Google gives Fredericton 3D treatment

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to take a helicopter ride through the streets of downtown Fredericton, free software will allow you to simulate the view.

Though Google Earth, a program that allows users to see high-resolution satellite images of anywhere in the world, has been available since 2005, the Internet giant added three-dimensional graphics of about 100 Fredericton buildings this month.

The Army Learning Support Centre at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown created the virtual buildings to have a virtual training environment in which soldiers would be familiar. It was then passed on to the City of Fredericton, which submitted it to Google Inc.

The city sees huge potential for the software for many purposes including urban planning, economic development and tourism.

Coun. Stephen Kelly, chairman of the city's information technology committee, says the software should help engage the public in new development and external refurbishments around the city.

"In Ireland, a world-class tourism destination, there was a movement to preserve heritage," he says. "In Tennessee where they were doing a lot of development it helped create empowerment there."

This is likely because people are able to very simply see and understand what physical changes to buildings would look like, says Rob Lunn, Geographic Information Systems co-ordinator for the city.

"It's what you're more familiar with," he says. "A lot of people have trouble reading a two-dimensional flat map."

Using virtual 3-D modeling will also help council and committees evaluate changes to driveway access or signage that would affect the streetscape.

"You can quickly see what's obscured or hidden," he says.

Kelly says this type of virtual modeling could help prepare for the spring flood, which has wreaked havoc on homes and businesses near the water in years past.

The additions to Google Earth could be quite beneficial for tourism and attracting businesses are also vast, Lunn says.

"People could, before travelling to Fredericton, do the virtual tour," he says.

Google Earth also has Google's street view - which added 130 Canadian communities in February including most of New Brunswick - built-in so users can switch back and forth between 3-D graphics, on top of a flat satellite view, and real street-level panoramic photos.

But Lunn sees future potential for the 3-D mockups to have 3-D building interiors integrated.

"You'd have an application, such as Google Earth, where you would locate Fredericton, then where in Fredericton your hotel is and zoom in," he says. "But potentially you'd walk into the building and get your virtual tour in there."

This is far from reality, and would require private businesses co-operation and efforts, but Lunn sees huge potential for this in buildings such as the convention centre under construction in the downtown.

"Who knows how it's going to be used," Kelly says. "It will be more on the development side initially."

Until then the city is looking at expanding the reach of the virtual 3-D models, which are exclusive to the city's south side and span mostly from the legislature to the TD Tower, and from the south bank of the St. John River to Brunswick Street. Though there are about 15 other buildings outside of the downtown, particularly on campus where the universities have built a few virtual models.

The first focus will be on virtually building up the north side of the city, and other non-residential parts of the city. Lunn says there is no particular budget set aside for expanding the 3-D models, although the city will be looking to add important new structures, such as the convention centre complex, when they are fully built.

"Larger scale additions, (similar to) what has been added here, would require us to look at the budgeting implications or to search out further cooperative ventures such as was done with the military," he says.

Lunn says he doesn't imagine city hall will ever build up the whole city.

"There's nothing that stops the public if they wanted to put their own house in. They have a free program that you can download that allows you to build the models," he says, referring to Google SketchUp. But the virtual structures have to be approved by Google before they will be added.