Evaluation of Data Visualisation Options for Land-Use Policy and Decision Making in Response to Climate Change

Abstract

Decision makers are facing unprecedented challenges in addressing the likely impacts of climate change on land use. Changes to climate can affect the long-term viability of certain industries in a particular geographical location. Government policies in relation to provision of infrastructure, management of water, and incentives for revegetation need to be planned. Those responsible for key decisions are unlikely to be expert in all aspects of climate change or its implications, and thus require scientific data communicated to them in an easily understood manner with the scope to explore the implications. It is often felt that a range of visualisation techniques, both abstract and realistic, can assist in this communication. However, their effectiveness is seldom evaluated. In this paper we review the literature on processes for the evaluation of visualisation tools and representations. From this review an evaluation framework is developed and applied through an experiment in visualisation of climate change, land suitability, and related data using a variety of tools and representational options to advance our knowledge of which visualisation technique works, when, and why. Our region of interest was the southwestern part of Victoria, Australia. Both regional and local data and their implications were presented to end users through a series of visualisation products. The survey group included policy makers, decision makers, extension staff, and researchers. They explored the products and answered both specific and exploratory questions. At the end of the evaluation session their knowledge and attitudes were compared with those at the commencement and they were also asked to assess the visualisation options subjectively. The findings relate to both the visualisation options themselves and the process of evaluation. The survey group was particularly keen to have access to multiple interactive tools and the ability to see scenarios side-by-side within a deeper informational context. A number of procedural recommendations for further evaluation were developed, including the need for consistency in approach among researchers in order to develop more generalisable findings.

To go where no man has gone before: Virtual reality in architecture, landscape architecture and environmental planning

“…In the field of environmental planning, two VR applications stand out, the first for visualizing the effects of climate change (Bishop, Pettit, Sheth, & Sharma, 2013;Sheppard, 2012) and the second, for visual impact assessment (Lange, 2011;Portman, 2014;Schofield & Cox, 2005). Both these applications are well suited to VR; participants are asked to take actions, and to make behavior-related decisions, based on their virtual experience.…”

Visualiseringens roller i klimatkommunikation – ett mottagarperspektiv

“…Visualization in this thesis concerns data representation that aims to improve our understanding of complex or large datasets and communicate information to lay audiences or decision-makers (cf. Bishop et al 2013). This form of visualization centres on ways in which "computer technology can facilitate the process of 'making data visible' in real time in order to strengthen knowledge" (Kraak 2003, 391).…”

Scenario Chooser: An interactive approach to eliciting public landscape preferences

“…They have also been developed with an emphasis on urban applications. Earlier tools developed specifically for forestry such as Vantage Point (Bergen, Ulricht, Fridley, & Ganter, 1995), and SmartForest (Orland, 1994) allowed complex landscapes to be constructed but did not provide facilities to allow multiple landscapes with associated landscape descriptions and output information to be presented simultaneously.…”