3D modelling with Esri CityEngine for sustainable and innovative urban development

Development of a 3D-GIS database for the analysis and visualisation of the Cologne district Mülheim in its current state, as well as the simulation of future sustainable and innovative development scenarios for the district.

"Morgenstadt: City Insights Innovation Network" (m:ci) is a collaborative research project supported by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., consisting of European as well as globally represented stakeholders from the field of urban sustainability.

In the Morgenstadt project phase II, the companies Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute) and Prof. Schaller UmweltConsult (PSU) under the project management of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in cooperation with the City of Cologne are developing a three-dimensional GIS database for the analysis and visualization of future scenarios of the district Cologne-Mülheim South.

The main objective of this project is to test GIS technologies for Smart Cities as support for the implementation of a holistic approach of sustainable urban development in the district Mülheim. Beyond the visualization of the current state, the project intends to simulate sustainable and innovative development scenarios for the district. As a result, politics and administration will be provided with a tool that allows for a vivid presentation of new urban planning projects and scenarios as well as internet-based citizen participation.

The concrete objectives include:
- Development of GIS applications for 3D analysis and visualization to support development planning with regard to energy efficiency and sustainable mobility.
- 3D visualization of the district of Mülheim in its current state as well as alternative and sustainable urban development scenarios, based on existing data of the city of Cologne and the requirements of the m:ci project.
- 3D GIS mapping of environmental, energy and mobility data.
- Implementation of a citizen data portal on the Internet for mobility and environment.
- Publication of the results via Esri's cloud-based ArcGIS Online platform.