Using photomontages to envision urban and suburban revitalization. (page 3 of 3)

Many planning decisions are made at night in the relative isolation of a conference room or city council chamber. In such an environment, citizens rely on images in their head, often imagining worst-case scenarios. Their recollections of place often leave out or exaggerate significant details such as the width of a sidewalk or the height of a shop window. Any detailed discussions about urban form are significantly enhanced when using photographs of the actual places under review.

Urban Advantage uses an image "database" as a source of photographs for assembling photomontages. It also uses the database for meetings to show sites being discussed and urban design elements such as buildings, trees, and street lamps. Viewing photographs enriches discussions and releases creative energy making the design process fun. Assembling photographs is getting easier with image database software, digital cameras and the Internet.

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