Guidelines for Aesthetic Design in Highway Corridors: Tools and Treatments for Texas Highway.

摘要

This study evaluated the nature of aesthetic treatments and elements, which have been used or may have application within the highway roadway. It also studied the literature concerning aesthetics and current practice within the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other State Department of Transportation (DOTs). The use of specific aesthetic enhancements is highly dependent on individual-based design decisions that may be based on personal biases, past experience, tradition, and local climate. It was found that most efforts appear to be not widely discussed within the DOTs, and pertinent information regarding the use of specific practices is not systematically shared, even with a district office. A review of the existing literature and DOT manuals did not find any guidance on how to use specific treatments or elements, nor did the research find any published material on assessing or evaluating proposed aesthetic improvements within the roadway. The researchers used conceptual approaches to human visual perception from the fields of Environmental Psychology and Human Factors Research to design a methodological approach to aesthetic decision making. The approach applies the visual perception framework of complexity, coherency, legibility, and mystery to the highway roadway. These concepts will aid in developing appropriate evaluative questions that focus on the effect of aesthetics on driver performance. The report includes aesthetic guidelines on how to apply this approach and specific technical data on 25 aesthetic treatments or elements under the following categories: poured-in-place concrete, modular concrete, veneers, paving traffic barriers, asphalt, pedestrian barriers, lighting, site amenties, and public art. The guidelines and data sheets will be included in TxDOT's on-line Landscape and Aesthetic Design Manual.