Visual exposure to buildings in Switzerland: spatial patterns and changes over six decades

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning
• Landscape Ecology

Background:

• The visual impact of rural buildings is a critical, yet often underestimated, aspect of spatial development.
• Understanding changes in landscape visibility is essential for effective environmental management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the evolution of visual exposure from rural buildings in Switzerland from 1960 to 2024.
• To quantify the impact of construction in non-building zones on landscape visibility.

Main Methods:

• Utilized binary and cumulative viewshed analyses to assess building visibility.
• Integrated historical and contemporary building data with digital height and forest cover models.
• Analyzed visibility changes across five Swiss biogeographical regions.

Main Results:

• A consistent rise in visual exposure of rural buildings was observed, primarily due to development in non-building zones.
• The Plateau region shows the highest cumulative visibility, while Alpine regions retain lower intrusion.
• The most substantial increase in visibility occurred between 1960 and 1980, correlating with urban sprawl.

Conclusions:

• Visual exposure metrics are crucial for spatial planning and landscape monitoring.
• The study provides a visibility-based approach to assess rural development and landscape quality.
• Findings emphasize the need to integrate visual impact assessments into land-use policies.