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Cities in the Valley of the Sun balance increasing demands for development with the increasing need to preserve the Sonoran Desert environment that attracted people here in the first place. In order to account for both needs, city staff and policy makers are faced with more information and less time to synthesize that information into knowledge with which to make decisions.
The City of Scottsdale Advanced Technology Program (ATP) utilizes remote sensing and GIS data as the basis for the 3D interactive visualization and simulation. City planners in Scottsdale hope the technology will be a valuable tool for assessing potential impacts of urbanization in the decision making phase of development. The suite of technologies is being developed as a decision support system to aid all who face complex growth-related issues.
This exhibit will demonstrate the visualization/simulation component of the ATP's system. Using the City's own MegaVis software, developed in conjunction with industry partners, ATP members will "fly" participants through the McDowell Mountains, the entire Phoenix Valley and other data sets. In addition, participants will be able to visually compare the effects of simulated stormwater events. Each data set is a mini-case study of the potential power of technology to aid in sustainable decision making about development in the Phoenix Valley.