Spatiotemporal Visualization of Built Environments

The recent growth in our ability to construct models of cities using a 3D visual representation has been phenomenal (Batty 2000; Batty et al. 2001; Jepson 2006). Thanks to the rapid advancement of information technologies, remote-sensing technologies, online resources, and the increasingly available large-scale spatial data, we see amazingly realistic visual representation of urban environments within which we can immerse ourselves to fly through and interact with the virtual representation of other users as well as the virtual environment itself as if we are in a real city (Jepson and Friedman 1998; Snyder and Jepson 1999). The use of 3D city models as a platform to carry out applications and simulations is also becoming more and more common. In fact, a host of applications and projects have been developed in the planning, designing, decision-making, property marketing, gaming, and other related industries alike (Leavitt 1999; Smith 1999; Padmore 2000; Batty et al. 2001). The range of standards and data formats adopted by these 3D city models is also quite diverse, making some of the models more appropriate for public presentation while other models provide opportunities for in-depth analysis and evaluation of the urban landscape (Shiode 2001; Takase et al. 2003).