Oil and gas development in a coastal landscape: Visual preferences and management implications |
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| Authors: | Joan Iverson Nassauer |
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| Institution: | Department of Horticultural Science and Landscape Architecture , University of Minnesota , St. Paul, Minnesota |
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| Abstract: | Abstract This study examines the relationships of four general landscape characteristics to viewer preference for a coastal landscape including oil and gas development. Landscape management possibilities that address these characteristics are apparent naturalness, compatibility of development with its setting, and ephemeral characteristics, including tidiness. Forty residents of and visitors to a Louisiana Gulf Coast island were interviewed. They were asked to describe and rate the attractiveness of local views. Three hundred and ninety‐three views containing a total of 99 features were described. A content analysis determined which of the 99 features were present in each view. Then factor analysis was performed on the feature presence classifications to suggest viewtypes. The 26 factors, or viewtypes, resulting were related to view ratings in a regression analysis. Results suggest that, while natural‐appearing coastal landscapes are attractive, some developed landscapes may also be attractive. Compatibility, nighttime viewing, and tidiness enhance the attractiveness of developed landscapes. Where these characteristics become part of the design and maintenance program for oil and gas facilities, viewer preference may increase. |
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