What if you could really see what it would look like?

The Sierra Club is using photomontage images online to demonstrate what "smart growth" can look like and feel like http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/community/transformations/index.asp. Several photos show the difference between existing sprawl and potential smart growth solutions.

Photomontage is a visualization technique that is becoming increasingly popular as a tool to demonstrate what the future might look like under different design or build-out scenarios. In photomontage (also referred to as photomontage, photo simulation, or digital re-imaging) digital photos and computers are used to overlaying images of potential new design elements, such as transit, retail, and/or pedestrian features, on an image of an existing location, such as a street.

The level of sophistication required for computer-generated montage can range from a digital camera and basic photo-editing software like Photoshop, to the integration of three-dimensional software with digital images that create realistic details like shadows and lighting.

Photomontage is a powerful tool because planners and developers can use it to visually portray often complicated interrelating components that are otherwise difficult to convey to decision makers and the general public. Montage can also be an effective technique for educating people about often controversial planning concepts such as "higher density" and “mixed-use development” because, in spite of initial fears, once the public sees realistic images, they often are more open to these concepts and even supportive of them.



In these before and after images you can see how a neighborhood light-rail stop was superimposed on a Silicon Valley neighborhood so residents could discuss the impacts of a planned light-rail and identify what, among several images, illustrated what they found attractive and unattractive. These images fostered a healthy discussion about the issues surrounding transit and land use and helped residents clarify their own vision for the future of light- rail in their communities.