A comparison of usefulness of 2D and 3D representations of urban planning

Very little existing literature has addressed the issues of the perceived usefulness of 3D visualizations over 2D and the use of cartographic shadow representations in the planning community. Urban planning has moved toward a 3D, geographic-information-system-centric, and functional decision support framework. This study aims to examine the preferences of urban planning professionals with respect to 2D and 3D visualizations in a case study. The authors built a 3D representation of a proposed building along with the existing urban environment in Queenstown, New Zealand and conducted a usefulness test through a survey and interview. Based on the survey, the study evaluated the degree of task utility perceived in each visualization method, the effect on the mental image, and shadow representation preferences. The findings support the literature that the benefits of using a 2D or 3D model are closely related to the types of planning tasks undertaken. The findings also reveal a complex view of planning activities, suggesting that planners themselves cannot be treated as a single group for research purposes.