The UK landscape evaluation movement (1965–85)

Abstract Tracing developments in British town and country planning during the 1960s 1970s, this article describes sudden upsurge of landscape evaluation method-development among architects planners, disputes that made such efforts come to an end late 1970s. In burst activity, here referred as UK movement, we can observe competing definitions visual amenity quality take form. It is described how practitioners invented or adopted numerical measurement preference methods means gain a supposedly unbiased understanding different areas are valued by communities. Struggling make themselves heard sector was dominated more powerful stakeholders quantitative approaches (for example, cost-benefit analysis), movement also witness pioneering adopt advanced statistical techniques computer mapping communicate qualitative values effectively each other, communities decision-makers. These were deliberate attempts occupy active influential role period. As shows, their success regard limited due lack general agreement with respect reliability, validity generalisability both assessment produced findings.