Abstract :
Rural landscapes throughout North America and Europe are being threatened by new residential development at the edge of metropolitan areas. New development consumes farmland, woods, and other natural features—often destroying the rural character that attracted residents to these areas in the first place. In order for planners to develop alternative strategies for accommodating residential development, they need to understand the qualities of the rural landscape that are valuable to local residents. This study used a photo-questionnaire to elicit rural New Englanders’ preference for scenes of innovative cluster subdivisions and traditional rural development, their perceptions of rural character, and their attitudes toward rural living in general. The survey responses from 173 rural residents in western Massachusetts showed that subdivisions in which the protected open space is more visible from the public realm (e.g. along roads and entries) are perceived to be more compatible with the rural landscape. In addition, the study found that residents’ perceptions of rural character were strongly based on natural features, including farm fields, rather than on cultural features, such as old homes or stone walls.
