The improvement of traffic environments is usually a matter of great concern to citizens in densely populated districts. In facilitating improvement projects in a street environment, it is important to enable the residents to have a better understanding of the ideas underlying the proposed plan and design. A computer-aided visual simulation system, LANDSCAD (landscape computer-aided design) has been developed on personal computers. A case study has been carried out in a residential district in a suburban city on the outskirts of Tokyo, where residents are trying to develop a plan for calming the traffic environment of streets in their neighbourhood. The residents were provided with design alternatives shown on a video monitor, which were produced using LANDSCAD, and the effectiveness of LANDSCAD on the decision making process was observed. Through a paired-comparison test and investigations into the effect the uses of LANDSCAD has on the residents' preference about the design concepts, the effectiveness of this support system has been evaluated. (A)
Abstract