Landscape Assessment for Scenic Rural Road Development: A Case Study of Nakee Ratthaya BK3009, Buengkan Province

Abstract

This article describes the implementation and limitation for applying the landscape architectural design theory to improve roadside landscape elements for scenic route development. Bueng Kan (BK) 3009 rural road project utilizes a scenic route landscape selection process to locate suitable locations for developing viewpoints and rest areas. The 46-kilometer-long road passes through farmlands and communities, runs partially along Bung Khong Long Ramsar wetland, and connects
to various tourist destinations. The analysis process is based on both natural and cultural contexts. The viewpoint selection process consists of road surveys, data collections, visual quality assessment, transportation network analysis, road safety audit. Also, the project analyses potential impacts and threats to long-term planning. The landscape selection process indicates 22 potential areas for developing viewpoints. The process takes into consideration several constraints, including land ownership, scope of authority, maintenance capability, and the result of community participation. According to the result, 9 out of 22 areas are approved for landscape detail design. Besides the 9
areas, the communities propose that the roadside safety elements should also be designed for the BK 3009 Road which passes through densely populated villages. The result suggests that the participation process plays a crucial role in selecting the scenic route viewpoints. To sum up, the
scenic route landscape selection process points out potential development areas, while public engagement can help to create and planed in achieving a sustainable scenic route development project.