The digital memory of public spaces. The three-dimensional documentation of Largo da Memória in São Paulo

Nowadays, digital technologies and ICT tools provide an incredible opportunity to encourage both economic growth and knowledge. Digital content and information sharing could have a significant impact on society. One of the first steps in this direction is to promote human networking and the exchange of experiences and skills amongst different groups and communities. The last two-decades technological development has led to the practical application of digital tools for the preservation and enhancement of urban district and small open spaces. To effectively support the complicated process of planning, construction and management of urban infrastructures, there is a pressing need for fully three-dimensional modelling of urban space, which allows geographical objects to be represented and located with a 3D coordinate system. Today, it is clear that the architectural surveying of large urban environments requires the design of multi-scale and multi-level support, capable of incorporating the knowledge of different experts. Multi-scale support is necessary for supporting cartographic urban and architectural data structures, involving syntactic analysis relative to morphological aspects. Furthermore, 3D techniques in 3D GIS – including 3D data collection, 3D data model, 3D data management and visualization – have been applied in fields such as urban planning and virtual city.