Spatial modelling of potential landscape quality

Quality of landscape directly affects the day to day quality of life of all the people living in it. It is strongly bound to landscape components and features and to their spatial and functional interrelations. Potential quality, in particular, is determined by elements of value that, in relation to their characteristics of integrity and importance, result in an enhancement in landscape quality. More effective analysis and evaluation of quality of landscape elements, and their contribution to landscape quality, are essential for supporting modern landscape analysis and planning. In this regard, multicriteria techniques, and Analytical Hierarchy Processes in particular, can support the definition and development of quantitative methods aimed at the modelling, analysis and evaluation of landscape quality. GIS spatial analysis of quality indicators derived from multicriteria techniques generates map layers of landscape quality based on density and quality level of the landscape elements. Within GIS, progressive multicriteria aggregation of landscape quality layers produces synthetic spatial indicators that can support effective interpretation of the gradients characterising landscape configuration. The methodology has been applied to an internationally recognised historical-cultural area in the territory of Assisi (Umbria, Italy). The specific objective has been validation of the methodology by assessing potential landscape quality in relation to the most important physical-naturalistic, historical-cultural and social-symbolic elements. The results have shown that spatial gradients of landscape quality can be effectively modelled by the combined use of GIS and multicriteria methods.