Multi-Purpose 3-D Real Estate: Understanding the Role of 3-D Technology for Enhancing Resilience

The role that real estate can have for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of an area to respond to natural and man-made crises has received little attention. This research demonstrates how the real estate profession plays a fundamental role in the preparedness, response, reconstruction, and recovery stages of a crisis. The geospatial technology developed and used in this research illustrates how geographic information, geographic information systems, gaming technology, and the creation of a user interface can improve the decision-making process for those tasked with ensuring resilience in urban areas. In particular, the ability of decision makers to create real-time simulations with this model, including temporal and visual information about the impact of various interventions, enables decision makers to better understand intervention options and make better decisions. Three scenarios are presented in which this technology was applied: flooding, riots/protests, and terrorist events.