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Tree screens have a demonstrated role in lessening the visual impact of buildings nonintegrated aesthetically by means of filtering fa&ccedil, ades. This is particularly useful on village fringes and in areas bordering urban green spaces. However, the role of other vegetal structure such as climber species, and their optimal percentage for fa&ccedil, ade filtering, have not been measured yet. The main objectives of present study were: (1) To guess if climber species have a similar positive role to lessen the visual impact of a fa&ccedil, ade than tree species, and (2) to compare optimal percentage of coverage for both vegetal structures. To explore them, we designed three percentages of partial-concealment vegetation screens (0% none, 40&ndash, 50% medium, 70&ndash, 80% high), comprising tree or climber native species from a study area, in eight buildings from the same region. As a result, 24 final infographics were evaluated by two groups of interviewees: 27 local people and 39 non-local university students. Respondents had to assess the integration of the building in terms of visual preference using an ascending scale with 5 options from &ldquo, Very poor&rdquo, = 1 to &ldquo, Very good&rdquo, = 5. The results show a clear linear positive response of participants when increasing the percentage of coverage by both types of vegetal screens. However, positive significant valuation over 3 points on average was reached before in tree species screens (3.06, in 40&ndash, 50% of fa&ccedil, ade coverage) than in climbing species screens (3.02 in 70&ndash, 80% of fa&ccedil, ade coverage). Finally, there was a high consensus in responses when both groups polled were compared.

El paisaje, expresión sensible del entorno, puede ser analizado desglosando factores escénicos y elementos del paisaje. Este artículo presenta una nueva metodología de valoración de la calidad visual del paisaje aplicada a una actuación urbanística costera en Andalucía, un Plan Parcial en la playa de El Palmar de Vejer (Cádiz). Cuantificando forma, línea, color, textura y escala se mide la calidad del paisaje antes y después de la construcción prevista, y se proponen medidas correctoras del impacto visual., Landscape is sensitive expression of our environment, whose analysis shows different elements and scenic factors. This paper is focused on a new evaluation methodology for visual quality of landscape and visual impact, applied to a proposal of new buildings on the beach of El Palmar de Vejer (Cádiz), in the Spanish region of Andalusia. Landscape quality is measured before and after the planned construction, by quantifying shape, line, color, texture and scale. Corrective measures are proposed to prevent visual impact.

This is the accepted version of the manuscript. The final published manuscript is available, under subscription, here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195925514000675 Abstract: Although there are clear economic and environmental incentives for producing energy from solar and wind power, there can be local opposition to their installation due to their impact upon the landscape. To date, no international guidelines exist to guide quantitative visual impact assessment of these facilities, making the planning process somewhat subjective. In this paper we demonstrate the development of a method and an Open Source GIS tool to quantitatively assess the visual impact of these facilities using line-of-site techniques. The methods here build upon previous studies by (i) more accurately representing the shape of energy producing facilities, (ii) taking into account the distortion of the perceived shape and size of facilities caused by the location of the observer, (iii) calculating the possible obscuring of facilities caused by terrain morphology and (iv) allowing the combination of various facilities to more accurately represent the landscape. The tool has been applied to real and synthetic case studies and compared to recently published results from other models, and demonstrates an improvement in accuracy of the calculated visual impact of facilities. The tool is named r.wind.sun and is freely available from GRASS GIS AddOns.

Renewable energy facilities have led to conflicts due to the visual impact they generate due to their profusion, their dispersed nature and their location, usually in places of maximum visibility. The relevant aspects concerning heritage (cultural or local values) are not consider by existing methodologies when assessing the generated visual impact in spite of their importance for minor heritage. This paper presents the first results of the research being developed within the recognized research group "Intervention in the heritage and sustainable architecture" from the University of Alcala, for the accomplishment of a methodology of valuation of the visual impact caused by renewable energy facilities on the landscape in cultural heritage sites. The preliminary outline of the methodology is presented, based on previously published studies of the settings of the Uclés Monumental Complex, the Segóbriga Archaeological Park and the Santiago's Way on its way through Alto del Perdón in Navarre. Las instalaciones de energía renovable han dado lugar a diversos conflictos por el impacto visual que generan debido a su profusión, a su carácter disperso y a su emplazamiento, normalmente en lugares de máxima visibilidad. Las metodologías existentes para valorar el impacto visual que generan dichas instalaciones en el paisaje no tienen en consideración aspectos relevantes para el patrimonio, como los valores culturales o los locales, muy valiosos para el patrimonio de menor relevancia. Este artículo presenta un avance de los resultados de la investigación que se está desarrollando dentro del grupo de investigación reconocido de la Universidad de Alcalá, “Intervención en el patrimonio y arquitectura sostenible”, para la consecución de una metodología de valoración del impacto visual causado por instalaciones de energía renovable sobre el paisaje en el entorno de lugares patrimonio cultural. Se presenta el desarrollo inicial de la metodología, basada en los casos de estudio anteriormente publicados del entorno del Conjunto Monumental de Uclés, el Parque Arqueológico de Segóbriga y el Camino de Santiago a su paso por el Alto del Perdón en Navarra.

[ES] El trabajo consiste en la implantación de un parque de medianas “Estepar” el cual es un centro comercial no cerrado que contiene tres o cuatro tiendas comerciales grandes y otros comercios más pequeños. Destaca por tener una zona de aparcamiento subterráneo compartida en el término municipal de Castellón de la Plana. Es una actuación que se desarrollará en tres etapas de ejecución donde el operador principal del proyecto es un bricolaje y el resto de los locales se han proyectado para que puedan ser utilizados con fines comerciales. Todos los edificios quedan conectados entre sí a través de la planta sótano, donde se concentran la mayoría de plazas de aparcamiento. La integración tiene por objeto predecir y valorar la magnitud e importancia de los efectos que el parque pueda llegar a producir sobre el paisaje y determinar estrategias para evitar los impactos o mitigar los posibles efectos negativos. En este trabajo se hará uso de La Estrategia Territorial de la Comunidad Valenciana, la cual es un instrumento que establece los objetivos, metas, principios y directrices para la ordenación del territorio de nuestra Comunidad Autónoma y del Plan de Acción Territorial Sectorial del Comercio de la Comunidad Valenciana, el cual definirá los criterios, directrices y orientaciones territoriales para que la ordenación comercial se desarrolle coherentemente con la planificación territorial y así asegurar el desarrollo sostenible y los objetivos de calidad de vida., [EN] The Project consists of the construction of the retail park “Estepar”, which is an outdoor shopping center that has 3 or 4 big commercial stores and other smaller businesses. It stands out for having a shared underground parking area, located in the city of Castellón de la Plana. This is a task that will develop in three main stages of execution where the main operators of the project are a DIY company and the rest of the premises have been designed so that they can be used for commercial purposes. All the buildings are connected to each other through the basement floor, where most of the parking spaces are concentrated. It aims to predict and assess the importance and magnitude of the effects that the park may have on the landscape and determine certain strategies to avoid the impacts or mitigate any possible damage. In this project we will use the Territorial Strategy of the Valencian Community, which is a tool that establishes the objectives, goals, principles and guidelines for the territorial planning of our Autonomous Community and the Territorial Action Plan for Trade in the Valencian Community, which will define the criteria, guidelines and territorial orientations so that the commercial order is developed coherently with the territorial planning, and thus assure the sustainable development and the objectives of quality of life.

The perception of apparent sizes of buildings in a rural environment depends on the height ratio between the building and its surrounding vegetation, and it is this parameter which is currently used to assess the built landscapes. The impact of a contrasting height is less strong if the building does not exceed the horizon line. For buildings overshooting the skyline, the building&rsquo, s level of sharpness and number of lines in contrast to the sky determines the impact of the scales, and vegetation in the background helps to reduce impact. The specific objectives of the present study were: (1) finding height&ndash, ratio thresholds between building and background vegetation, which may improve the integration of rural buildings in sky-sensitive locations, and, (2) comparing the results in two rural contexts with very different climatic conditions: Spain and Sweden. A survey of eighteen scenarios (nine Spanish and nine Swedish), all digitally modified with different relative height ratios between vegetation and buildings, was performed. The survey was evaluated by the public from both countries. Regardless of the country of origin, integration of the building was good or very good when the vegetation in background did not exceed one half of the height of the construction. These results may be translated to technical criteria for planning assessment.

Didieji komercinės reklamos stendai daro reikšmingą neigiamą vizualinį poveikį kraštovaizdžiui. Išsivysčiusiose užsienio šalyse išorinės vaizdinės reklamos stendų statyba yra reglamentuojama įvairiais teisiniais aktais, gairėmis, kontrolės vadovais. Lietuvoje komercinės reklamos stendų statyba, įvertinant jų vizualinį poveikį kelių kraštovaizdžiui teisinėmis ir teritorijų planavimo priemonėmis, praktiškai nėra reguliuojama. Atsižvelgiant į šią situaciją, straipsnio tikslas – apžvelgti Lietuvos problemas, reglamentuojant didžiųjų komercinės reklamos stendų statybą ir jų poveikį kraštovaizdžiui, įvertinti užsienio šalių patirtį, sprendžiant šias problemas, ir pateikti metodines didžiųjų komercinės reklamos stendų statybos reglamentavimo gaires, atsižvelgiant į Lietuvos kraštovaizdžio savitumus ir vizualines charakteristikas. Siūlomi tokie stendų vizualinio poveikio kraštovaizdžiui vertinimo etapai: teritorijos erdvinės sandaros analizė – išskiriamos vizualinės erdvės, suvokiamos iš atskirų kelio ruožų; stendų išdėstymo galimybių analizė – išskiriamos saugotinos nuo stendų statybos vizualinės erdvės ir erdvės, kuriose galima stendų lokalizacija; galimo stendų vizualinio kontrasto laipsnio su kontekstine aplinka nustatymas ir stendo vietos vizualinėje erdvėje, stilistikos ir kontrasto pobūdžio su aplinka nustatymas, remiantis identiteto indekso teorija ir vizualinės erdvės vertinimu pagal įvairovės, kompozicinio harmoningumo, sudėtingumo, išraiškingumo, prasmingumo ir kitus vizualinės kokybės kriterijus. Free standing billboards have a significant negative visual impact on the landscape. In the majority of foreign countries construction of free standing billboards is regulated by various legal instruments, guidelines and control manuals. In Lithuania the construction of free standing billboards considering their visual impact is poorly regulated by juridical and spatial planning means. Taking this situation into account the paper aims to review main problems of regulating free standing billboards construction in Lithuania, to assess their impact on the landscape, to present foreign experience in solving these problems and to provide methodological guidelines for regulation of free standing billboards construction considering their visual impact. The proposed stages of the assessment of free standing billboards visual impact are the following: analysis of the landscape spatial structure designating visual spaces perceived from separate road sections, analysis of the possibilities of free standing billboards layout designating visual spaces protected from free standing billboards construction and visual spaces as free standing billboards construction areas, establishment of the possible visual contrast level of free standing billboards and establishment of free standing billboards location in a visual space and a visual contrast character according to the SID theory and results of the visual space evaluation according to the criteria of vitality, complexity, compositional harmony, expressivity, uniqueness, functionality and meaningfulness.

Vėjo elektrinių vizualinis poveikis priklauso nuo daugelio aspektų: elektrinės dydžio, spalvos, formos, stebėjimo atstumo, kraštovaizdžio įvairumo, paros laiko ir daugelio kitų veiksnių. Straipsnyje kaip vienas iš įtakos veiksnių analizuojamas elektrinės matomumas. Vienas svarbiausių aspektų, lemiančių vėjo elektrinės vizualinį poveikį, – stebėjimo atstumas. Išanalizavus skirtingų šalių vėjo elektrinių vizualinės įtakos zonas ir įvertinus Lietuvos situaciją, sudaryta vėjo elektrinių vizualinio poveikio hipotetinių laipsnių lentelė. Siekiant įvertinti vizualinio poveikio laipsnių tikslumą, atliktas žvalgomasis tyrimas vietoje, kurio rezultatai palyginti su teoriniais hipotetiniais vizualinio poveikio laipsniais (lyginamoji analizė). Iš dešimties pasirinktų regyklų įvertintos vėjo elektrinių vizualinio poveikio zonos. Tyrimo vietoje objektas – šešios Kretingos rajone (greta Vydmantų gyvenvietės) esančios vėjo elektrinės (Enercon E-70 (2 MW galios)). Jų bokšto aukštis – 85 m, menčių ilgis – 34 m, vėjaračio skersmuo – 71 m, bendras aukštis – 120,5 m. Susisteminus tyrimo rezultatus, nustatyta, kad teorinį vėjo elektrinių vizualinės įtakos zonų skirstymą reikia koreguoti atsižvelgiant į Lietuvos kraštovaizdžio vizualinį pobūdį. Kadangi skirtingas stebėjimo atstumas turi didelę įtaką esant 0–7 km atstumu nuo vėjo elektrinių parko (čia vėjo elektrinių vizualinis poveikis kraštovaizdyje kinta nuo dominančių iki subdominančių lygmens), būtina stebėjimo atstumų intervalą sutankinti. Taip pat pastebėta, kad vizualinį poveikio reikšmingumą labai keičia arti regyklų esantys miškų masyvai, pastatai, kiti vertikalūs objektai. Oro sąlygos taip pat turi didelę įtaką, ypač vėjaračio matomumui. Visual impact of wind turbines depends on many qualities: their size, color, form, observation distance, landscape variety, time of the day, and other factors (Tsoutsos et al., 2009). In this paper the factors that influence the wind turbine’s visibility are analyzed. One of the most important aspects determining wind turbine’s visual impact is observation distance. The visual impact zones of wind turbines in different countries having been analyzed and the situation in Lithuania taken in, the Table of wind turbine’s visual impact hypothetical degrees is set up. To determine the precision of visual impact degrees, the survey in situ is done and its results have been compared to the theoretical-hypothetical visual impact degrees (a comparative analysis). Visual impact zones of wind turbines are evaluated from ten pre-selected observation points. Six wind turbines (of 2 MW power each), installed in Kretinga district near village Vydmantai, are analyzed. At the end of the study, it is identified that the categorization of visual impact zones of wind turbines should be corrected in accordance with the visual character of Lithuanian landscape. Different observation distances have a great influence on the significance of a visual impact. Being 0-7 km from the wind farm (in this case the wind turbine’s visual impact on the landscape varies from dominants to subdominants), the intervals of observation distances have to be shorter. It is noticed that forests, buildings, and other vertical objects that are located near the observation point change the visual impact significance very much. Weather conditions make significant influence as well, especially on visibility of wind turbine wheels.

This paper addresses the problem of a visual integration between infrastructures and landscape, based on morphological elements, color and materials, with a particular attention towards new technologies for the production and distribution of energy, both traditional and photovoltaic, focusing on contemporary research of companies that base their philosophy on the desire to combine innovation, technology and design for sustainable development of energy production and transmission networks, in respect of the landscape. In particular, is here presented a new method, based on perspective studies, that allows to place the new infrastructure in accord to the shape of landscape.

Among the technologies of exploitation of renewable energy sources, solar photovoltaic plants and wind power plants are the ones who had the highest growth rate and in the future may contribute substantially to meeting energy demand and requests for production of carbon-free energy. However, it was also shown that even though there is a considerable support for policies promoting renewable energy at a general level, local communities often perceive the installation of systems powered by renewable sources such as limiting the quality of life, or impacting on the natural and built landscape. Consequently, the studies concerning the procedures for assessing the territorial and landscape impacts of this type of systems have recently seen a remarkable development. If an extensive scientific literature is now available regarding the assessment of visual impact of wind turbines, with applications in several countries, there are few studies, theoretical or applied, dealing with the visual impact of photovoltaic plants, which represent, also for their physical size, an important form of transformation of the agricultural and forestry land. As part of studies conducted by the authors regarding the territorial impacts of photovoltaic plant, in this paper, a procedure to evaluate the visual impact of a PV plant based on a quantitative indicator and that was published in the same journal (vol. 13, no. 5, p. 986–99) is adopted and discussed with reference to the application on some case studies. As a result, some modifications to the procedure are presented and a discussion on how this procedure may be used and integrated into the administrative requirements of large and small scale PV plants developments is carried out. From the results, it can be derived that such a procedure can be effectively used provided that a regulatory framework is set by the local authority that carries out the authorizaion procedures.

The development of wind energy in Denmark goes back 30 years, during which the technology was commercialised, up scaled and a series of planning systems were developed. After the millennium, the impact on landscapes increased, the planning regime failed and economic conditions were worsened with the removal of the fixed feed in tariff. The earlier forerunner country is left in the lee of the internationally boosting wind energy business. From a land use policy view it is interesting to analyse how this has happened and what impact the planning policy has had on the landscape effect of wind energy. In order to analyse the impact of wind turbine development through times and on the population of a region, the present paper analyses by means of geographical information systems and in time steps. The spatial relations between population, landscapes and the wind turbine development from 1982 to 2007 were modelled for the Northern Jutland region by means of proximity, density and visibility analyses. Results indicate that development was not continuous and impact on landscape and population was closely related to technology development. The paper concludes on the use of these methods and on the effectiveness of planning regimes.

Les îles de la Polynésie française, et en particulier l’île de Bora Bora, sont des destinations touristiques très prisées pour la beauté de leurs paysages. L’originalité de ces îles tient au type d’infrastructures hôtelières privilégiées : les bungalows sur pilotis, une formule de chambre « pieds dans l’eau », offrant un accès direct au lagon. Tous les acteurs liés à l’activité touristique, que ce soient les hôteliers, les élus politiques, les habitants de l’île et les touristes eux-mêmes, ont chacun une perception et une représentation différentes des bungalows et de leur omniprésence dans le paysage. Le but de cette étude est d’expérimenter un outil scientifique, un modèle, capable de quantifier l’impact visuel des bungalows dans le paysage. Il s’agit de mesurer l’angle de vue que l’observateur a sur les bungalows ; cet angle correspond à l’étendue de l’obstruction du champ visuel de l’individu. Cette théorie touche un point sensible dans la relation entre les sciences dures et les sciences humaines : est-il possible de quantifier mathématiquement une notion subjective comme l’estimation d’un impact visuel ? Le modèle, en plus d’être valide scientifiquement parlant, devra être représentatif de l’opinion de tous les groupes sociaux impliqués dans le projet en élaboration et aider à instaurer un dialogue entre eux. Tourist growth and bungalows visual impact in the landscape of Bora Bora Islands. French Polynesia islands, Bora Bora in particular are valuation tourist destinations for the beauty of their landscapes. The originality of these islands runs in privileged hotel infrastructures : bungalows built on piles, overwater bedroom with a direct access to the lagoon. All the actors who are bound by the tourist activity : the hotel trade, the elected representative, the inhabitants, tourists have their own perception of bungalows and their omnipresence in the landscape. The aim of this study is to try out a scientific tool, a model, able to quantify the bungalows visual impact in the landscape. This analysis consists in measuring the corner of the view that has the observer on bungalow. This corner represents the obstruction of the individual field of view. This theory concerns a sensitive point in the relation between the exact sciences and humanities : is it possible to quantify mathematically a subjective notion like the visual impact estimation ? The model must not only be valid scientifically but also be representative of all project involved social group opinion and help to establish a dialogue between them.

http://www.utc.fr/~kserrhin/; National audience; First we will present the principles and results of a new algorithm of covisibility which is specific to the evaluation of the visual impact of an installation on the landscape. The second part of this work will be dedicated to comparing this algorithm with work published recently. Reaching that aim would require a strict comparison of algorithms among themselves. In this paper, we have to restrict our comparison to the only elements available to us : nature and quality of the data used, nature and shape of the results obtained and their applicability to estimation of visual impact. Final goal is to participate in determining of variants of the project upstream and downstream and in further measures to complete the project (French law concerning landscape - 1993).; Exposé des principes et résultats d'un nouvel algorithme de covisibilité spécifique à la question de l'évaluation de l'impact visuel d'un aménagement sur le paysage. Dans un premier temps il sera question d'un nouveau modèle informatique (3D-IMA) dont l'architecture et le fonctionnement s'inspirent des SIG. Ce modèle s'est spécialisé dans le calcul sous contraintes des degrés de visibilités d'un futur ouvrage pour l'aménagement. La seconde partie de ce travail sera consacrée à la comparaison de cet algorithme avec des travaux récents. Mener à bien une telle entreprise, nécessiterait la comparaison stricte des algorithmes entre eux. Dans cet article, on n'effectuera cette comparaison que sur la base d'éléments accessibles dont : la nature et la qualité des données utilisées, la nature et la forme des résultats obtenus et l'opérationalité de ces résultats pour l'estimation de l'impact visuel. L'objectif final est de participer à la fois en amont et en aval du processus de détermination de variantes du projet et d'apporter des mesures d'aménagements accompagnant le futur ouvrage (loi paysage de 1993).

This paper analyzes the problem of the inclusion of road infrastructure in the present environment; in fact many international and national studies and research have been carried out to address this aspect of road infrastructure construction. Although many approaches to this type of problem exist, now there are two main procedures to solve it: a) the surrounding environment seen from the road (i.e. from the perspective of the driver's eye), and b) the Whole surrounding environment observed from off the road (the point of view external to the road). The experimental analysis presented here shows a predictive model to assess the beauty of a scenario in which the road is introduced from the road. The model has been developed thanks to experimental investigation using a sample of 200 non-expert judges asked to express an opinion on 32 different scenes in conventional photographs selected from low-volume roads within the Province of Salerno. The coefficients of the resulting model have significance greater than 95% and the equation has a coefficient of determination equal to 0.86. By comparing the measured values with those derived from applying the predictive model, the effectiveness of the model is clear: the maximum error is less than 10%.