Cialdea & Sollazzo - input2012
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This document discusses the importance of visibility analysis in rural landscape planning, specifically in the low Molise area of Italy, highlighting how perceptive control can aid in monitoring landscape transformations. It details the classification of landscape elements into 'values' and 'detractors' and describes the methodology used for visibility and distance analysis using GIS technology. The research aims to develop an innovative territorial analysis method that can be applied universally in planning and policy-making for renewable energy projects.
Cialdea & Sollazzo - input2012
- 1. Seventh International Conference on INFORMATICS AND URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING Planning Support Tools: Policy Analysis, Implementation and Evaluation Department of Land Engineering University of Cagliari (Italy) 10-12 May 2012 Visibility analysis for identifying detractors in rural areas Cialdea Donatella, Sollazzo Antonio University of Molise, L.a.co.s.t.a. Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, Italy
- 2. Introduction This work aims to highlight the importance of the analyses of the visibility undertaken on a portion of landscape characterised by its strongly rural features. Perceptive control alone cannot be associated with a total control of the landscape but can become an important tool for monitoring transformations in particular areas of the territory and a useful tool in the territorial planning process. Individuation of the sample area (Low Molise) (source: our elaboration on Molise Region’s datas)
- 3. Case Study Area The case study area chosen to test the analysis methodology is the one of Low Molise, including coastal and pre-coastal municipalities. The choice of the area isn’t casual, in fact this is one of the most important landscape area of all the Region. Contemporary, this is an area that suffered a great number of transformations.
- 4. Landscape features The section of the territory involved in this research is a good example of how a very rural territory has been transformed and continues to change over the years. The study area is made up of a series of elements which together form the image of the landscape. These elements have been synthesised into two large groups, Values and Detractors.
- 5. Values Values are elements conferring value to the entire landscape system, that may be different (such as architectural, naturalistic, historical elements). They have been divided into two groups: residual and naturalistic values. The first group comprises what remains of areas of great natural worth and are the historical memory of these places. The second group comprises those areas with the recognised presence of an element of great naturalistic worth, that is the presence of particular species of flora and fauna.
- 6. Detractors The detractors in some way penalize this system. The detractors list is not exhaustive, it has been prepared after a detailed territory reading with its typical agricultural features. These elements, therefore, are those that most modify the rural areas of the region. Individuation of Detractors in the sample area (Molise) (source: our elaboration on Molise Region’s datas)
- 7. Perceptive Analysis The perceptive analysis is defined as a summarize between the analysis of visibility and of distance. The first is directly correlated to the height of each single element and its geographical position (including height above sea level). The second is correlated to the distance within which it is possible to perceive its presence. This type of analysis was undertaken in ArcGis, using respectively the commands Euclidean Distance for the calculation of distance and Viewshed for the calculation of visibility.
- 8. Analysis of Visibility In this specific case we used the command Viewshed which, from the point of view of data processing, corresponds to a grid in which each cell has a value of visibility, representing the number of observation points from which the chosen horizon can be seen. Visibility analysis is applied on a DEM and is calculated bearing in mind the altitude of the observation point and of the area falling within the field of vision. Analysis of Visibility in the sample area (source:our elaboration on Molise Region ‘s datas)
- 9. Combination between Visibility and Distance Appears, in fact evident that are present within the territory elements which interfere with the visibility. These elements are not only of orographic origin. In fact, we have also wooded, industrial and urban areas. Therefore we correct the original datum of DEM using the Land Use datum, attributing them with the average height. From these data have been realized the two grid (distance and visibility) and then they were combined to form a final grid which has a base cell like that of the DEM and values varying between 0 and 5 (0 corresponding to invisibility while 5 corresponds to maximum perception. Combination between Visibility Analiysis an Distance Analysis in the sample area (source: our elaboration on Molise Region’s datas)
- 10. Conclusions The research is developing an innovative territorial analysis methodology. The analysis of visibility is a major innovation in the research field of spatial analysis. It focus on the perceptive analysis that it is a fundamental feature of the landscape analysis. Visual perception so was included in an larger territorial analysis in order to highlight the areas in which already exists a detractors strong impact of the ones who, however, are still slightly contaminated by the presence of these elements. This analytical approach is very useful, for example, in the planning stage and in the policies determination for implantations of the renewable sources energy production. The perceptive analysis, then, has universality and repeatability characters that make it applicable at all kinds of territory, unless changes related to the nature of places. Wind Farm near a rural house in Rotello (Molise) (photo by: A.Sollazzo)