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Use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology is predicted to increase dramatically from more than 600,000 drones registered just with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to nearly 7,000,000 over the next 12 years ( FAA 1,2 ) This popularity is evident in their increasing use in and around public outdoor spaces, including parks, stadiums, outdoor amphitheaters, festival grounds, or outdoor markets. While there is considerable research on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications and navigation (Koh 2012, Nemeth 2010) and an emerging body of work in landscape architecture (Kullmann 2017, Park 2016), there is no research addressing increasing conflicts between public space visitors, drone navigation in public space, and its effect on the planning and design of public space. The paper presents initial findings from funded research to develop landscape architectural design and planning responses supporting low cost detection technology to deter the illegal use of drones in public spaces. Methods of data collection employed surveys of botanical garden visitors concerning their preferences for site landscape features and experiences, their awareness, attitudes, and preferences about the presence of drones in public space, and potential aerial visual access to a range of forested and open landscapes frequented by visitors in the garden. Findings suggest that given public concern about the presence of drones, landscape planning and design of such public spaces should provide continuous landscape features with restricted aerial visual access surrounding and connecting public areas with open aerial visual access. 

The popularity of small consumer drones (UAVs) has prompted increased use of these vehicles in and around public outdoor spaces, with expected commercial drone numbers to reach nearly 7 million by 2030 (FAA). Research in landscape architecture related to UAV (drone) use in public space to date, has just begun to address conceptual approaches to landscape assessment, representation, and park user behavior (Kullmann, Park). While research related to the development of countermeasures for security purposes is more extensive, no research to date addresses the development of landscape countermeasures for the use of UAVs in criminal activities. The paper presents design-based research (DBR) methodology and findings funded by a multiyear, multidisciplinary NSF grant to develop landscape architectural interventions that discourage the use of UAVs for criminal purposes at correctional facilities. Consistent with design based research (DBR) models (Brown), this project is complex, incorporating the development of a) landscape assessments for potential UAV launch and landing sites around prisons; b) the creation of UAV tracking and monitoring systems, and c) the development of model countermeasures. The paper describes design and placement of embedded landscape features utilizing landscape camouflage principles for UAV detection systems in forested upstate North Carolina. Modelled camouflage mimicked landscape features and were fabricated in two stages: 1) landscape superstructure, and 2) landscape camouflage. The embedded landscape features incorporated a launch warning system capable of alerting prison officials of drone launch locations, identifying future drone operators, and predicting drone flight paths. 

The popularity of small consumer drones (UAVs) has prompted increased use of these vehicles in and around public outdoor spaces, with expected commercial drone numbers to reach nearly 7 million by 2030 (FAA). Research in landscape architecture related to UAV (drone) use in public space to date, has just begun to address conceptual approaches to landscape assessment, representation, and park user behavior (Kullmann, Park). While research related to the development of countermeasures for security purposes is more extensive, no research to date addresses the development of landscape countermeasures for the use of UAVs in criminal activities. The paper presents design-based research (DBR) methodology and findings funded by a multiyear, multidisciplinary NSF grant to develop landscape architectural interventions that discourage the use of UAVs for criminal purposes at correctional facilities. Consistent with design based research (DBR) models (Brown), this project is complex, incorporating the development of a) landscape assessments for potential UAV launch and landing sites around prisons; b) the creation of UAV tracking and monitoring systems, and c) the development of model countermeasures. The paper describes design and placement of embedded landscape features utilizing landscape camouflage principles for UAV detection systems in forested upstate North Carolina. Modelled camouflage mimicked landscape features and were fabricated in two stages: 1) landscape superstructure, and 2) landscape camouflage. The embedded landscape features incorporated a launch warning system capable of alerting prison officials of drone launch locations, identifying future drone operators, and predicting drone flight paths. Keywords: