My research background has included the development of methods for handling and analysing geographic information, using them to map, monitor and model change in urban and rural land use and landscapes, mapping peat deposits in Scotland, the creation of natural resource databases (for example, land cover), and visual impacts of land use change.

Research on the visual impacts of land use change combine analysis of the landscape visibility, producing the first map of the intervisibility of the terrain of Scotland, land use change, and landscape preferences. Applications of the analysis of landscape intervisibility have included the assessment of landscape sensitivity to wind turbine development for Highland Council in Scotland, and the mapping of visibility for wind farm development in Scottish Borders. It also led to the first national level mapping and analysis of visibility of the seascapes of the coast of Wales as part of Maritime Ireland/Wales INTERREG 1994-1999, and of Scotland.

Research on viewing distances and visual impact of offshore wind turbines (with Ian Bishop, University of Melbourne) has been cited in a number of advisory reports, including in the UK and USA.

Our tools for the development of visual and cumulative impacts of wind turbines on landscapes have been applied extensively in the assessment of wind farm proposals. Examples include public enquiries into the extension of Cemmaes B, Llanbrynmair, Powys, and a conjoined public enquiry on the visual and cumulative visual impacts of wind turbines proposed at three sites in Mid-Wales, 2001, Carno, Powys, in each case presenting evidence on behalf of the Countryside Council for Wales.

Work on spatial decision support tools has included the use of GIS tools and rules based systems to produce the first spatial plans for the development of wind farms for Wales, the spatial plan for wind energy for Scottish Borders Council and inputs to the plan for Aberdeenshire.

Digital mapping and analysis tools were developed to support the assessment of natural resources in Scotland. The principal applications have been as follows.

• The topographic and peat depth surveys of 22 peat deposits in Scotland and England, listed here, (that is, surface and bottom contours, peat depth, isopachytes, cross-sections, peat volume, and peat quality), mainly raised bogs and peat workings. The survey methodology was broadly the same as that of the Moss Survey Group for the Scottish Peat Committee, latterly based at the Macaulay Institute for Soil Research (MISR). A listing of the topographic, depth and reconnaissance surveys of peat deposits in Scotland for the Scottish Peat Committee, and further surveys by MISR is available here. The deepest peat profile I surveyed was 10.0m (Creca Moss). The deepest in the Scottish Peat Survey records is 11.0m (Threepwood Moss, Roxburghshire). Maps of the areas surveys follow, with *.pdfs of the Scottish peat Survey sites to 1984 here, and peat depth surveys post 1984 here.

• The survey of bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) in Scotland, and its rates of change in extent. This was developed to identify potential impacts of bracken on habitats.
• The mapping of the Land Cover of Scotland by aerial photographic interpretation.

Research on spatial planning and impacts of wind turbines, and resource assessments of peatlands are brought together in work on a payback calculator for wind turbines on peatland. This was for the Scottish Government, in collaboration with University of Aberdeen and Forest Research, from which a paper describing the calculator has also been published.

The studies of urban greenspaces Included inventories in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee; urban land use change; analysis of accessibility using route networks between every domestic property in the cities and the nearest of each type of greenspace. Projects have been undertaken for Scottish Enterprise on economic valuation (Streetscapes, with Robert Gordon University), the European Union on preferences, use, spatial modelling, and 3D visualisations (Greenspace – co-ordinated by University College Dublin; Greencluster – co-ordinated by Alterra), Edinburgh City Council on geographic analysis of access and greenspace audits, and Scottish Government on the contribution of greenspace to human health and wellbeing (GreenHealth, with Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Heriot Watt, and BioSS). Watch the video description of the findings here. This is extended to the role of water, notably flooding, in relation to well-being such as a cause of stress, or a factor influencing psychological restoration (BlueHealth, for Scottish Government through CREW).

Landscape visualisation

The Virtual Landscape Theatre (VLT) environment has been designed to provide an immersive experience, with a 160o curved screen onto which an interactive 3D model is projected, from three projectors.The VLT is used in research into land use and land use change, engaging with people in venues that are accessible, and in surroundings with which they are familiar and comfortable. Photographs of events using the Virtual Landscape Theatre can be viewed for Chalara Ash Dieback. 

Recent reports for Scottish Government

• Miller, D.R., McKeen, M. and Ibiyemi, A. 2016. BB13 Proportion of local authority areas under impermeable surfaces; Change in impermeable surfacing in built-up areas. Adapting to climate change/Indicators and trends/Flooding and infrastructure. ClimateXChange.
• Miller, D., Morrice, J., McKeen, M., Donaldson-Selby, G., Wang, C. and Munoz-Rojas, J. 2016. Use of digital and 3D technology in planning: research report. FInal Report for Scottish Government. pp109.

Recent presentations

• Miller, D., Aalders, I. Podmaniczky, L., Centeri, C., and Balazs, K. 2015. Addressing challenges of evaluating impacts of RPDs on soil quality Experiences from case studies in Hungary and Scotland. European Network for Rural Development and FP7 ENVIEVAL, Workshop, Vilnius, Lithuania, 27 October 2015.
• ESCOM Conference 2014, ECCI, University of Edinburgh,  Miller, DR, Horne PL, Donaldson-Selby, G, Wang, C, Morrice, JG, Morris, S. 2014. Green space services: Community engagement  case study.
• Culture and Landscape: Contributions to Sustainable Rural Development, Euracademy International Workshop, Loski Potok, Slovenia, July 2013. Miller, D, Munoz-Rojas, J, Aalders, I, Morrice, J, Donaldson-Selby, G, Wang, C, Horne, P, Castellazzi, M, Sutherland, L-A. 2013. Public visioning of future landscapes in the context of rural development.
• GIScience Colloquium, University of Zurich, 17th December 2013. "Roles for visualisation tools and geospatial data in the delivery of public policy on land use and public participation". Download a pdf of the presentation here.
• A+DS Estate-Scale Renewables: Generating Sustainability from Scotland’s Land Assets. Hilton Hotel, Edinburgh, 20th November 2012, Our landscapes and their responses to pressures. Miller, D with Horne, P, Morrice, J, Brown, I, Wang, CD, Donaldson-Selby, G.

Recent training courses run

Co-organising An advanced course on Social Innovation in Rural Areas, held at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (Spain) on 18th to 22nd November 2019; organised under H2020 project Social Innovaton in Marginalised Rural Areas (SIMRA).

Co-organising a Massive Open Online Course on Social Innovation in Rural Areas, 30th March 2020 to 5th May 2020; organised under H2020 project Social Innovaton in Marginalised Rural Areas (SIMRA).