This text establishes the standardized framework and professional methodology required for conducting comprehensive Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (LVIA). Authored by the Landscape Institute and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), this volume serves as the primary reference for practitioners navigating the intersection of development projects and environmental stewardship. It provides the technical criteria necessary to evaluate how proposed changes to the physical environment affect both the landscape character and the visual amenity of surrounding areas.

Experts and practitioners regard this publication as the foundational technical standard for the profession. Readers frequently note the high level of procedural density, making it an indispensable reference for those preparing formal environmental impact statements.