La valutazione della qualità del paesaggio della "Costa Viola" (RC) attraverso l'approccio visivo-percettivo

Non-Market Evaluation of Rural Landscape Using the Visual Preference Methods. A Case Study of the Landscape of “Costa Viola (Reggio Calabria)”. Ample research in the field of non-monetary evaluation of landscape has highlighted that individuals show well-defined and measurable preferences for specific landscapes. The survey analysed the reactions of a group of people to various aspects of the landscape of the ‘Costa Viola’ picturesque coastal stretch in the province of Reggio Calabria (Italy) by investigating the possible relations with the actual features of that landscape. The areas chosen featured a variable concentration of typical landscape elements (such as terraces, Mediterranean scrub as well as farmhouses and modern buildings).We carried out a photographic survey from different angles and distances of the rural landscapes’s character depending on the crops grown, the presence of scattered trees and hedges as well as terraces (distinctive features of the Costa Viola) and anthropogenic elements. The shots were then processed by means of a photo editor in order to verify the impact of the degree of visibility on the quality of the landscape. The next step of the study envisaged the identification of a sample group of people who were shown the Power Point presentation shots after receiving a questionnaire on the landscape preferences, socio-economic data and recreational habits. The sequence of photos was evaluated by a score on a scale of predetermined values in order to obtain a graduation based on the subjective aesthetic emotional perception.