Read hereinspirational blogsand current affairs

Wind and solar park projects are often controversial because of the possible effects on the living environment, but other changes in the physical living environment also cause resistance among stakeholders. The visual effect is one of the most important reasons for public opposition, where image-driven participation can help with acceptance and create support. If visual effects are not communicated early, stakeholders will create their own ideas about the intended change. This can lead to your own (usually exaggerated) visualizations/images. A planning process with an open public discussion about, among other things, the visual effects can contribute to future acceptance of plans in the physical environment. This can help to improve stakeholders' understanding and ability to respond to planning issues. This approach is in line with the purpose of the Environmental Act.

Due to the future introduction of the Environmental Act, participation with the environment is a condition. For example, in the regional energy strategy (RES), due to the entry into force of the Environmental Act in the RES process, an EIA (environmental impact assessment) must be carried out more often and earlier. But how do you ensure a good participation process during this phase?

There is often a large gap between the knowledge required to participate in a planning process and the current knowledge of stakeholders. It is important to show stakeholders in a simple way how the planning process works and make it clear how local stakeholders can contribute thoughts, comments, suggestions, concerns and support. This ensures that you have image-driven participation

Use high-quality visualizations

To provide a clear picture of the visual effect on the living environment, it is important that the visualized elements appear lifelike. It is important that residents and other stakeholders can view the (potential) wind turbines from their backyard and recognize recognizable landscape features in relation to the proposed plans. With this information it is possible to create a good dialogue with your stakeholders.

Ensure that stakeholders can participate in the process by involving them in the design choices and let them help decide, but also indicate the advantages and disadvantages of each variant. Visualize how the scenarios differ from each other and how much visual impact these scenarios may have. Analyze which variant/scenario has the most support and communicate the results to the environment.

Lessons Learned

Based on “lessons learned”, we have the following advice, which can ensure less resistance among stakeholders and thus create image-driven participation:

• Involve the stakeholders (or a group of stakeholders' representatives) jointly in the process at an early stage.
• In an early planning process, (potential) resistance and concerns can be identified at an early stage and the initiator can also anticipate this.
• Using a combination of online and offline participation, so that a broad group of stakeholders is involved.
• Make sure that your stakeholders know where they can find information about the project and that this information is described in an understandable way in “yip and janneke” language.
• Combine text with visual elements such as map layers, visualizations, videos and other images, for example by showing the visualization point of view on the map.
• Provide 360 ​​degree photography so that stakeholders can look around and also view these images in VR.
• Avoid the 'best kept secret' by ensuring maximum online and offline visibility through the use of marketing and communication, so that the environment is informed and kept informed of the plan/project. 
• Ensure a 'collective memory' by being/remaining complete and up to date throughout the entire process from start to finish.

Do you also want to create image-driven participation in your project? Click here, to contact us.

Source:

[1] Hoff, E.T., Bjørnsrud, P., Maurset, M. “Virtual Reality models as a tool to present visual impacts of transmission lines"(2018).

[2] Downes, M., Lange, E.” What you see is not always what you get: A qualitative, comparative analysis of exante visualizations with ex post photography of landscape and architectural projects” (Landscape and Urban Planning 142 (2015) 136 – 146).