The use of graphics in planning documents for rural communities

摘要

Rural residents face a variety of challenges in planning for the future of their communities. The bulk of these challenges stem from an array of complex legal situations that are extremely difficult to understand or rectify. This study however, focuses on a smaller issue that impedes the planning process in rural communities. Professional planners claim that lay members of planning boards can not adequately do their jobs because they have difficulty understanding important information as it is presented in planning documents. Improvements to the presentation of planning information in these documents will positively effect the lay persons' interest in community planning and their ability to perform the job.;Through interviews with planning professionals in rural counties and analysis of planning documents from rural communities, it became evident that, relative to the communication of planning information, there are two basic problematic circumstances; (1) planning board members of rural communities are often untrained or inadequately trained, and (2) planning boards are supplied with inadequate planning documents. It is hypothesized that by using a greater number of graphics to communicate planning information, the information can be more clearly communicated to lay persons. The purpose of this study is to provide an example of the proficient use of graphics in a case study planning document.;In preparation for developing graphics for the case study document, three topics were researched, visual perception, graphic communication, and planning information. These reviews focused specifically on identifying the types of planning information most often communicated and the graphic techniques that most effectively communicate that information. The identified techniques were then incorporated in a case study planning document. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).