Using 3D GIS for High-Rise Buildings and Growth Development

Las Vegas added more than 27,000 new housing units between 1999 and 2004—basically, 2.13 new residents every hour, around the clock, and a new housing unit every hour and 36 minutes. The rapid population growth and the demand for living space have created an explosion of downtown mixed-use residential development. City authorities have been mapping this development within the downtown and surrounding areas and collecting attribute data such as the square footage of buildings, number of units, number of stories, height, and parking space for analysis purposes. In addition, projects that are proposed, approved, under construction, and completed are shown on the map. Several 3D GIS models have been assembled that show the height of buildings, streetscapes, historic places, and many other features.

All these activities were accomplished using ArcGIS 3D Analyst and SiteBuilder (GIS Urban Simulator) ArcMap extensions. A powerful feature of the 3D models is that they are interactive, meaning users can travel inside them and see the impact that a proposed development or streetscape might have within the existing environment. This enhances public participation and resolves problems before developments happen and thousands, or even millions, of dollars are spent on a project. In addition, the SketchUp plug-in for ArcGIS was used to create custom 3D features. This plug-in enables users to quickly create highly detailed three-dimensional models and seamlessly transfer them to an ArcGIS geodatabase for analysis. Finally, shadow studies were performed to see how shadows of buildings might impact an existing neighborhood at different times of the day and year.

Courtesy of the City of Las Vegas, Nevada.