Philippe Poullaouec-Gonidec

Visual Landscape Monitoring: A Tool for Characterizing and Managing Highway Corridor Landscapes

Publisher Summary In 1998, the Canadian Ministry of Transportation of Quebec initiated a pilot project using an alternative method to manage highway roadside vegetation. Reduced mowing has allowed natural regeneration to occur along the highway corridors. As part of a monitoring programme, the Chair in Landscape and Environmental Design at the University of Montreal was mandated to describe the effects on landscape generated by the new management method and to provide recommendations for its improvement. This chapter presents the original methodological approach developed to address these issues. Key observation points were selected along the routes and diverse media (panoramic photographs, videotapes) were used to monitor changes in embankment vegetation (2000-2002) affecting the visual experience. These data were then used to assess the changing visual experience and the perception of users. “Expert” analysis and user survey revealed that ecological management contributed positively to landscape aesthetics; under certain conditions, management must take into account the highways context and a diversity of experiences. Results also revealed the importance of informing users about the nature of the programme and the necessity to continue with some degree of maintenance in order to show that the resulting appearance is not a consequence of neglect.