Explore key views

Discover opportunities and limitations with camera tools to study views from bird’s-eye to pedestrian level. Place cameras to look out of your design concept to see the views and work out the most desirable units. Use cutting edge tools, such as Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV), to instantly see where your scheme can be viewed from.

Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV), also known as a Zone of Visual Influence (ZVI) or Viewshed, instantly allows you to see where people can view your proposal from.

This incredibly advanced scoping tool will help save weeks of consideration for our users by eliminating unnecessary views and informing what views that are critical to assess.

When used in the early stage development, VU.CITY users can use this tool to quickly determine the visual impact of a building, then change its height or form and visually see the difference its impact has on the surrounding area in a matter of seconds.

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Previously ZTVs were difficult and expensive to create, however, now with VU.CITY they are available to every user and can be run in seconds to instantly see the effect changes to a scheme will have. The ZTV tool can be used across all VU.CITY's 20 UK and international cities, that's over 2,600 sq km and growing fast.

The ZTV studies reflects 10 different height bands, with each colour identifying how much of the building you can see from any given location. Users can create studies up to 2,000 m² in distance to scope the impact of their schemes.

The ZTV tool has been built to help everyone involved in the design and planning process:
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Townscape Consultants: The ZTV tool will be massively beneficial throughout the planning process by scoping views for consideration.‍

Architects: Can use ZTVs to help understand massing options, particularly with height analysis, giving a greater sense of feasibility on designs.‍

Planning Officers: ZTVs will be useful in helping agree the views required for planning.‍

Developers: Can use ZTVs to support justifications on a scheme being sensitive to its location. This will be especially useful when used in areas with many consented schemes by using the ZTV tool with the 'Consented Scheme Timeline' tool.

VU.CITY+ and Advanced ZTVs

The VU.CITY Platforms ZTV tool provides users with valuable scoping capabilities. However, if wider detail or greater accuracy is required the VU.CITY+ team are here to help.

To assist in the scoping of Verified views, VU.CITY can run ZTVs to a borough wide scale, both with and without trees. Varying definitions of colour for different aspects of a schemes height can also be customised.

If you would like to commission more accurate ZTVs over a wider geography get in touch - info@vu.city

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How can we help

VU.CITY helps organise, visualise, and analyse city data in the clearest and most accessible way to make better decisions.

VU.CITY covers the whole of London and 25 major UK and international cities.

Quickly identify and appraise sites. VU.CITY's visualization, design functionality and planning data, allow you to optimise your designs.

Transform design and planning

Now everyone involved can have a clear, universal understanding of what’s proposed and why, in a single, secure place. VU.CITY makes decision-making democratic and fair.

Build trust and collaboration