Combining 3-D modeling with GIS, so communities can experiment with urban designs and see
quantified environmental and fiscal impacts. (page 2 of 3)

To facilitate the urban design process, different objects can be dragged into the 3-D environment from a palette of typological elements. This palette, referred to as a "Kit-of-Parts," can be used to assemble buildings and urban design elements in an infinite range of configurations.

This example shows an inner-city neighborhood in the South Bronx that was the site of extensive urban decay. In the first aerial view one can see many empty parcels. Building on the community-based urban renewal plan to in-fill sites with apartment buildings or townhouses, the Center's model lets participants drop elements in and calculate demands for transit ridership, retail, and so on. Ground level views were also created to give citizens a sense of how redevelopment would affect the look of the neighborhood.

At the time of this project, these models were still boxy and less pictorial than some other forms of visualization. As the technology matures, it is becoming possible to create objects of greater design refinement.

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