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THE USE OF INTEGRATED MAPPING SYSTEMS 
IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 
AND LAND USE PLANNING 
D.M. Johnston 
Harvard University 
Graduate School of Design 
Department of Landscape Architecture 
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 
ABSTRACT 
This paper describes an attempt to integrate the capabilities 
of several automated mapping systems in the development of 
land use planning guidelines for the Monadnock Region of 
southwestern New Hampshire. It focuses on: 
1) The development of a digital cartographic data base; 
2) The processing of that information through the 
use of a geographic system to develop alternative 
regional land use plans; 
3) The development of an environmental impact evaluation 
model to be applied to those plans; and 
4) Presentation of results in the form of shaded relief 
maps in color. 
The data base involved was constructed from existing maps, 
field surveys, and LANDSAT imagery. Planning and impact 
evaluation models were developed in response to specific 
economic, environmental, and aesthetic siting criteria. 
The graphic techniques employed were specifically designed 
to facilitate public comprehension and acceptance of complex 
analyses and recommendations. This work was carried out 
in 1981 through the Harvard Graduate School of Design with 
assistance from ERDAS, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia, the Yale 
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and the Harvard 
Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis. 
INTRODUCTION 
The Mount Monadnock Region of southwest New Hampshire is 
highly regarded for its scenic and recreational attributes. 
At one time primarily agricultural, the area has undergone 
major changes as what were once fields covering over 70 
percent of the area have now reached mature stages of forest 
growth. While still of a predominately rural character, the 
region is facing major changes again, due to rapid urban 
ization and a resurgence of a significant forest industry. 
Because of the area's unique character and the land develop 
ment pressures it faces, it was selected as the focus of 
a study by fifteen students under the direction of Professor 
Carl Steinitz in the Department of Landscape Architecture, 
at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In analyzing the 
area, it was concluded several major conditions were 
contributing to the pressures for change: 
First, because of its rural character and proximity to major 
metropolitan centers, the region was expected to receive