Large-Area Empirically Based Visual Landscape Quality Assessment for Spatial Planning—A Validation Approach by Method Triangulation

Michael Roth, Silvio Hildebrandt, Ulrich Walz and Wolfgang Wende
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Michael Roth: Landscape Planning, Especially Landscape Informatics, School of Environment/Design/Therapy, Nürtingen-Geislingen University, 72622 Nürtingen, Germany
Silvio Hildebrandt: Institute of Landscape and Environment, Nürtingen-Geislingen University, 72622 Nürtingen, Germany
Ulrich Walz: Landscape Ecology and Geographical Information Systems, Faculty of Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry, Dresden University of Applied Sciences, 01069 Dresden, Germany
Wolfgang Wende: Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Research Area Landscape Change and Management, 01217 Dresden, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: Large area visual landscape quality assessment, especially at the national level is needed to answer the demand from strategic planning. In our paper, we describe and compare two recent modelling approaches for this task regarding their theoretical and empirical basis, resolution, model configuration and results. To compare the outcomes of the two methods, both correlation measures and a visual overlay analysing the inversions are used. The results show, that despite the different methodological approaches, in over 90% of the area of Germany there are only minor deviations between the resulting scenic quality maps (less or equal one step on a five-step scale). The main differences occur due to a different relative weight given to terrain and water indicators in the respective methods. We conclude that a methodologically valid scenic quality evaluation using geodata of homogenous quality is possible also at the national level. By triangulating between different methods, for both, the validity could be proven. The datasets elaborated can also be used as a benchmark for regional landscape assessments and for an upcoming monitoring of changes in visual landscape quality.

Keywords: scenic landscape quality; geographic information system; landscape assessment model; validity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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