Visual Exposure Index as landscape vantage points location decision support tool: the Szczebrzeszyński Landscape Park case study

Abstract

Landscape vantage points constitute the basic visual resource of the landscape, enable observation of panoramic panoramas, and thus cultural ecosystem services flows. The panoramic view is the tourist destination itself, therefore the functioning of the vantage points is related to the network of tourist routes. The optimization of the network of vantage points is a key issue of tourist function management as well as landscape physiognomic resources protection. The GIS-based visibility analysis is the most appreciated regarding landscape visual resources; it has theoretical and practical explanations. Theoretically, despite its multi-sensory character, the landscape can be regarded as “areas, as perceived by people”. In consequence, this puts a privilege to GIS software because, since the very beginning of its development, the viewshed algorithm computes the visible area and its reverse version (reverse viewshed) computes the area of visibility. This study applies reverse viewshed in search of landscape vantage points. The study aims to propose the methodology of visual exposure indicator (VEI) calculation, which is a geo-information supporting tool of the vantage point optimization process. The VEI values describe the given place’s suitability for vantage point location in terms of view panorama exposition conditions, which, combined with information about tourist routes, enables the vantage point location optimization. The VEI spatial variability analysis also allows for locating the vantage points so far not pointed on the tourist maps. The study was carried out on the example of the Szczebrzeszyński Landscape Park, as a result, it was proposed to expand the existing network up to 45 viewpoints. The resulting visual landscape resources quantification cannot be equated with visual landscape character and quality assessment; however, the proposed GIS framework provides objective results that precisely localize and measure them. The conclusions and limitations of the method were discussed in the context of geocomputation as well as the landscape conservation plans practises.