Reviewed 01/2013
Planning Illustrated
Contents
Introduction (or a picture is worth a thousand words)
We've all been there - trying to get across some abstract planning concept at a public meeting. Planning has to do with the future and, most often, involves some change from the current state of affairs. Citizens do not come equipped with crystal balls that allow them to view and understand alternative futures. People are uneasy about change, unless they can grasp what those changes will mean for them, and that the changes will generally benefit them.
Planners use concepts such as density, land area, and various design concepts as shorthand to describe alternative proposals. Yet these are not intuitive concepts for those who do not work on a daily basis with such concepts. In addition, one 20-units-per-acre proposal does not exactly equal another 20-units-per-acre proposal. Project design can transform the appearance of projects, even when of the same density. Citizens may react totally differently to two projects of the same density. As a result, it is essential that planners and public officials illustrate planning concepts in a manner that allows citizens to visualize proposals and that creates understanding of important design concepts. A picture is not only worth a thousand words, it just may represent the difference between moving forward with a beneficial plan, or instead, coping with the consequences of unplanned change.
This webpage provides links to image banks, photo galleries, map resources, search engines, and other tools that can offer ideas and help planners to graphically communicate planning principles, best practices, and potential impacts. The page highlights resources that can help citizens (and planners) to visualize alternative scenarios and concepts. Although it is generally better to use illustrations tailored to local conditions, most planning departments can not afford extensive in-house graphics. Tools highlighted here, such as visual preference surveys and other visioning techniques, will often be worth the modest costs, if they contribute to plans that the community supports.
Please note the different usage guidelines and requests to give credit to the source of the images. In some cases, the images are readily available for non-commercial use. In some cases, you will need permission to use an image. You may also need to download special software such as Real Player to view some of the maps.
If you have information to share or are aware of other websites that we should link to, please contact Sue Enger, Planning Consultant at senger@mrsc.org, or call at (206) 625-1300.
Image Banks - Images of Multiple Planning-Related Subjects
- Cyburbia Gallery - The good, the bad and the ugly images of development, best practices, worst case scenarios, cities and places, and other images. Website requires registration.
- Smart Growth Illustrated, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Walkable neighborhoods, transportation choices, mixed-use, development, others
- Congress of New Urbanism Image Bank - Large catalog of new urbanism examples
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center - Image Library - A variety of images of compact development, traffic claming, pedestrian and bicycle paths and facilities, including design details
- Urban Land Institute Development Case Studies - Helpful pictures and project profiles of various types of development, but complete case study information available to subscribers only
- Seattle Design Folio - Images of well done parks, public spaces, pedestrian streets, retail and residential streets
- Digital Images Online, University of Oregon Libraries - Primarily Architecture and Art
- U.S. Government Photos and Images
Search Engines with Image Finder
Public Domain Clip Art and Images
In general, use of public domain images does not involve either acquisition or royalty fees. It's always a good idea to check usage guidelines, however.
Density Mitigated by Design
- Visualizing Density, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy - Includes image gallery, bird's eye view, visualizing density game, and other features
- Visualizing Density A: Lower Density Catalog Images, 0.5 - 10.5 units per acre and Visualizing Density B: Higher Density Catalog Images, 9.1 - 134.5 units per acre - Working papers with aerial view (block and neighborhood) images from Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (Requires input of basic information to view documents)
- Understanding Density and Floor Area Ratio (
), city of Boulder, CO - Examples of low, medium and high residential densities and site plans; examples of mixed-use and commercial F.A.R.
- Presentations and Design Studies, Eugene OR Planning and Community Development Department - Various presentations and studies illustrating small lot residential development in Eugene, OR including pictures and site plans. Also infill development issues such as parking, maximum build out modeling, density and form of housing, accessory housing and others
- Too Big, Boring or Ugly: Planning and Design Tools to Combat Monotony, the Too-Big House, and Teardowns, by Lane Kendig, Tuesdays at APA presentation
- Density By Design, 2nd Ed. publication - Featuring case studies and helpful illustrations; available for purchase from Urban Land Institute
- Compact Development for More Livable Communities (), Local Government Commission pamphlet
- Compact Development Compact Disc, Local Government Commission, Sacramento, CA - An excellent Power Point slide presentation that makes uses 60 cases studies to make the case for compact development; includes "Guess the Density Game" and "Compact Housing Image Survey - Available for purchase"
- Creating Great Neighborhoods: Density in Your Community (), Local Government Commission/U.S Environmental Protection Agency pamphlet, sponsored by National Association of Realtors, 09/2003
- Communities by Design, AIA - See Livability 101 and other well illustrated publications
- Community Image/Visual Preference Surveys, MRSC - Includes tool description and examples
Housing
Revitalization Photos
Compact or Cluster Vs. Sprawl Development
- Compact Neighborhoods, Sightline Institute - Compact neighborhoods slowly gain ground, but sprawl development is the norm. Click on study links to see animated maps that show growth of sample cities between 1990 and 2000
- Conservation Subdivision Virtual Tours (), from Denver Regional Council of Government Website - Conservation Subdivision Case Studies: Michigan and Pennsylvania; photos, site plans and density information for examples of conservation (clustered) subdivisions
- Healthy Growth Calculator, Sierra Club
- Image Gallery: Comparing New Urbanist and Sprawl Suburbs, National Geographic – Comparative pictures of typical transportation, street plans, shopping centers, residential development, and parking
- Sprawl Repair: From Sprawl to Complete Communities, Excerpted from Sprawl Repair Manual by Galina Tachieva, 2010. Posted on Terrain.org – Examples illustrate transformation of sprawl development
- ‘Suburban Nation’: Ten Things to Hate about Sprawl (Photos), Jeff Speck, Huffington Post, 10/14/2010 – Co-author of “Suburban Nation” provides illustrations of what he dislikes about sprawl development
Other Image Banks on Focused, Planning-Related Topics
Technical/Aerial Views/Maps
- Washington Maps - Links to maps from multiple Washington agencies including maps of state highways, parks, county jurisdictional boundaries, and congressional or legislative districts
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources GIS Data Center, and Available GIS Data
- Washington State Department of Ecology GIS Maps - Includes county and state maps for major public lands, population density, soils, and others, and Water Resource Area Inventory Maps (WRIA) with additional maps for landuse and land cover, salmon stock inventory, and others
- Washington Department of Ecology SEA Program - Includes link to shoreline aerial photos and digital coastal atlas (maps)
- Washington State Department of Transportation Maps and Data
- Washington State Geospatial Clearinghouse - Links to mapped information from various state departments
- Salmonscape Interactive Mapping, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- National World and Specialized Maps, USA.gov Local
- U.S. Census Bureau Maps and Cartographic Products - Including links to online mapping such as Tiger
- Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA Map Service Center - Find a map, and FEMA Flood Insurance Program Flood Hazard Mapping - Information about flood hazard mapping
- Environmental Protection Agency Enviromapper
- National Atlas of the United States
- United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Map Seamless Server
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wetlands Mapper
- Early Washington Maps: A Digital Collection, Washington State University
- Research & Maps, Sightline Institute - Maps display impressive data on sprawl and transportation, energy and climate, economy, forests and wildlife and others in Washington and other Cascadia states
- National Geographic Society Map Machine - Print street and satellite maps of various U.S. locations, and National Geographic Society Maps
- Google Earth - Combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search for up close and personal views around the world
- MSR Maps (Microsoft Research Maps - Formerly Terra Server USA) - Searchable repository of aerial photographs, satellite images and USGS topography maps available for purchase
- Topographic Maps, Trails.com - Access to USGS maps across the country on subscription basis or two week free trial
- University of California, Berkeley Earth Sciences and Map Library Map Collection - Comprehensive collection of links to map resources
- University of Iowa Maps and References - Even more Comprehensive collection of links to map resources
- Photographs, Maps, and Images, University of Oregon Libraries
- Rural Geospatial Innovations in America Publications Catalog - Very lengthy list of manuals and pubs on mapping and GIS, such as “The Power of Internet Mapping,” 2000
- Community Mapping, and Mapping Resources, PolicyLink.org - Includes case studies, sample maps, and learning resources
- Mapping Growth Management Factors: A Practical Guide for Land-Use Planning, Land Information and Computer Graphics Facility, University of Wisconsin, 2000 - Still a useful guide to the basics of land use planning and maps
Other Graphics, Videos or PowerPoint Presentations on Planning Topics
Making a Point with Humor
Tools for Helping Citizens to Visualize Planning Concepts and Alternatives
- Visual Tools for Planners, Lincoln Institute - Provides tools for communicating planning ideas using New Orleans to illustrate tool use
- Community Tool Box - Photo Inventory, National Park Service Northeast Region Community Tool Box - Using photo inventories as a communication aid
- Community Image/Visual Preference Surveys, MRSC - Tool description and examples
- Group Public Mapping, National Park Service Northeast Region Community Tool Box
- View Shed Tool, from GlobalMapper.com
- How to Do a Build-Out Analysis, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Tool that helps citizens envision the ultimate appearance and consequences of different development alternatives
- Ho-hum Statistics Come Alive with Google Public Data Explorer, LA Times, 03/09/2010 (Google Public Data Explorer Data Sets)
- The Changing City: Vancouver in 1978 and 2003 - Before and after panoramic images illustrate how various areas within Vancouver, B.C. were transformed by planning initiatives
- Before and after Infill Development Visualization, Urban Advantage
Washington Jurisdictions (mostly maps and photographs)
Related MRSC Pages