Protected view

A protected view or protected vista is the legal requirement within urban planning to preserve the view of a specific place or historic building from another location.

The protection may also cover the area behind the place or building concerned.

In London, high-rise development is restricted at certain sites if it would obstruct protected views of St Paul's Cathedral and other historic buildings from various prominent locations around the city.

[3] In Edinburgh, a 2005 skyline study compiled a list of almost 170 key views which are protected.

[4] In the US, protected views exist in places such as San Francisco;[5] Portland, Oregon where the size of downtown blocks is kept low to maintain the views of Mount Hood from the West Hills;[6] and in Canada the city of Vancouver, British Columbia has protected "view cones".

View of St Paul's Cathedral from King Henry's Mound (before the construction of Manhattan Loft Gardens behind the cathedral in 2016).
Map of the protected views in London (click for a hover-based interactive demonstration)