Exploring landscape changes using an envisioning system in rural community workshops

Abstract

In order to understand land use changes it is useful to provide communities with visions of how their landscape may change. For this purpose, we have developed an envisioning system, which can help communities contemplate alternative land use configurations. This system links a geographic information system, virtual reality, mobile computing devices, and environmental process models into a platform that allows visual exploration and evaluation of future landscape scenarios. Alternative land use configurations can be suggested using the GIS interface, which can be viewed via an immersive 3D environment permitting immediate evaluation. Using personal digital assistants, opinions on visible cha..