An exploratory approach for urban data visualization and spatial analysis with a game engine

The extensive use of Information and Communication Technologies and the consequent unprecedented generation of data have radically transformed the way we understand cities today. The vision of smart cities considers technology as an enabling force for the emergence of new forms of intelligence and collaboration, enhancing, thus, the problem-solving capacity of the city. Despite the wide range of applications aiming to improve urban systems and city governance, urban planning processes are rarely informed by online platforms and data generated by them lack comprehensive data visualization approaches. This research introduces an exploratory approach to exploit urban data through interactive visualization and game design, as a way to facilitate the access and understanding of such data. A novel methodology is proposed, leveraging on spatial data as an input source which drives the generation of three-dimensional environments and interactive applications supported by game engines. More specifically, this research builds upon existing tools and methods for geoprocessing and spatial analysis and embeds them in a 3D environment that employs game design elements. Three indicative visualization scenarios are designed, developed, and implemented to showcase the dynamics and flexibility of the proposed methodology, based on the registry of an urban reporting application in Thessaloniki.