FAQs

 

What kinds of changes can produce visual impacts?
Changes to the kind of buildings and landscapes that people prefer; changes to their access to views; too great a contrast to what they like; the sense of losing important things; new buildings that are of the wrong scale, too different or out of character with their surroundings; buildings and landscapes that do not achieve acceptable standards of design, excellence, conservation, view sharing or compliance with accepted standards.

Why are visual impacts important to consider?
Visual impacts are now among the most important issues to consider in planning new developments. Quality views, streetscapes, heritage sites and landscapes are valuable and important to protect and conserve. You
may be the developer or may be affected by a development proposed by others. Visual impacts are an integral and critical part of assessment of the merits of applications. Planning instruments and guidelines such as LEPs, DCPs, Heritage DCPs and Urban Design Guidelines are often largely concerned with visual issues which need to be addressed with skills and appropriate expertise.

What special expertise can we provide?
We have staff with expertise in practice, teaching and scholarly research into visual perception and cognition, landscape architecture, landscape assessment and management, heritage conservation and planning.