Michael J. Shiffer
Dept. of Urban Studies & Planning
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 9-514
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 253-0782
mshiffer@mit.edu
Another description of land use is provided using a
building height indicator. As the user points to a building
on the map, the height of a selected building is indicated
by a vertical bar in a window that also contains a
representation of the U.S. Capitol building. When the
pointer is moved around the map, the bar inside the
window will slide up or down to represent the selected
building's height in relation to the Capitol building. The
selected building's height (in feet) is also represented
numerically below the bar.
The fixed position shots allow the user to view a video
clip of a particular site from a fixed camera angle. They
are symbolized on the visual quality map as arrows that
match the direction of the camera's angle. Some of the
sites are viewed from several different angles that allow
the user to "switch" perspectives so that a subject can be
viewed from several vantage points.
The 360 degree axial view allows the user to look
completely around from a fixed vantage point. They are
represented as circular symbols on the visual quality map.
These views are useful for illustrating the environment
surrounding a particular location. They allow the user to
pan to the left or right by selecting the appropriate arrows
at the bottom of the displayed image.
The navigation images allow users to drive or fly through
the study area. They are designed to aid visual navigation
by enabling the user to view a geographic area from a
moving perspective such as that experienced when
traveling through a region. Navigation images are
represented on the map as linear symbols that represent
the routes available to the user. They are illustrated as
large arrows in the lower right window of Figure 1.
FIGURE 1
Aerial navigation
Figure 1: Aerial navigation. The controller at the left edge of the
"Aerial Views" window, allows the user to control the direction and
speed of flight by sliding the pointer towards either end of the
controller. The icons represent the camera perspective.
The video image in the upper left corner of Figure 1
represents an oblique navigation image of a selected street
from an altitude of 500 feet. The controller at the left
edge of the "Aerial Views" window, (the upper left
window), allows the user to control the direction and
speed of flight, by sliding the pointer towards either end
of the controller. The user can set the camera angle by
selecting one of the icons at the right side of the "Aerial
Views" window. The arrows on the icons represent the
camera perspective.
These options allow users to inspect the proposed site in
three ways. First, they can view the proposal from various
perspectives around the site by selecting appropriate
arrows linked to the map. Second, users can sequentially
move through a series of site images while an associated
arrow highlights on the map as each image is displayed.
Finally, they can navigate around a specific rendering by
zooming or panning with on-screen controls.
This research opens the door to experimentation with
more proactive planning styles using the new computing
environment and information infrastructures. It is hoped
that the planning process could be democratized using
tools such as the Collaborative Planning System to bring
data and analyses to a wider audience. Exactly who
benefits from such empowerment will depend on the
situations in which the technology is implemented.
Abstract
This interactive exhibition demonstrates a method of
interacting with city planning analysis tools using direct
manipulation graphical interfaces. The technology
combines maps, interactive video, text, sound, and other
forms of data with analytic tools and an associative
information structure using a city map as a central
metaphor. This allows immediate navigation amongst
chunks of related information during city planning
meetings. The technology also makes it possible to link
descriptive images, such as digital video and sound, to
information that would normally be represented
quantitatively.
Keywords:
Geographic, direct manipulation, noise,
multimedia, maps, implementation, group, decision.
Introduction
City Planning provides a practical context in which to
demonstrate how information technology can augment
public debate with effective human-computer interfaces
[1]. The purpose of this interactive experience is to
demonstrate how mutimedia representation aids can be
used to provide rich descriptions of otherwise abstract
information that describes various urban phenomena. This
is accomplished by using visual and audible cues to
illustrate the potential impacts of such things as increased
automobile traffic, aircraft noise, or large scale
development in an urban area.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Research into how technology can augment planning-
related conversations has led to the development of a
prototype Collaborative Planning System (CPS). The
system supports several planning-related activities
including: land use analyses, automobile traffic analyses,
assessments of visual environments, and illustrations of
proposed changes to the visual environments [2,3]. This
allows city planners to analyze potential impacts of new
developments through the retrieval, integration and
comparison of existing and proposed environmental
conditions of a selected urban area. The CPS supports a
variety of analysis activities, several are described below.
Land Use Analysis The study of existing land use patterns
is implemented through interactive land use, zoning, and
building height maps. Each of these maps consists of
transparent color polygons overlaid onto an aerial image
of the study area. Summaries of the information
represented by these polygons appear as the user selects
the areas with a pointing device. As the user moves the
pointer around the map, the displayed summary changes
to reflect the zoning of the currently selected area. For the
zoning and land use maps, the polygons and associated
summary displays are color-coded to allow the user to
visually distinguish them from other adjacent zoning
classifications and land uses. In addition to the color
coding, the zoning summaries contain a brief textual
description of the zoning classification.
Assessments of Visual Environments
To better
understand an area under study, it may be necessary to
view it from several different perspectives. The ability to
analyze the existing visual environment in the study area
is made possible through the use of digital video. Several
types of shots have been incorporated into the CPS. The
three main shot types are fixed position, 360 degree axial
view, and navigation.
Automobile Traffic Analysis
The study of existing
automobile traffic flows uses an interactive traffic map
that displays values of average daily traffic for selected
street links. Traffic data, located in a window containing
multiple representations of average daily traffic, is
accessed by pointing to an associated street link on the
map. In addition to the traditional numeric representation,
the average daily traffic values are represented
graphically, with a bar; dynamically, with a clip of digital
motion video; and audibly, with the level of traffic noise
played back at the level experienced in the field. The bar
graph's utility becomes apparent as one points to different
streets on the projected map, causing the bar to fluctuate.
In this manner, users can compare relative levels of traffic
to one another more easily.
Illustrations of Proposed Environments
The CPS enables
users to qualitatively assess proposed changes to the
visual environment by allowing easy access to images of
architectural models and artists' renderings. By selecting
the appropriate map overlay, a rendering of a proposed
development appears at the appropriate geographic
location on the base map along with arrows that are
linked to various perspective views as shown in Figure 3.
Selecting an arrow yields an image of an architectural
model or rendering in a separate window, with controls
allowing users to navigate around the image by
"zooming" or "panning".
CONTINUING RESEARCH ISSUES
The visualization tools contained in collaborative
planning systems can empower groups and individuals
who have traditionally been informationally
disadvantaged due to a lack of technical sophistication.
However, just as these tools have the capacity to provide
rich and compelling representations of environmental
conditions, they have the capacity to provide rich and
compelling misrepresentations. Thus, the issue of the
relative trustworthiness of the information presented is
going to float to the top of future discussions with
increasing frequency.
