The Visual Analysis method was created under the auspices of an interdisciplinary research project with the title of “Visual Analysis & Mapping for the Identification of Atmospheric Qualities in Public Spaces”. Taking graphic design and architecture as a starting point, the idea was to develop tools and methods of analysis with the help of which the atmospheric qualities of a place can be registered and intelligently represented. The method was tried out on two adjoining urban districts in Basel. The investigation focused on the different aspects of the environment, consisting of buildings and the lived ambiance – like the presence of green spaces, the building structures, the colourfulness of the houses and even the street names. A total of 21 realised visual displays illustrate the method and its techniques, which would like to be seen as an extension of traditional methods of analysis and representation in the field of urban planning.