• proximity of towns
• socio-economic position settlers
• local social network settlers
• agricultural potential
• (other) economic options.
The topic of urban farming has nevertheless remained relatively underexposed in terms of archaeological research. This study surveys archaeological reports from commercially funded urban excavations in the Netherlands carried out in the period from 1997 up to and including 2017.
The volume presents evidence for urban farming in Dutch towns between 1250 up to 1850. The data has been assembled and analysed using text mining. This digital technique has been used to search for keywords that describe archaeological correlates of urban agriculture, such as ‘layer of arable soil’, ‘orchard’, ‘animal grave’ or ‘fruit tree’. A total of 1380 reports were examined, generating data on historic farming in 84 towns (Chapter 3).
Most of the data relate to animal husbandry (31%), closely followed by horticulture (27%) and more general or unspecified rural activities (21%). Arable farming is less represented in the data (16%). Surprisingly, orchards are not much in evidence, and fish farming is a rarity. The scale and extent of commercial urban excavations in different regions has influenced the amount of data that is available. For towns in Zeeland, Limburg, Friesland and Drenthe comparatively little archaeological data is available and this makes comparisons with patterns of farming in other regions difficult (Chapter 4).
Most indications of local animal husbandry are small-scale and incidental (Chapter 5). Primary evidence of animal husbandry within towns can nevertheless be found in the form of complete skeletons of stillborn, new born or diseased animals. There is abundant evidence for arable farming and horticulture but this fluctuates over time (Chapter 6). When the indicators for arable farming decrease in the late Middle Ages a corresponding increase can be seen in evidence for horticulture in peripheral urban areas. The presence of former fields that have been built over can be seen in fossilized urban boundaries, ditches and fences. Buried soil horizons often contain evidence for soil improvement. The most common indicator for urban livestock farming is the presence of manure in soil layers and pits. The reports that we examined also contained evidence for stables, barns, and animal cages (Chapter 7).
There were numerous farms in towns between 1250 and 1850. It is often not possible to reconstruct what agricultural activities took place on such urban farms. However, our study shows that urban farming activities evolved over time (Chapter 8):
• Indicators for urban farming increased during the period of urban development (up to 1450) and remained in evidence thereafter.
• Prior to the sixteenth century, town dwellers were mostly engaged in arable and livestock farming, but in later stages arable farming declined and horticulture increased.
• In terms of evidence for urban farming, the sixteenth century is the least represented in the available archaeological indicators. In this century more food was imported from outside the town walls.
• In the period of de-urbanisation (1650-1850) the indicators for urban farming once again increased.
The patterns that have been found by text mining archaeological reports are broadly in line with known historical and demographic trends. Thus, the historical differences that are often noted between coastal and inland towns are also clearly visible in the archaeological evidence.
Major historical events can also be seen to have influenced the behaviour of town dwellers. Most towns were given new defences during the Eighty Years War, leading to an upsurge of farming in peripheral areas.
The urban functions of twenty towns were analysed on the basis of Jacob van Deventer’s maps, where we examined the ratio of built-up and undeveloped space. Towns had an average of 70 to 75% of their area built-up during this period. Gardens made up about 15 to 16% of the urban plan.
The future study of urban farming requires a strategic approach, with a detailed sampling strategy (Chapter 9). Traces of agricultural activity are often hidden in unspectacular archaeological layers and features which are often not selected for sampling during commercially funded interventions. In order to unlock the potential for new insights into urban farming practices we suggest that new guidelines are needed to investigate the archaeology of urban backyards. Our study also concludes that more archaeological attention should be paid to farming activities in the near outskirts of towns, and that land use in general deserves more attention during archaeological investigations. The importance of soil sampling to detect the presence of manure or other evidence for urban farming must be underlined.
In terms of a national overview it is clear that some catching up is needed in the towns and regions that have been under-represented in commercial archaeological interventions in the last twenty years. Only then will it be possible to make better comparisons through time between the various regions of the Netherlands.
The formation and development of villages is one of the current priorities on the Dutch Archaeological Research Agenda (NOaA). To increase our knowledge on the subject the National Heritage Agency (RCE) initiated the ‘Valletta Harvest’ programme, a stimulus programme aimed to assess recent data and synthesize it into new insights. This research was carried out by the department of Archaeology at the University of Amsterdam.
The aim of the study was to determine what a decade of development-led archaeological (contract) research has yielded scientifically on the topic of ‘Village formation in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages (AD 800 – 1600)’. First we assessed the potential of excavated sites for synthesis (phase 1); next, relevant sites were confronted with new strands of knowledge (phase 2); and finally, we evaluated the present questions of the research agenda and made recommendations for an update (phase 3).
The four case studies we analysed revealed that the processes of village formation were quite similar on an abstract level and correspond with current settlement models. At the same time, however, these cases illustrated a great variety in form and development. Comparison with villages in the wider region showed that none could be held as exemplary. This variety means that local factors and human agency played a key role in the development of our villages.
Therefore, to advance our understanding of village formation, the primary aim of local and regional research at this point should be to describe and understand the socio-historical development of local villages within the wider village territory.
So far, systematic archaeological research in historical villages has been rare in the Netherlands. However, our case studies illustrate the great potential of archaeological observations (even small-scale) when undertaken within a municipal research agenda based on an historical-geographical framework.
This scientific report is intended for archaeologists, other professionals and enthusiasts engaged in archaeology.
Through knowledge and consultancy, the Dutch National Agency for Cultural Heritage offers the future a past.
Between 1300 and 1700, the Netherlands developed from a peripheral region into Europe’s epicentre. Over one hundred port towns sprang up in the 13th and 14th century, mainly in the western peat and clay areas and along major rivers like the Rhine and the Meuse. When the Republic became a world power in the Dutch Golden Age, vast urban extensions materialized in towns like Rotterdam, Leiden and especially Amsterdam, where the world-famous Canal District was built.
A century and a half of dramatic decline followed, coinciding with the rise of England and France as the new global powers. Industrialization in the Netherlands first gathered speed after 1870. It generated unprecedented urban extensions in the old
towns and an upsurge of new town formations. Industrial centres and residential towns sprang up along the new railway network. In the course of the 20th century successive Dutch governments developed an internationally renowned planning apparatus which in the context of the post-WWII welfare state churned out an endless series of motorways, housing estates and business parks at breakneck speed.
This book contains a comprehensive synthesis of a millennium of spatial development in the Netherlands. Series of maps, photos and paintings clearly illustrate processes of growth, stagnation and decline in Dutch towns and place them in an international perspective. The Atlas of the Dutch Urban Landscape is the first national overview of urbanization and urbanism, and as such a potential source of inspiration for other nations in Europe and beyond.
den 1970er-Jahren einige interessante Entwicklungen
durchgemacht. Deshalb gibt es viele neue Fragen und
Anforderungen gegenüber neuen Methoden, wie
auch insbesondere im Bereich von Informationssystemen.
In den letzten Jahrzehnten ist in Informationssystemen
über historische Kulturlandschaften viel erreicht
worden. Die vorliegenden Informationen sind jedoch
für andere Zeiten, mit anderen Fragen, Bedürfnissen
und Methoden erstellt worden, als nun gegenwärtig
benötigt werden: Informationen und deren Systeme
sind „Kinder ihrer eigenen Zeit“. Deshalb sind unseres
Erachtens viele Daten, die in früheren Jahren gesammelt
wurden, auf die heutigen Fragen schlecht zugeschnitten.
Die Kernfrage hier ist, was momentan in Änderung
ist oder wie sich die nahe Zukunft ändern wird. Das ist
nicht möglich ohne Einsicht in die bisherige und heutige
Situation, wozu vier Perioden zu unterscheiden
sind: die Periode von den 1970er- bis 1990er-Jahren,
die Periode von den 1990er-Jahren bis heute, die aktuellen
heutigen Entwicklungen und die Zukunft.
In: 'Kulturlandschaft in der Anwendung', Bund Heimat und Umwelt in Deutschland (BHU), 2009, pp. 51-59