Efforts to revitalise rural areas are increasingly turning towards approaches that balance functional and aesthetic values, as well as the emotional element that people have for such places. There are broad implications for communities in this sense and far beyond their local environment. Research in International Journal of Environment and Pollution has combined scientific visual analysis with participatory planning techniques and offers a new model for rural development that is both technically informed and grounded in the lives of residents.
The work focuses on the “rural scene”, which is not just about how rural areas look, but about how they function and how we experience them. The research proposes that enhancing rural environments should not be just a cosmetic task, but should include strategic interventions that have a wide range of goals. These goals might include improving the quality of life for residents, encouraging tourism, stimulating local economies, and preserving cultural identity.
The researchers combined two distinct methodologies to carry out their analysis. The first is “entropy image analysis”a technique derived from information theory and applied here to the visual structure of rural landscapes. In this context, “entropy” refers to the complexity and variability of visual information in a scene. A high-entropy image might feature a chaotic mixture of elements, cluttered signs, jarring colours, or disordered layouts, while a low-entropy image appears more coherent and visually calm.
By applying this kind of entropy analysis, planners can assess how factors such as clarity, visual openness, texture, and colour affect how people feel emotionally about a place. The researchers found that certain configurations, those perceived as open, orderly, and visually rich, were associated with being relaxing and aesthetically pleasing. This insight might allow designers to move beyond intuition and use data to shape environments that are emotionally engaging as well as functionally effective.
The second component of the work was co-creation design tools that give rural residents a greater say in shaping their surroundings. These tools include both digital platforms and in-person workshops, which invite a range of participants, villagers, designers, officials, and even tourists, to collaborate on development plans.
This marks a shift away from the top-down models of rural reconstruction that have simply seen government agencies or urban-based design firms taking the lead. Such an approach with only limited consultation with those who live and work in these rural communities often means tourism or infrastructure is improved, but not the daily needs nor the cultural expectations of the people who live there. Co-creation seeks to correct this imbalance.
Wang, W., Zhou, D., Yan, L., Sun, Q. and Teng, Y. (2025) ‘Visualising micro-renewal in rural landscapes: design and application of co-creation tool’, Int. J. Environment and Pollution, Vol. 75, No. 5, pp.1–22.