BioMatNet Item: AIR3-CT94-1229 - Detailed Visual and Amenity Design Guidelines for Forestry: Optimising Rural Resource Potential

AIR3-CT94-1229
Detailed Visual and Amenity Design Guidelines for Forestry: Optimising Rural Resource Potential

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AIR Cluster IX - Forestry : Forestry

OBJECTIVE:

The creation of sustainable aesthetically appropriate forestry which is valuable, both as a commercial and amenity resource.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

Develop a procedure for the assessment of landscape that will ensure control of future forestry development, thereby providing a basis for producing a land use policy with respect to forestry aesthetics and amenity.
Develop methodologies to provide a structure and checklist for the design process which will ensure proper development of forestry in aesthetically sensitive landscapes.
Develop forest and amenity design prototypes as working guidelines ensuring general applicability throughout many landscapes throughout Europe.
Develop a methodology to identify and quantitatively assess the potentially adverse visual impacts of forestry.
Explore the use of integrated computer graphic systems for landscape design in order to achieve photorealistic and detailed simulations of proposed developments.
Examine the possibility of diversifying silvicultural systems to maximise aesthetic quality but taking cognisance of commercial concerns.
Determine public attitude and preference regarding forestry throughout a significant selection of EU countries.

The expected benefits are:

The guidelines and methodologies will be useful to both statutory planning and forestry authorities for the planning or zoning of landscape for forestry. In addition, on a broader scale, the procedure will essentially be of use to all bodies concerned with the consideration, for example, building in rural areas, suburban expansion and agriculture.
Landscapes will be carefully selected to include a broad variety of landform, vegetation, landuse and amenities to ensure the general applicability throughout the EU of not only the methodologies, but also the prototype designs produced.
The proposed computer graphic techniques, will be designed to be user friendly for ease of application by foresters, landscape architects and planning authorities.
Significant information will be produced in yet under researched areas; visual resource management and visual quality objectives with respect to forestry, public perception and attitudes towards forestry in Europe, guidelines specific to forest interiors.
The potentially aesthetic amenity resource of forestry, as part of integrated rural and tourism development, will be optimised and developed.
The visual impact assessment procedure will provide the tool necessary for safeguarding against forest design of poor or mediocre quality, especially in areas of high aesthetic vulnerability, ensuring compliance with appropriate standards and the creation of a sustainable rural aesthetic resource.

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