As the importance of public participation in decision-making relating to planning in both urban and non-urban landscapes has increased in recent years, there has been a significant expansion in the body of research into effective participatory methods, including visualisation. Building on the existing literature focusing on technical developments in visualisation, this volume presents the findings of the multidisciplinary VisuLands project, which explores the various dimensions integral to stakeholder involvement in environmental decisions. These include details of the available tools, but also important contextual issues such as awareness-raising, rural policy, land-use management and planning, delivery of landscape-related objectives and stakeholders' environmental attitudes and preferences. Throughout, there is a theme of stakeholder involvement in identifying aspirations for future landscapes, and using visualization tools both for exploring such landscapes and as mechanisms for increasing public awareness and understanding of landscape change.
While focusing largely on the linkages between rural policy and landscape development in the European Union, the findings presented have important implications for both planners and stakeholders globally. The book provides a valuable reference for advanced students and researchers interested in issues such as landscape design and management, public participation, sustainability and conservation, as well as those with interests in geovisualisation and other technical dimensions of participatory methods.