Which view is most commonly used for showing topographical features?

Plan view is the most commonly used representation for displaying topographical features because it provides a two-dimensional view from above, allowing for a clear depiction of the layout of the land. In this view, features such as contours, elevations, and landforms can be easily understood, facilitating the assessment of spacing, relationships, and the overall arrangement of topographical elements.

Using this perspective, it’s straightforward to illustrate various features like hills, valleys, and water bodies. Since topography often involves numerous horizontal dimensions, this view effectively conveys essential information for design and planning purposes in civil engineering and land-use projects.

Other views, while useful in specific contexts, do not offer the same level of comprehensive visibility of the land's surface as the plan view does. For instance, profile view displays elevation changes along a line across the land but lacks a full-area representation. Oblique view provides a skewed angle that combines both horizontal and vertical perspectives, which may not be as effective for analyzing topographical features. Cross-section view focuses on a cut-through representation but only shows a slice of the topography rather than the whole surface layout. This makes the plan view the preferred choice for conveying topographical information comprehensively.