Abstract

The purpose of this two-part study is to identify urban landscape preferences, determine if there is a relationship between landscape values and design choices, and to open a dialogue between designer and user about landscape values. The reasons why people love a landscape are diverse. Within the field of environmental perception, researchers and planning professionals have worked to identify landscapes that elicit strong attachments and to deduce the reasons for such attachments. The first portion of this study is an analysis of how people design virtual cities in simulation city building games. Subjects who play games such as SimCity and other similar games for the computer, console, and smartphone will be surveyed to determine 1. Where the subjects have grown up and what landscapes—urban, rural, or suburban–they value most and 2. What elements or ideas they found important when designing their ideal city. Their survey results and city design screenshots are compared to find a relationship between where the subjects were brought up, their design intentions, and what they design. The second portion is a conceptual design for an online video game modeled after other simulation city games. The intent of this game is to aid landscape architects in community participation.