Raleigh Visualization

Modern urban planning involves a number of related groups including GIS and information services, city and regional planning offices, and non-governmental agencies such as the local Chamber of Commerce. The Fayetteville Street Mall (FSM) project for the city of Raleigh, NC was built to demonstrate how highly detailed 3D urban visualizations could be used to show both existing development and the opportunity for growth, catering to several different audiences.

Based upon a heterogeneous collection of source data, the FSM project is an example of an "as-built" visualization that was used to guide planning for the conversion of a pedestrian shopping mall to a shopping district open to both automobile and pedestrian traffic. Geospecific textures were applied to each of the buildings in the central retail area. The buildings outside the central retail area were assigned textures that matched in color and material as closely as possible with the structures.

The FSM inset source data was compiled in TerraTools from MicroStation data files, including placement points for street lights, trash cans, bushes, and trees. The pedestrian walkway includes planters and fountains in an open space that stretches 100 feet wide. Utility data showing manhole covers and fire hydrants were placed in the visualization based upon GIS data for the Raleigh area.

Click here to see a fly-through of the Raleigh database.

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