Appropriate Combinations of Technology for Solving Landscape Management Problems― Session F: Urbanization; Highway Development Assessing the Visual Resource and Visual Development Suitability Values in Metropolitanizing Landscapes1

In response to urbanization pressures on the New England landscape, researchers at the University of Massa- chusetts have developed and tested two visual landscape assess- ment procedures as part of a comprehensive research project in landscape planning. The first procedure identifies those visually significant and unique areas within a town or region that warrant public intervention in decisions affecting their protection and preservation. The second procedure identifies the relative frequency of visual attributes within an area which enhance its liveability and hence its suitability and value for development. Both assessment procedures were con- structed from research findings in the areas of scenic per- ception and preference, and resource econometrics. Appli- cation of the procedures seemed to show a strong corrob- oration between methods of scenic perception and econometric valuation techniques. The importance of relating visual values to other landscape values when making land use deci- sions was also demonstrated.