Participation Tools for Better Community and Land Use Planning
- Public
Participation in Community Planning
- Computer
Simulation as a Public Participation Tool
- Public Participation and Visual Surveys
- Participatory
Land Use Mapping
a. Organizing
a Mapping Exercise in Your Community
Public Participation and Visual Surveys
Visual surveys traditionally consist of sets of photographs of
buildings, streets, sidewalks, shopping centers, parks, and/or
other examples of a region’s built or natural environment.
The images are generally taken from within the community, although
some images may be from other areas if a depiction of a certain
design principle cannot be conveniently found in the survey area.
The images are then shown to residents at public workshops and
meetings. Viewers are asked to rate each image on a scale from
–10 to +10 (or –5 to +5). The average rating for each
image is calculated and results are presented to the viewers.
In this way, participants build consensus on how they would like
homes, stores, offices, and streets designed and situated in their
communities. Planning professionals are then also better able
to understand what appeals to residents.
Image surveying techniques were popularized in the 1990s by
Anton
Nelessen and Associates, which developed an image surveying
methodology known as the Visual Preference Survey™ (VPS™).
The VPS™ has been successful as both an educational tool
and as a public participation process. In recent years, Anton
Nelessen and Associates and others around the nation have taken
image surveying techniques to new heights by incorporating computer
simulation.
The Local Government Commission has developed a form of visual
survey known as The Community
Image Survey (CIS). The Community Image Survey consists of 40-60
slides from a community or region. Approximately 80 percent of the
slides come from the specific locale in which the survey is administered.
Taken as a whole, the 40-60 slides present contrasting images of
our living environment — its streets, houses, stores, office
buildings, parks, open space and key civic features. The Community
Image Survey is often conducted at a public meeting or workshop
organized to discuss some aspect of the land use and transportation
planning process.
In recent years, some consultants have also started using Computer
Simulation to enhance visual surveys with images of how a particular
scene can be transformed.
Images provided by Anton Nelessen and Associates,
Princeton, NJ
Images provided by Town Meeting Direct, Seattle,
WA
Anton Nelessen and Associates
134 Nassau St.
Princeton, NJ 08542
609-497-0104
http://www.nelessen.org/
Local Government Commission
1440 K St., Suite 600
Sacramento, CA 95814-3929
(916) 448-1198
http://www.lgc.org/
Town Meeting Direct
101 Stewart St. Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98101
206-441-7579
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