Cardiff 3D Model

More confident design and planning with Cardiff’s digital twin

Reduce uncertainty with our Cardiff 3D Model. Tap into comprehensive data layers to minimise planning risks, anticipate potential impacts, and speed up critical decisions.

With VU.CITY’s precise and immersive Cardiff digital twin platform, teams collaborate effortlessly, driving smarter outcomes and boosting planning success.

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29

DATA LAYERS
38 sq km

MODELLED TO 15CM ACCURACY
15

Consents approved VU.CITY
143,948

TREES, ACCURATE HEIGHT AND CANOPY

Cardiff data layers

From transportation and zoning to environmental factors, VU.CITY Cardiff 3D model data layers provide essential insights for more informed and confident decision-making.

vucity-data-1 cardiff_amenities_education

vucity-data-2 cardiff_amenities_healthcare_gp

vucity-data-3 cardiff_census 2021_annual average household income

vucity-data-4 cardiff_census 2021 population density

vucity-data-6 cardiff_enviroment_air quality management area

vucity-data-7 cardiff_environment_biodiversity_local nature reserve

vucity-data-8 cardiff_enviroment_biodiversity_sac(special areas of conservation)

vucity-data-9 cardiff_enviroment_biodiversity_spa(special protection area)

vucity-data-10 cardiff_enviroment_biodiversity_sssi (sites of special scientific interest)

vucity-data-11 cardiff_enviroment_flood data_area benefiting from flood defence

vucity-data-12 cardiff_enviroment_flood data_flood defence

vucity-data-13 cardiff_enviroment_flood data_flood zone 2

vucity-data-14 cardiff_enviroment_flood data_flood zone 3

vucity-data-15 cardiff_enviroment_flood data_recorded flood outlines

vucity-data-16 cardiff_enviroment_flood data_risk of flooding from rivers and seas

vucity-data-19_cardiff_places of interest_emergency services_fire stations

vucity-data-20_cardiff police station (with the timeline on)(1)

vucity-cambridge-data-21_local plan - area of major change

vucity-data-22_cardiff_places of interest_places of worship

vucity-data-23_cardiff_planning_conservation areas

vucity-data-24 cardiff_planning_greenspace sites

vucity-data-25_cardiff_planning_historic landfill sites

vucity-data-26_cardiff_retail_boundaries

vucity-data-27_cardiff_retail_supermarkets

vucity-data-28_cardiff_scheduled monuments

DATA LAYERS

Education Establishments

Annual Average Household Income

Deprivation

Local Nature Reserve

Special Protection Area (SPA)

Areas Benefitting from Flood Defences

Floodzone 2

Recorded Flood Outlines

EPC - Domestic

Fire Stations

Areas of Major Change

Conservation Areas

Historic Landfill Sites

Supermarkets

GPs

Population Density

Air Quality Management Area

Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Flood Defences

Floodzone 3

Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Seas

EPC - Non Domestic

Police Stations

Places of Worship

Greenspace Sites

Retail Boundaries

Scheduled Monuments

VU.CITY Cardiff is the largest and most accurate interactive 3D model available.

Cardiff is one of the UK’s fastest growing cities with a leisure and tourism sector that generates significant economic and cultural benefits.

Cardiff is introducing a Replacement Local Development Plan 2021 - 2036 to benefit communities and the economy, and set out which areas need to be protected. Supporting a vibrant, mixed-use city centre and regenerating Cardiff Bay as a high density, mixed-use destination are key issues to address.

Cardiff has around 1,000 listed buildings therefore understanding development opportunities and constraints clearly at an early stage, through using VU.CITY’s data layers, can help inform local policy and avoid unwanted hurdles, costs and delays for all.

Cardiff’s population is growing fast, with a long waiting list for housing: the City Council recognises the need to work out the right number, type and location of homes to be built. As Cardiff continues to grow, new infrastructure will also be needed alongside the new homes and jobs. VU.CITY’s 3D platform makes it simple for developers and architects to check for approved schemes and evaluate the likelihood of getting planning approval in the future for proposals.

In its aim to create a greener city, the council is currently progressing a range of strategies including One Planet Cardiff, Clean Air Cardiff and a Transport White Paper. A digital platform can enable all stakeholders to work towards a common goal in finding the best possible solutions in making Cardiff the best city possible.

Users of VU.CITY Cardiff are using the model’s many benefits, from being able to understand and assess a site’s opportunities and challenges, testing refined designs in context, enhancing pre-app conversations and planning submissions, to improving how everyone involved collaborates.

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Trusted by 6,000+ users across 26 cities

Architects, developers, local authorities, urban planners, and more trust VU.CITY to help achieve their goals.

Organise and visualise your geospatial data in accurate context with our comprehensive suite of digital design and development tools.

VU.CITY Cardiff: 3D Model Features and Planning Tools

Belfast Consent Planning Timeline in a Digital Twin 3D Model using VU.CITY

Easily import your designs from external 3D software such as Revit, Rhino, SketchUp & 3ds Max into the model of Belfast and test how they will work in situ

Import a Rhino, Revit, SketchUp 3DS Max, or 3D Model into a digital twin 3D city model using VU.CITY Belfast

Microclimate, Sunlight, Weather and Atmospherics analysis in VU.CITY Belfast's 3D Model and Digital Twin Platform

Conduct Viewsheds, view studies, feasibility studies, present concepts, export images and video from the VU.CITY 3D Model Digital Twin of Belfast

Conduct ZTV and ZVI Studies & Assessments in a Digital Twin using the VU.CITY Belfast 3D Model

Collaborate in VU.CITY Belfast's Digital Twin 3D Model. Annotate and tag your team and stakeholders

Collaborate with stakeholders using the VU.CITY Hub, Digital Twin and 3D Model for Belfast

Consented Schemes Timeline

Realise a site’s potential by viewing and assessing recently consented developments across the city, leveraging geospatial data aggregation for precise insights.

Test Massing

Assess multiple initial massing options at an early stage and GEA potential quickly.

Import Designs

Easily import your designs from external 3D modelling software (such as Revit, Rhino, SketchUp and 3DS Max) into the Belfast model and test how they work in situ.

Sunlight Analysis

Quickly view and assess the initial impact of light from your proposed developments.

Camera Studies and Tools

Conduct high-level townscape and visual impact assessments. Agree on key views to analyse further. Select key views and confidently present your proposals to take stakeholders on your design journey.

Zone of Theoretical Visibility

Save time by eliminating unnecessary views for analysis. Understand where your scheme can be seen from and which views are critical to assess.

Annotate with Tags

Mark up comments and actions and easily collaborate on a site or scheme with project team members.

Scope, Design and Collaborate

VU.CITY’s project collaboration space, the Hub, allows you to seamlessly communicate with stakeholders, to make better design and planning decisions, faster.

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VU.CITY Cardiff FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about VU.CITY's Cardiff 3D Digital Twin and Model.

The model offers tools like the Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) and camera views, which help users understand how new buildings will affect the Cardiff skyline, including views from key vantage points and conservation areas.

The Cardiff model is ideal for various projects, from residential and commercial developments to public infrastructure. It provides insights into environmental impacts, compliance with local planning policies, and fit within Cardiff’s diverse urban and historic contexts.

Yes, the model includes features like sunlight and shadow analysis, flood risk zones, and green space mapping. These tools support environmentally conscious planning by helping users assess how a project interacts with Cardiff’s natural and built environments.

The model allows users to create realistic visuals of proposed developments, which can be shared with local communities and stakeholders. This helps communicate design intentions clearly, encouraging feedback and building public understanding.

The Cardiff model includes data layers such as conservation zones, flood risk areas, and local development plans. These layers help planners ensure that new projects comply with Cardiff’s regulatory requirements and fit the city’s long-term growth strategies.

Explore digital 3D geospatial solutions for the built environment

VU.CITY provides clear, powerful tools for key decision-makers across the built environment, helping them visualise and shape the future of cities with confidence and precision.