Visualizing Sea Level Rise Impacts in Transportation Planning

Transportation planners regularly engage communities through public meetings to seek input and engagement on planning for the future, including impacts of sea level rise on streets and neighborhoods. Meetings typically include small-group discussions where planners present ideas verbally and with the use of maps and other two-dimensional (2D) media, such as photo renderings. New media options allow for three-dimensional (3D) imaging utilizing virtual and augmented reality. Such 3D visualizations are increasingly affordable and accessible to display on glasses that connect to smartphones, such as Samsung Gear VR. This project will test and compare new technologies on individuals in community-meeting settings in South Florida to test if 3D technology helps residents better understand the impacts of sea level rise on transportation infrastructure and communities. The Team will host multiple meetings of neighborhoods facing impacts over the next 5-20 years from sea level rise. Some of the meetings will use traditional methods, such as verbal presentations and 2D mapping and visualizations whereas other meetings will include 3D technologies to visualize the impacts of sea level rise on their streets. Attendees will be surveyed immediately after the meeting and 3 – 4 months after the meeting to determine if the 3D visualization technologies have had a significant impact on the meeting attendees to have a deeper understanding of the issues and become more engaged in community planning activities.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $119376
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747130

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Gulf Coast Research Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency

  Louisiana State University
  3221 P.F. Taylor Hall
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70803
• Performing Organizations:

  Gulf Coast Research Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency

  Louisiana State University
  3221 P.F. Taylor Hall
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70803
• Principal Investigators:

  Wolshon, Brian

• Start Date: 20180101
• Expected Completion Date: 20191231
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Communities; Impacts; Meetings; Outreach; Sea level; Surveys; Transportation planning; Virtual reality
• Geographic Terms: South Florida
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Environment; Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01659457
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747130
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Feb 6 2018 4:57PM