By turning old maps into 3D digital models of lost neighbourhoods, the researchers aim to drive forward urban research and provide users with a view of the cities of the past.
The programme would allow people to use a virtual reality headset to “walk” through long-gone neighbourhoods – seeing the streets and buildings as they appeared decades ago, before they were lost to urban development projects or natural disasters.
But the digital models will be more than just a novelty – they will give researchers a resource to conduct studies that would have been nearly impossible before, such as estimating the economic loss caused by the demolition of historic neighbourhoods.
“The story here is we now have the ability to unlock the wealth of data that is embedded in these Sanborn fire atlases,” said Harvey Miller, co-author of the study and professor of geography at The Ohio State University.
“It enables a whole new approach to urban historical research that...