A usability evaluation of 2D and 3D representations for urban planning.

摘要

Currently very little literature has addressed the use of cartographic shadow representations and the issues of the perceived usefulness of 3D over 2D visualizations in the planning community. Urban planning has moved towards a 3D, GIS centric and functional decision support framework. This thesis aims to examine the preferences of urban planning professionals with respect to 2D and 3D visualizations. The author built a 3D representation of a proposed building along with the existing urban environment in Queenstown, New Zealand and conducted a usability test through a survey and interview. Based on the survey, the author evaluated shadow representation preferences, the effect on the mental image, and the degree of task utility provided by each visualization method. The findings support the literature that the benefits of using a 2D or 3D model are closely related to the types of planning tasks undertaken. The findings also reveal a complex view of planning activities, suggesting that planners themselves cannot be treated as a single group for research purposes.