Environment and Planning A, 1976, volume 8, pages 79-92 Evaluating English landscapes—some recent developments

Abstract. A programme of research to develop two indices to be used as aids in the prediction of public response to issues involving landscape planning, and in particular the routing of new roads through rural areas, is described. The first index was based on assessments by 272 respondents of the attractiveness of 170 landscapes, presented as panoramas of colour transparencies. This index, which was derived by means of multiple regression statistics, may be used to predict attractiveness scores for other landscapes on the basis of nine measures of visual content. The second index was derived from assessments by 112 respondents of 63 landscapes, with and without simulated roads. An index based upon landscape attractiveness and the visible extent of the roadway was found to provide an accurate prediction of the change in assessed attractiveness due to the introduction of the road.