Mapping the visual landscape quality in Europe using physical attributes

Abstract

The inclusion of environmental care data in the decision-making process should be based on the results obtained after scientifically evaluating different environmental variables. Herein, a European landscape geographic model is presented. This landscape map would allow the environmental care variable ‘visual landscape’, along with other information related to vegetation, geology, soils, cultural variables, etc., to be integrated into the planning process. The methodology used is not new since it has already been tested in Spain by the authors. Nevertheless, the model was adapted to cope with the much more extensive territory of the European Union. This meant dealing with computational difficulties, and a lack of information. The result of this work is a raster map (100 m cell size) that evaluates landscape quality in Europe by dividing the area into seven visual quality classes. This is a practical tool for territorial development that will facilitate the environmental assessment of plans, such as infrastructure plans, within a strategic pan-European framework.