Google Earth based visualization of Dutch land use scenarios: beyond usability

This contribution describes GESO, a tool to prepare a Google Earth visualization of the Dutch land use scenarios as created by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. This Google Earth (GE) for the Sustainable Outlook tool, named GESO aims to be an effective, easy and low cost way to study Sustainable Outlook data via an interactive 3D visualization that integrates the land use icon and landscape feature approach as presented in the VisualScan study. The concept, implementation and usability of GESO are explained, concluded and discussed. The paper starts to explain the context of GESO and the intention to visualize 3-dimensionally land use changes (Al-Kodmany, 2001; Borsboom- van Beurden, 2006; Lammeren, 2004). Out of this context the concept of GESO is presented (architecture). It combines two Dutch authorized datasets (AHN and Top10Vec) into a semi-3D dataset. The impact of the tiling of these data is discussed as well. Secondly the tool transforms these semi 3D data and the Sustainable Outlook results, as created via LUMOS, and linked with 2D- and 3D-objects, into KML files. The KML files, to be viewed by GE, offer the user different levels of detail and combinations of current and future land use to be presented 2D and 3D (visualization). The usability (Sheppard, 2001, Hudson-Smith, 2005) of GESO is explained via the questionnaire that has been offered to many policy makers on different administration levels. The preliminary outcomes of this questionnaire will be presented as well. The type of application and its results will be discussed with reference to comparable approaches. References: Al Kodmany, K. (2001) Supporting imageability on the World Wide Web: Lynch's five elements of the city in community planning. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design. 2001;, 28, 805-832. Borsboom,-van Beurden, J.A.M. (2006), Linking land use modelling and 3D visualisation. A mission impossible In: J. van Leeuwen and H. Timmermans, Innovations in Design and Decision Support Systems in Architecture and Urban Planning, pp. 85-102. Hudson-Smith, A., S. Evans and M. Batty, 2005, Building the Virtual City: Public Participation through e-Democracy, Knowledge, Technology & policy, (18)1, pp.62-85. Lammeren, R. van, R. Olde Loohuis, A. Momot, and S. Ottens, 2004,, VisualScan: 3D visualisations of 2D scenarios, CGI-report 2004-09, ISSN 1568-1874, Wageningen Sheppard, S.R.J., 2001. Guidance for crystal ball gazers: developing a code of ethics for landscape visualisation. Landscape and Urban Planning 54 (1-4): 183-199