ScaleCity: Toolset for Constructing Urban Data Visualization Using 3D Printed Transparent City

Urban data visualization incorporating miniature city models are pepected to facilitate an intuitive understanding of urban environments. While open data and virtual 3D city models are increasingly accessible, those who are not proficient in handling these face challenges in utilizing this data and constructing effective visualization. To address these barriers, we present ScaleCity, a comprehensive toolset designed to simplify the creation of urban data visualization with 3Dprinted miniature city models. ScaleCity comprises three key components: (1) a user-friendly editor for virtual 3D city models, (2) a script for converting virtual 3D city models for 3D printing, and (3) an urban data visualization system used in combination with miniature transparent city models. We conducted experiments to evaluate the usability of the virtual 3D city model editor and explored the potential benefits of combining miniature transparent city models with 2D data visualization system. Our findings suggest that while challenges remain, the ScaleCity toolset shows making urban data visualization more accessible to those unfamiliar with such data, which may contribute to expanding civic engagement in urban planning.