Research
Intelligence
The world's best tall building data, tailored to your business needs.
This interactive preview shows what each Intelligence product tier delivers, using real data from
Custom Analysis
Intelligence beyond our standard products
CVU's proprietary tall building and urban data becomes significantly more powerful when layered against third-party datasets. Our research team can synthesise these sources into bespoke analyses built around your specific question.
Mobility
Transit access & walkability
CVU data Building locations, heights, functions, completion years
+ Source GTFS transit feed, OSM pedestrian network, Walk Score API
"What share of a city's tall buildings are within 500m of rapid transit and how has that changed over time?"
Sample finding: In London, 91% of office towers above 100m sit within 400m of a Tube station. Residential towers over 100m in height completed after 2018 average only 310m in distance, versus 580m for those built before 2005.
Density
Vertical density vs. areal density
CVU data GFA, floor counts, residential unit counts, building footprints
+ Source GHSL population raster data, UN urban population estimates, local census tract data
"Which areas of this city look dense on paper but are actually sprawling? Which areas are genuinely concentrating population vertically?"
Sample finding: Dubai ranks in the top 5 globally for tall building density per km² but only the 31st for population per km², indicating a largely commercial and hospitality market instead of residential consolidation.
Risk
Seismic & climate risk exposure
CVU data Building locations, structural materials, heights, completion years
+ Source USGS seismic hazard maps, FEMA flood zones, IPCC climate risk indices
"How much of the world's supertall building stock sits in high seismic or flood-risk zones, and is the exposure growing over time due to sea-level rise?"
Sample finding: Of the 200 tallest completed buildings globally, 34 sit in USGS Seismic Zone 4 (very high risk), 17 of which were completed after 2010, suggesting risk exposure is increasing.
Planning
Land use context & zoning alignment
CVU data Building functions, heights, completion years, developers
+ Source Land use polygons, municipal zoning shapefiles
"Where are tall buildings appearing in zones historically designated for low-density or industrial use and what does that signal about planning pressure?"
Sample finding: In New York City, 68% of residential supertalls completed since 2015 sit in zones that were reclassified from commercial or manufacturing use within the prior decade.
Climate
Urban heat island correlation
CVU data Building cluster density, GFA, structural materials, completion years
+ Source Landsat 8 surface temperature rasters, USGS land cover data
"Do high-density tall building districts measurably intensify urban heat islands? Does building material or green space access moderate that effect?"
Sample finding: Districts with 10+ supertalls and <5% green space coverage register surface temperatures averaging 3.2°C higher than adjacent low-rise areas in the same metropolitan area.
Livability
Green space proximity & livability
CVU data Residential unit counts, building locations, heights, completion years
+ Source Park & green space polygons, WHO & UN-Habitat urban greenery benchmarks
"Which cities are building tall in ways that maintain livability benchmarks? Which are stacking new residences away from meaningful green space?"
Sample finding: London residential towers average 280m to the nearest public park, well within the WHO's 300m benchmark. Dubai residential towers average 840m, with the gap widening in projects completed after 2018.
These analyses are available as add-ons to any Intelligence product or as standalone custom research projects. Scope, turnaround, and pricing are defined per project. Contact our Research & Thought Leadership team to discuss your specific needs.
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