3D urban models: Recent developments in the digital modelling of urban environments in three-dimensions

This paper reports on recent developments in the visualisation of urban landscapes. There is a growing interest in the contstruction of 3D models of urban and built environment for which a host of digital mapping and rendering techniques are being developed. This paper extracts some of the cases that we came across during worldwide interviews carried out in March 2000. Building on this review, we identify the range of data and techniques adopted for the development of 3D contents and how they could contribute to geographical analysis and planning of urban environment. A particular focus is given on the effectiveness of GIS and its related methods for their capacity to accommodate the demands for visual representation of urban environment as well as the basis for analysis and simulation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.