Vis-a-ware: Integrating spatial and non-spatial visualization for visibility-aware urban planning

Information

• Publication Type: Journal Paper with Conference Talk
• Workgroup(s)/Project(s):
  • VRVis Competence Center
• Date: January 2016
• Journal: Visualization and Computer Graphics, IEEE Transactions on
• ISSN: 1077-2626

Abstract

3D visibility analysis plays a key role in urban planning for assessing the visual impact of proposed buildings on the cityscape. A call for proposals typically yields around 30 candidate buildings that need to be evaluated with respect to selected viewpoints. Current visibility analysis methods are very time-consuming and limited to a small number of viewpoints. Further, analysts neither have measures to evaluate candidates quantitatively, nor to compare them efficiently. The primary contribution of this work is the design study of Vis-A-Ware, a visualization system to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate, rank, and compare visibility data of candidate buildings with respect to a large number of viewpoints. Vis-A-Ware features a 3D spatial view of an urban scene and non-spatial views of data derived from visibility evaluations, which are tightly integrated by linked interaction. To enable a quantitative evaluation we developed four metrics in accordance with experts from urban planning. We illustrate the applicability of Vis-A-Ware on the basis of a use case scenario and present results from informal feedback sessions with domain experts from urban planning and development. This feedback suggests that Vis-A-Ware is a valuable tool for visibility analysis allowing analysts to answer complex questions more efficiently and objectively.

Additional Files and Images

Weblinks

• http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7390069/?arnumber=7390069

BibTeX

@article{ortner-2016-visaware,
  title =      "Vis-a-ware: Integrating spatial and non-spatial
               visualization for visibility-aware urban planning",
  author =     "Thomas Ortner and Johannes Sorger and Harald Steinlechner
               and Gerd Hesina and Harald Piringer and Eduard Gr\"{o}ller",
  year =       "2016",
  abstract =   "3D visibility analysis plays a key role in urban planning
               for assessing the visual impact of proposed buildings on the
               cityscape. A call for proposals typically yields around 30
               candidate buildings that need to be evaluated with respect
               to selected viewpoints. Current visibility analysis methods
               are very time-consuming and limited to a small number of
               viewpoints. Further, analysts neither have measures to
               evaluate candidates quantitatively, nor to compare them
               efficiently. The primary contribution of this work is the
               design study of Vis-A-Ware, a visualization system to
               qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate, rank, and compare
               visibility data of candidate buildings with respect to a
               large number of viewpoints. Vis-A-Ware features a 3D spatial
               view of an urban scene and non-spatial views of data derived
               from visibility evaluations, which are tightly integrated by
               linked interaction. To enable a quantitative evaluation we
               developed four metrics in accordance with experts from urban
               planning. We illustrate the applicability of Vis-A-Ware on
               the basis of a use case scenario and present results from
               informal feedback sessions with domain experts from urban
               planning and development. This feedback suggests that
               Vis-A-Ware is a valuable tool for visibility analysis
               allowing analysts to answer complex questions more
               efficiently and objectively.",
  month =      jan,
  journal =    "Visualization and Computer Graphics, IEEE Transactions on",
  issn =       "1077-2626 ",
  URL =        "https://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/2016/ortner-2016-visaware/",
}