VISTA: Exploring Vertiport Site Selection With Visual Analytics

The rapid development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology is transforming urban air mobility (UAM), offering a promising solution for alleviating ground traffic congestion. However, the successful integration of eVTOLs into urban environments depends on the careful selection of vertiports, which must meet strict safety, operational, and environmental criteria. Traditional site selection methods often inadequately address the integration of three-dimensional spatial constraints into multi-criteria decision frameworks while simultaneously involving laborious repetitive workflows during location optimization processes. We present VISTA, a visual analytics framework designed to address these challenges. VISTA combines advanced 3D spatial analysis, multi-criteria decision-making, and interactive visualization tools to support informed decision-making in eVTOL site selection. By enabling users to explore and evaluate potential sites intuitively, VISTA facilitates the identification of the most suitable locations while balancing competing factors such as safety, accessibility, environmental impact, and cost. Further, VISTA allows users to iteratively adjust site selection based on localized constraints, while extrapolating these insights to broader, citywide planning considerations. Two case studies, along with expert interviews and a user study, demonstrate the practical application of VISTA in urban environments, highlighting its potential to streamline eVTOL deployment and enhance urban air mobility planning.