McGuire, Amy. Perception and prediction of scenic resource values of the North East.

Using the North East as a testing area, scenic values were tested to find their qualities and rankings between them. The NAR studied the environmental quality of major drainage basins in the North Atlantic. They used different methods like line drawings, photo montages, black and white photographs, 3d models and 35 mm color transparencies, to project their queries. What was found was that topography was more visually dominant than any other pattern. Water was also preferred, even in low topographic areas, over that of high topography with no water. Mixed use like open land and forest together was also a strong pattern that was preferred.
Questions of scale and context still need answering. Would these patterns be the same in a neighborhood and an entire region? or would the dimensions be equal in all settings like a desert compared to the arctic?
There is a responsibility of planners and designers to not hide behind jargon and not just present conclusions but to show the process of how they came to such conclusions. We have to present these processes in several media to help those who are not trained to think or see like we are. The easiest way to do so would be to bring the client to these areas but when that is not a possibility we have other means of showing them. All options should be considered so that it is not just up to what we think is best, it is a combined effort to find the best solution for everyone.