Visual Landscape Quality Research Articles

A tale of two landscapes: Transferring landscape quality metrics from Wales to Iceland

The assessment of visual landscape quality remains a tantalizing goal for geographers. Methods to evaluate landscape views proliferate, with increasing use made of both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Reproducibility of these methods is often claimed by researchers but is rarely tested. Landscape quality assessment is so often tailored to a location that little thought is given to its potential portability. In response to this challenge, we have taken a visual landscape quality method previously developed for Wales, UK (Swetnam et al., 2017) and tested its transferability to quite different landscapes in Iceland. We outline the methodological considerations required, demonstrate its successful application with a report on our pilot field investigations and provide a checklist for others wishing to transfer landscape quality metrics from one place to another.

Paisaje urbano y espacio público como expresión de la vida cotidiana

Given that urban landscape is the expression of everything perceivable in a city's public spaces, the analysis of urban attributes allows identifying patterns, sequences, and units in the urban landscape that lead to establishing design criteria in terms of visual quality. The paper proposes to study the attributes of the visual and functional quality of urban landscapes, including physical attributes: physical-spatial configuration, activities, biodiversity and diversity; as well as psychological attributes: physical integrity and aesthetic expression, which are applied to the assessment and design of public spaces in a sector of the historic center of the city of Merida (Venezuela). The methodological approach of the multidimensional construction of urban landscapes is used to explain conceptual aspects that affect the perception of public spaces, in relation to the attributes of urban space. This assumption suggests further aspects that demonstrate its usefulness for future research and design proposals on urban landscape.

The Evaluation of Protection Studies of Natural Site Fields in Diyarbakir, Turkey

This study is to establish a guide for evaluating the current status of natural sites and determining the categories of existing and proposed Natural Sites according to their scientific bases in terms of their visual landscape resource values. Visual Welding Method was used in order to reveal the qualities of the natural preservation sites in Diyarbakir province in terms of visual landscape resource values. This method is done by visual landscape analysis. Firstly the study areas were examined and photographed. According to the biophysical scoring method used according to these examinations and photographs, the evaluation of the visual elements or units that have high visual value designated in the field is made. In this scope a source observation form was created. In this classification Biophysical properties taken into account and the grade points were given according to these properties. As a result of evaluations; The Ambar Valley, Hilar Ruins and Rocks, Ergani Plane Trees and Green Areas, ?ermik Thermal Spring and its surroundings and Naked Mountain have been exposed to anthropological stress and have been affected by many corruption. On the other hand, Hassuni Caves, Gelincik Mountain, Sinek Creek Waterfall and Mount Chios remained with their natural landscaping value because there were not many such interventions. In terms of visual landscape quality evaluations, it is possible to say that the weaknesses and threats mentioned in the natural sites in Diyarbakir are actually problems that can be encountered in all natural sites in Turkey. As a result of the study, in specific and general movements on these issues, legal and managerial planning, design and implementation of natural sites in Diyarbakir and Turkey have been suggested.

Assessment of the visual landscape quality based on the subjectivist paradigm to design the memorial garden

Assessment of the visual landscape quality is a core part of studies in landscape and urban projects. The landscape visual assessment has been carried out on the basis of two paradigms; objectivist and subjectivist paradigms. This research is a case of landscape evaluation based on the subjectivist or psychological paradigm. The purpose of the research is to understand the beholder’s perception of the visual quality of landscape and to use it in the design of a war memorial garden. In this article, three main holistic concepts formed during the war (war between Iran and Iraq) are determined, and then seniors majoring landscape architecture were asked to define these concepts for each the landscape elements. Then three dominant views of the site were scored according to the students’ perceptions and finally zoning of the site was proposed. This article emphasizes on the perception- based approaches in landscape studies and the opportunities that the current landscape of the site may have in order to imply the specific concepts. To design a symbolic or memorial place, the perceptions conveyed by the visual elements of the landscape have impressive role in making decision about the land uses and will lead to a more sustainable and dynamic memorial spaces.

DEVELOPMENT OF VISUAL QUALITY EVALUATIVE ASSESSMENT METHOD IN CAMPUS LANDSCAPE

The design of campus landscape is expected to reflect the institution values, provide the character and the spirit of place to campus environment. It is highly influenced by visual experience and impression of campus environment. There are two methods in landscape visual quality assessment: descriptive assessment method and evaluative assessment method. Both assessment methods cannot be done simultaneously, but as a sequence phase. Descriptive assessment method should be done first to obtain a reference for evaluative assessment method. Landscape visual quality evaluative assessment method is used to measure the level of public assessment about visual quality and visual response. Information Processing Theory is used to develop the visual quality evaluative assessment method and to obtain unified integration between descriptive assessment and evaluative assessment. The development of evaluative assessment method includes the process of comparing, averaging, or determine the ranking of each environmental hue or landscape areas in campus, based on the public or college user community preferences.

Aesthetic Preferences for Visual Quality of Urban Landscape in Derak High-Rise Buildings (Shiraz)

The purpose of this study is to extract the indices of Aesthetic preferences for visual quality of urban landscape in high-rise buildings which contribute designers to make better decisions for designing urban landscape. As the research focuses on the high-rise buildings, this study goal address the question as follows: ‘What are aesthetic preferences in high-rise buildings? How can these preferences be developed and categorized?’ To achieve this objective, the Derak district of Shiraz city was selected as a case study area using Photo grid method and then all high-rise buildings in this area were identified and analyzed. Aesthetic preferences data were evaluated by Q-SORT method with the psychophysical approach. Eventually, aesthetic factors have been presented in two main categories: 'primary and distinctive'. Findings lead to the development of APPD model which suggests that when the landscape design of a building moves toward distinctive factors, the degree of its aesthetic preferences increases.

Assessing the Visual Quality of Urban Landscapes Influenced by the Presence of Fruit Trees

The study was carried out to investigate the visual impact of using fruit trees in urban landscapes by applying the Scenic Beauty Estimation Method (SBE). Thirty students from the Faculty of Horticulture were asked to assign scenic beauty values to different landscapes with and without the presence of fruit trees in urban areas. The results show that fruit trees have positive influences on the aesthetic value of perceived landscape scenery.

Quantifying visual landscape quality in rural Wales: A GIS-enabled method for extensive monitoring of a valued cultural ecosystem service

Landscape views and the enjoyment people derive from them, represent an important cultural ecosystem service (CES) as recognised in frameworks such as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) and TEEB (2010). We present a method to evaluate the quality of the landscape view, created for the assessment and monitoring of Welsh rural landscapes. This consists of: (i) a Visual Quality Index (VQI) and (ii) a viewshed model to calculate a Zone of Visual Influence (ZVI). From existing literature, we selected 19 landscape components commonly found to influence landscape quality ratings. Using vegetation surveys and GIS datasets each component was measured and assigned a numeric value based either on presence or quantity and/or extent for 150, 1km2 survey sites across Wales. Totalling these values, then scaling and weighting them provided an index for each site between 0 and 1 (VQI). Each site was then evaluated for a range of potential users (pedestrians, cyclists, car-users) to calculate a modelled viewshed (ZVI). By combining the VQI and the ZVI, we capture two elements: firstly the intrinsic landscape quality (its aesthetics) and secondly, how much of the landscape can be seen by the public in order to enjoy the view.

Assessing the Visual Aesthetic Quality of Vegetation Landscape in Urban Green Space from a Visitor’s Perspective

Vegetation landscape is an important visual element of urban green space. This paper presents the results of an attempt to evaluate the visual aesthetic quality (VAQ) of urban vegetation landscape from the perspective of visitors. The research is conducted around the West Lake Scenic Area, Hangzhou, China. By quantitative survey, visual photo stimuli, and statistical analysis, the preference of visitors for different types of urban vegetation landscape in relation to their characteristics is presented, and the interactions between VAQ of urban vegetation landscape and landscape visual attributes are explored. The results demonstrate that education, place of residence, and professional background are especially significant characteristics that influence the preference of visitors for different types of urban vegetation landscape, and both strong color contrast and mixed use of evergreen and deciduous plants can increase the VAQ of urban vegetation landscape. To maintain good VAQ, it is recommended that vegetation structure, plant density, and height ratio should be carefully selected according to the type and function of vegetation landscape. The findings provide good advice for urban political determination and concepts of future vegetation landscape design.

Mapping cultural ecosystem services: Connecting visual landscape quality to cost estimations for enhanced services provision

This paper presents a methodology to map demand for cultural ecosystem services assessed via a visual choice experiment approach aimed to estimate the contributions of different landscape elements to the overall landscape preference in a case study region in North-East Germany. The levels of four landscape attributes, i.e. green linear elements, green point elements, livestock and crop diversity are mapped over 100m regular square grid, which allows identifying priority areas for local landscape management from an aesthetic perspective. Taking into account local conditions, target thresholds were set in terms of optimal probability of occurrence for linear and point elements in order to enhance cultural services supply. For the whole area an average potential increase in attractiveness of nearly 24% was estimated, resulting from the increase of both point and linear elements. Likewise, an average potential loss of 23% in attractiveness results from the removal of landscape elements down to the reference median thresholds. As the increment in linear element probability was mapped, the associated density increase and preference score were calculated. The related costs were estimated and mapped as well. Setting local reference thresholds equal to the observed median frequencies results in an estimated increase in linear elements of ca. 43km. Depending on the element types, total costs are estimated between 389 and 842k€, respectively 15–30€ha−1. Costs in terms of increased landscape attractiveness, expressed in utility class score, are estimated as well. The findings are discussed in a planning and policy intervention context.

Propuesta de un sistema de indicadores para evaluar la calidad visual del paisaje urbano en asentamientos informales

Abstract: Informal settlements are the result of spontaneous processes of urbanization and are formed without any official planning, generating social exclusion and marginalization, which adversely affect the physical appearance of the urban environment and quality of life of the inhabitants. This text focuses on building environmental guidelines comfort-oriented visual quality of the urban landscape; from a descriptive literature review, there is a presentation of different authors and concepts that define the urban landscape; the main components that comprise it are identified and, from these, an indicator system is proposed to assess their visual quality, low integration inherent ecological, aesthetic and cultural dimensions factors, which help define the diagnosis of each proposed addition to establish an evaluation system that favors improving the visual quality of informal urban landscape, providing results that help the design process and the preservation or improvement of the same component.

Recent changes of the visual quality of rural landscape: Case study of Slovak-Austrian borderland

Recent changes of the visual quality of rural landscape: Case study of Slovak-Austrian borderland

Assessing cumulative visual impacts in coastal areas of the Baltic Sea

Anthropogenic activity such as offshore wind energy farm development, shipping activity, resource extraction platforms or marine aquaculture can have adverse impacts on the visual quality of coastal landscapes. GIS-based viewshed analysis is the most widely used technique to address visual impacts. However, despite the wide application its spatial extent remains limited to local and regional studies. This study presents a GIS-based model for cumulative visual impact assessment on macro-regional scale based on a case study for the Baltic Sea. The viewshed model was deployed over a visibility zone covering 54% (223.641 km2) of the Baltic Sea space using a database of 63,672 observation points integrated by geospatial data on existing and planned sea uses representing potential visual stressors. Results show that areas of highest potential visual impact are sheltered coastal areas with complex geomorphological features such as barrier islands, peninsulas, straits, archipelagos and lagoons in combination with intensive anthropogenic activity and presence of nature protected areas. The methodology can be applied to any coastal area of the world to classify coastal areas due to their cumulative viewshed characteristics and as early monitoring tool for visual impact assessment on transboundary scale.

Analysis of Legal and Theoretical Framework Creating the Methodology of Visual Pollution Assessment for Natural Landscapes

Fulfilling the requirements of European Landscape Convention and following the statements of the National Landscape Policy of the Republic of Lithuania in 2014 the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania intitiated the creation of Methodology of the Assessment of Visual Pollution to Natural Landscape Complexes and Objects. In order to prepare the Methodology legal and theoretical framework of visual impact assessment (VIA) was analyzed and evaluated. Summarizing the analysis of the legal framework it can be said that national legislation requires the avoidance of visual pollution, but there are no recommendations how to evaluate visual impact. Foreign countries in the field of VIA, unlike Lithuania, have validated concepts of landscape visual quality and planned activity or object visual impact assessment; methodological recommendations of VIA, based as much as possible on principles of objectivity and systematicity, which are used in practical activities of planning and design. Methodologies used by Lithuanian authors are well developed theoretically and intended for the overall evaluation of landscape visual quality or VIA, designation of landscape visual quality classes, evaluation of visual spaces (VS) indicators, establishment of VS visual resistance and sensitivity. Parts of some works can be used for creation of methodology of visual pollution (negative visual impact) assessment.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.12.3.13022

Memetakan Kualitas Visual Lansekap pada Objek Wisata Alam Candi Gunung Kawi di Tampaksiring – Gianyar

ABSTRACT Mapping Visual Quality Landscape of Gunung Kawi Temple Tourism Object in Tampaksiring - Gianyar. Visual quality landscape depends not only on the physical characteristics of the landscape, but also on the subjective judgment of the individual observers. Visual quality of the landscape can be assessed from the observer's response after seeing the appearance of an object that would lead to the perception of the observer. The research objective criteria for determining the visual quality of the tourist landscape of "good" in particular tourist landscape Gunung Kawi Temple in Tampaksiring, then the point location will be mapped to facilitate tourists taking photos of documentation to capture every moment of their attractions. Theoretically, this research can be used as well as baseline information in an effort to acquire knowledge related to the visual quality of the landscape, especially regarding the visual quality of tourist landscape. Visual quality of the landscape that " good " that can meet the three areas of professional experts or the general good of the people is “a visual quality that is easily understood when one sees , in a vantage point where the tape contained a story that can provide information in a straightforward , have the impression living / soul / spirit will be able to describe the depth dimension , both visible by eye / recorded by the camera media without departing from the existing context and still refers to the basic rules of photography”. Keywords: travel gunung kawi temple, visual quality landscape

Visual Landscape Management of Scenic Peucang Island and Ujung Kulon Peninsula in Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia

National Park consists of core zone, buffer zone and utilization zone. Utilization zone can be used for recreational activities. This area has an outstanding beauty, high visibility and natural values inevitability attract development which is the potential development of physical, social, visual which can support tourism activities. This paper will discuss on study conducted to evaluate visual landscape for manage the scenic Peucang Island and Ujung Kulon Peninsula.The method comprehensive assessment in this research were used through Landscape structure, Visual Quality and Visual Resources Management.The result shown the scenic quality of UjungKulon Peninsula much better than Peucang Island. Area Cibom at Ujung Kulon Peninsula entered in the class 1 category including preservation in the management class however Cidaon and Peucang Island entered in the third class catergory including partial retention in the management class.

Assessing street-level urban greenery using Google Street View and a modified green view index

We explored Google Street View (GSV) as a street-level, urban greenery assessment tool. Street-level greenery has long played a critical role in the visual quality of urban landscapes. This living landscape element can and should be assessed for the quality of visual impact with the GSV information, and the assessed street-level greenery information could be incorporated into urban landscape planning and management. Information on street-level views of urban greenery assessment, however, is rare or nonexistent. Planners and managers’ ability to plan and manage urban landscapes effectively and efficiently is, therefore, limited. GSV is one tool that might provide street-level, profile views of urban landscape and greenery, yet no research on GSV for urban planning seems available in literature. We modified an existing Green View Index (GVI) formula and conducted a case study assessment of street greenery using GSV images in the area of East Village, Manhattan District, New York City. We found that GSV to be well suited for assessing street-level greenery. We suggest further that the modified GVI may be a relatively objective measurement of street-level greenery, and that GSV in combination with GVI may be well suited in guiding urban landscape planning and management.

Evaluating Visual Quality of Natural Landscapes to Achieve Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Margoon Waterfall Protected Area, Iran

Margoon waterfall protected area due to its ecological and environmental values and capitals can attract native and exotic tourists but incompatible development plan to the natural capitals of this site causes many problems. Therefore, the current research was formed to present sustainable strategies in Margoon protected area. In the current research, survey method has applied. To find reasons of the tourists and native communities' presentence, a questionnaire is prepared in two parts and distributed to 100 tourists. To achieve the problems of development plan, 14 points are choosing in the case study (Margoon waterfall protected area). These points located in privileged, ordinary, and poor landscapes in development plan. To analyze the visual evaluation of these points, GIS software is used.Keywords: Visual analysis, Sustainable design, Natural landscape

The effect of landscape type and landscape elements on public visual preferences: ways to use knowledge in the context of landscape planning

This study deals with an assessment of the visual quality of landscapes, and specifically with the perception of selected elements in the landscape. The aim of the study was to find out how particular elements are perceived in various landscape types, whether this perception is affected by the landscape type in which the elements are placed, and to what extent the respondents’ characteristics affect the assessment. The study was carried out with a sample of respondents of various ages, educational levels and types of employment. The respondents came from Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The preferences of the respondents were determined using an online questionnaire, in which they rated landscape photographs on a 21 point rating scale with a range from −10 to +10 points. Using generalised linear mixed effect models, it was found that the perception of an element is most affected by the landscape type, since the same element was assessed differently according to the landscape in which it was situated. The results confirmed that selected elements which do not disturb the harmony of the landscape are generally positively perceived, and the selected elements of a technical character are generally negatively perceived. Among the characteristics of the respondents, only gender and the respondent's current place of residence have an effect on their visual preferences.

Assessing the Quality of Agricultural Landscape Change with Multiple Dimensions

Better recognition of public perceptions is called for in developing policies that affect landscape qualities, such as agri-environmental policies. The present study focused on the evaluation of typical agricultural landscapes in Finland. We utilized and operationalized the visual landscape quality scales introduced by Tveit et al. (2006) and further explored how these scales can be applied in citizen evaluation of agricultural landscapes. From landscape data collected via an Internet survey, we analysed whether and how the attributes of agricultural landscapes were linked to their evaluation. The results demonstrated that visual concepts such as openness, naturalness, species richness and the impression of being taken care of were significantly associated with six landscape attributes, i.e., grain, cattle, bales, farmhouses, buses and disturbances. A relationship between key landscape concepts and normative evaluation was found. The normative pleasantness of the landscape also significantly associated with individual landscape attributes and the socio-demographic characteristics of the perceivers.