What is a Skyline: A Quantitative Approach

Abstract

Urban skylines are the subject of much legislation, in the form of regulation of tall buildings. However, the relation between the purposes enshrined in regulation and actual preferences has not been empirically investigated. In order to conduct such research the relevant qualitative dimensions or variables must first be established. Once this is done, these dimensions can be quantified and varied systematically for experimental purposes. This paper reports the development of a ‘modal’ skyline based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of fifteen different tourist views of three cities.