Abstract

Center City 3D: A Virtual City model of Downtown Rochester
Track: 3D
Authors: Michael Ross

The City of Rochester, NY has recently completed a photorealistic 3D GIS model of the Center City District. The model was built by Bergmann Associates, an Esri Gold Business Partner, using the Esri Virtual City Template. It includes highly realistic 3D building models textured with both oblique aerial photography and at-grade photography. These 3D features are linked to the City's geodatabase.
There are several large projects occurring in Rochester's near future, which together will dramatically change the built urban environment. The impact and interconnection of these projects is difficult to comprehend when presented as individual 2D plans. The 3D GIS model presents before and after states for each of these projects.
The City plans to use the model for outreach, education, and analysis as they finalize the Center City Master Plan. In the future, the 3D GIS model will be used for development review and for marketing development sites.