Bringing Climate Change Science to the Landscape Level: Canadian Experience in Using Landscape Visualisation Within Participatory Processes for Community Planning - Landscape Ecology for Sustainable Environment and Culture - page 125

using available 3D datasets such as LiDAR data, 2 and following procedures to
ensure accuracy to the data, representative view locations, and themes to be
visualized (based on input from the local working group and experts).
• Generating visioning packages for working group review, illustrating possible
future neighbourhood conditions through visualizations, profiles using key
indicators, GIS mapping, and photographs of best practice precedents.
In Phase 2, the products of this process were tested with local policy-makers
and representatives of the public. The evaluation was conducted with approxi-
mately 120 community members 3 in Delta and North Vancouver, plus a sample of
Lower Mainland planners and engineers, and some local council members. Par-
ticipants were recruited mainly through posters, web-postings, and key informants
using the snowball contact technique. Visioning (scenario evaluation) workshops
of 2-3 hours were held in each case study community, using a multi-media
PowerPoint presentation with visualisations on two large screens, side-by side.
Evaluation methods used standard social science assessment techniques (e.g. pre-
post survey written questionnaire, written qualitative comments, participant
observations, and some follow-up interviews) to determine changes in partici-
pants' attitudes and knowledge due to the presentations, and users' opinions on the
process.
7.3.2 Results on Effectiveness of Visioning Tools
and Process in Metro Vancouver
The project demonstrated that an integrated, visualization-based process is
workable and effective in two very different BC communities. Compelling 3D
visualizations of local climate change scenarios can be developed defensibly,
despite the multi-disciplinary data/modelling needs, complexity and uncertainty
involved. The results of the study suggest that participatory planning processes
supported by geo-visualization and visual imagery can have a significant effect on
both awareness and affective response. Key findings drawn from initial data
analysis are described next (for more details, see Tatebe et al. 2010 ; Cohen et al.
2011 ; Sheppard et al. 2011 ).
2 LIDAR: Light Detection and Ranging techniques using laser-scanning of landscape surfaces to
create detailed 3D models.
3 Approximately half of the Delta public sample were first shown a version of the visioning
packages without visualisations, in order to distinguish the results of the overall visioning process
from the specific impacts of the visualisations. The results of this comparison are reported
elsewhere; in this chapter, the results described apply primarily to the visioning process including
visualisations.