Site analysis can use photographs of a site to determine patterns which may not be readily observable from the ground? Aerial photographs in particular are a good source of imagery for site analysis.
Photography Can Be Used As A Site Analysis Tool for the LARE
Aerial photography and site analysis are powerful tools for analyzing a landscape site.
Here are some landscape features and phenomena which aerial imagery can help landscape architects analyze sites.
- Remains of historical structures
- Drainage patterns
- Sink holes
If a landscape architect has access to a series of historical aerial site photographs, he or she may be able to piece together the history of a site and its land use patterns. Understanding how the site was used in the past may lend clues about areas in need of remediation or potential brownfield areas.
Even Thomas Russ in Site Planning and Design (available on Amazon.com) supports the use of aerial photography as a site design tool.
Enlarged aerial photographs sometimes reveal site features not clearly visible at
ground level such as drainage patterns, sinkholes, and the remains of historic structures. Old aerial photography may reveal features that have been obscured by later site activities or development. An aerial photograph is also helpful in presenting the site
analysis data to clients and others who may not be comfortable reading plans. A series of historic aerial photographs show the site conditions at one site at three different times in the past.
The University of Colorado reports that aerial imagery is often used for land-use planning, GIS applications and photogrametric surveying which is frequently used by cartographers to produce topographic maps.
Therefore, if a question on the LARE asks if site photography can be used as an analysis tool, the answer is likely “YES!”
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