Taipei City Government’s Department of Urban Development launched an online historical 3-D map reference site April 9, allowing the public to use smartphones or computers to access the database and compare the current and historical appearances of the city.
Objects as small as 1 meter across are visible, so users can detect the disappearance of an old tree in a specific area. The locations of graveyards past and present, and the presence of tall buildings that are blocking sunlight are useful references for home buyers, and will be updated with progress of the city’s urban renewal plans.
The system’s historical maps are based on aeronautical surveys conducted between 1945 and 2013, surveys from the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945) and other maps from the post-World War II era. The current map also incorporates digital elevation and digital surface models based on aerial radar mapping.
According to department sub-division chief Chen Chih-cheng, the natural terrain, buildings and plant cover are clearly visible, with 3-D images of buildings and aeronautical surveys from different periods instantly available.
For example, Cheng said, the system allows users to find the historical distribution of graveyards, the appearance of the Presidential Office before and after after it was bombed by the U.S. in World War II, and the two-winged design of the old Taipei railway station.
“The area around Zhishanyan in Shilin District is mainly four and five-story buildings. If a 20-plus story block is planned, locals can access the website and see how the structure would affect the skyline,” department Commissioner Ben Tai-ming said.
The system gives a high topographic map accuracy at 30 centimeters, Chen said, and high resolution of 10 centimeters for the aerial surveys. Topographic maps, digital elevation model and digital surface model imageries will be updated every two years, he added.
Additionally, house numbers, plot cadastrals, urban planning survey posts and administrative districts can all be superimposed, Chen said. Using the maps to make direct comparisons of how the city has changed over time can also provide a useful aid to school geography classes, he added.
Ben said that, strictly speaking, Taipei’s skyline is not yet up to international standards, and the system can provide a useful tool for urban planning and renewal. (SDH)
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