NYC Building 3D Models by Community District for 2014

New York City's 59 Community Districts contain a 3D model of every building present in 2014, based on a Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications aerial survey. The Department of City Planning enhanced the model by converting it to .3dm format for Rhinoceros 3D and adding base layers like streets and parks. It is compatible with common 3D-modeling software such as SketchUp and AutoCAD.

Use Cases

• Analyze building roof structure details from the 2014 aerial survey for urban solar potential studies.
• Import the .3dm model files segmented by the 59 Community Districts for district-level urban planning visualizations.
• Use the enriched base layers, including lots and rail lines, for infrastructure and green space analysis within specific districts.
• Compare the high-level of detail for iconic buildings against standard structures for architectural or historical research.

Strengths

• Model covers every building in New York City from a specific year (2014).
• Data is divided into 59 distinct geographic units (Community Districts) for localized analysis.
• Includes enriched base layers such as lots, streets, parks, and rail lines for contextual modeling.

Limitations

• The 3D model reflects a single snapshot from 2014 and does not include newer construction or demolitions.
• Specific technical details like file size, polygon count, or geometric accuracy are not provided in the description.
• Primary format (.3dm) requires compatible 3D software like Rhinoceros, which may limit accessibility for some users.

Provenance

Source

City of New York, Department of City Planning.

Collection Method

Based on DOITT’s 2014 aerial survey, imported and enhanced by DCP, converted to .3dm format, and segmented by Community District.

Time Range

2014

Freshness

Last updated metadata indicates November 2024, but the underlying model data is from 2014.

Geography

New York City, USA, segmented into 59 Community Districts.