Enhancing visual attribute comprehension of urban heritage landscapes using combined GIS-based visual analysis methods: West Lake as a case study

A combined GIS-based visual analysis framework reveals that only two of ten potential city-to-lake visual corridors remain unobstructed in Hangzhou's West Lake, highlighting unmanaged vegetation as a critical barrier. This multi-method approach—integrating cumulative viewshed (CV), visual magnitude (VM), field of view (FOV) analysis, and street-view image (SVI) segmentation—exposed intentional spatial design strategies in high-visibility zones while also identifying 37 landscape types along lakeside roads where vegetation obstructs views. The study underscores the limitations of single-method analyses, such as SVI's insensitivity to topographic variation, and demonstrates that integrating multiple visual analysis methods provides deeper spatial insights for heritage conservation and urban planning.

Peng, Y., Nijhuis, S., Geng, M., & Yu, Y. (2025). Enhancing visual attribute comprehension of urban heritage landscapes using combined GIS-based visual analysis methods: West Lake as a case study. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 115, 108032. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2025.108032