Abstract
Increasingly realistic virtual three dimensional (3D) models have been created that demonstrate a variety of landscape designs. They have supported a more collaborative and participative approach in planning and design. However, these 3D landscape models are often developed for use in bespoke virtual reality labs that tie the models to expensive graphics hardware, or complex arrays of screens, with the viewer spatially detached from the actual site.Given the increase in prevalence of advanced “smartphone” and tablet technology with GPS and compass functionality, this paper demonstrates two methods for on-demand dissemination of existing virtual 3D landscape models using: (1) a touch based interface with integrated mapping; (2) a standard web browser interface on mobile phones. The latter method demonstrates the potential to reduce the complexity of accessing an existing 3D landscape model on-site to simply pointing a smartphone in a particular direction, loading a web page and seeing the relevant view of the model as an image. A prototype system was developed to demonstrate both methods successfully, but it was also ascertained that the accuracy of GPS positional data can have a negative effect on the browser based method.Finally, potential developments are presented exploring the future of the technology underpinning the method and possible extensions to the prototype as a technique for increasing public participation in planning and design.
Highlights
Public participation is an approach for making the landscape planning and design process more inclusive
To re-use the existing models, three pieces of software development were undertaken: a visualisation server hosted in existing landscape visualisation software; a tablet based “app”; a web browser based interface for mobile devices
It is possible to create detailed visualisations of possible changes to our environment through interactive 3D landscape models. These can be shared with the public in one of the six methods (VR lab, PC mobile, internet PC, Augmented Reality (AR) mobile, pre-prepared mobile, on-demand mobile) detailed in this paper
Summary
Public participation is an approach for making the landscape planning and design process more inclusive. In recent decades, this approach has been adopted into government policy, for instance as articulated in the European Landscape Convention (Lange & Hehl-Lange, 2011), or in the UK Localism Act (Localism Act, 2011), which aims to devolve decision making powers to a local level, e.g. to neighbourhood planning groups. One of the major tasks for public participation in landscape planning and design is the dissemination of the information to the population. In the Western world, planning departments hold the records pertaining to landscape proposals and distribute this information through formal planning meetings, public displays, or by sending documentation directly to the public. WarrenKretzschmar and von Haaren argue that when planners attempt to engage with the public, there can be a disconnection between perceived and actual participation of the public, this can potentially be overcome through the use of visualisations
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