3D Urban Modeling with GIS Training Workshop

Course overview

3D Urban Modeling with GIS Training Workshop provides practical skills for creating, analysing and visualising three-dimensional representations of cities and urban environments using GIS, 3D geospatial data, satellite imagery, elevation data and building information. The training covers 3D city modelling, terrain and surface modelling, building and infrastructure representation, 3D visualisation, urban growth analysis, viewshed and shadow analysis, planning scenarios and smart-city applications. Participants learn how 3D GIS can support urban planning, infrastructure development, environmental assessment, disaster-risk management, real-estate analysis and evidence-based decision-making.

The module structure below is designed around practical 3D GIS, urban planning, spatial analysis, 3D city models, BIM/GIS integration, digital twins and emerging GeoAI rather than simply teaching 3D visualisation. This reflects current 3D geospatial practice: OGC CityGML provides a standard conceptual model for virtual 3D city models and supports applications including urban planning, BIM, disaster management, 3D cadastre, transport, energy and environmental simulation.

Course objectives

Develop and visualise 3D urban models using GIS and relevant spatial datasets.
Prepare and integrate terrain, elevation, building, infrastructure and other 3D geospatial data.
Perform 3D spatial analyses such as viewshed, visibility, shadow, terrain, building-height and urban-density analysis.
Apply 3D GIS to urban planning, infrastructure development, environmental assessment and smart-city decision-making.
Develop professional 3D maps, scenes and urban visualisations for planning, analysis, stakeholder communication and development scenarios.

Who should attend

Urban Planners, GIS Professionals, GIS Analysts, Remote Sensing Professionals, Surveyors, Architects, Civil Engineers, Spatial Planners, County Government Officers, Municipal Planning Officers, Smart City Professionals, Infrastructure Planning Officers, Environmental Officers, Land Management Professionals, Real Estate Professionals, Development Consultants, Transport Planners, Disaster Risk Management Professionals, Researchers, Students and Professionals working with 3D geospatial data.

Course content

Module 1: Fundamentals of 3D GIS and Urban Modeling Introduction to 3D GIS, 2D versus 3D GIS, principles of 3D urban modelling, 3D geospatial objects, urban spatial databases, 3D geometry and topology, semantic urban data, coordinate reference systems, e
Module 2: 3D Geospatial Data Acquisition and Preparation Sources of 3D urban data, satellite imagery, aerial imagery, LiDAR data, digital elevation models, digital surface models, photogrammetric data, building footprints, cadastral data, survey data, GP
Module 3: Digital Elevation Models and 3D Terrain Modeling Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), Digital Surface Models (DSMs), Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), terrain interpolation, contours, TIN surfaces, raster surfaces, terrain visualisation, elevation ana
Module 4: 3D Building Modeling and Urban Structures Building footprints, building heights, extruded buildings, roof forms, 3D building geometry, building attributes, levels of detail, LoD concepts, textured buildings, procedural building modelling, build
Module 5: 3D City Models and CityGML 3D city model concepts, CityGML fundamentals, CityGML 3.0, urban object semantics, buildings and building parts, roads and transportation objects, vegetation, water bodies, city furniture, terrain, levels of detail, C
Module 6: 3D GIS Visualization and Interactive Urban Scenes 3D scene creation, camera positioning, navigation, 3D symbology, realistic rendering, textures and materials, lighting, terrain visualisation, building visualisation, thematic 3D mapping, intera
Module 7: 3D Spatial Analysis for Urban Planning 3D spatial queries, proximity analysis, buffer analysis, 3D intersection analysis, spatial relationships, building-height analysis, volumetric analysis, urban density analysis, floor-space analysis, terrai
Module 8: Viewshed, Line-of-Sight, Shadow and Solar Analysis Viewshed analysis, line-of-sight analysis, visibility modelling, obstruction analysis, skyline analysis, building shadow analysis, solar exposure, sunlight availability, solar potential, urban
Module 9: 3D Urban Land Use, Density and Development Analysis 3D land-use modelling, urban morphology, building-density analysis, population-density modelling, floor-area analysis, building-height distribution, land-use intensity, urban growth patterns,
Module 10: 3D GIS for Infrastructure, Transport and Utilities 3D road modelling, bridges and tunnels, transportation networks, utility networks, underground infrastructure, railway modelling, pedestrian infrastructure, infrastructure corridors, utility c
Module 11: BIM and GIS Integration for Urban Development BIM and GIS concepts, BIM-GIS integration, Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), integrating building models with geospatial data, cadastral information, site context, building information, infrastruc
Module 12: 3D GIS for Urban Planning and Development Scenarios 3D development proposals, zoning and planning controls, site-plan visualisation, development impact assessment, building-envelope analysis, urban design scenarios, infrastructure impacts, com
Module 13: 3D GIS for Smart Cities and Urban Digital Twins Smart-city geospatial systems, 3D urban databases, urban digital twins, real-time spatial data, IoT and sensor integration, dynamic urban models, infrastructure monitoring, urban simulation, scen
Module 14: 3D Urban Modeling for Environment, Disaster Risk and Resilience 3D flood-risk modelling, terrain-based hazard analysis, building exposure assessment, disaster-impact modelling, evacuation analysis, emergency-access planning, environmental simu
Module 15: Advanced 3D GIS, GeoAI and Urban Digital Transformation 3D geospatial analytics, automated building extraction, point-cloud classification, machine learning for urban mapping, GeoAI for urban analysis, AI-assisted 3D modelling, drone-based 3D

General notes

3D GIS training, 3D urban modeling training, 3D city modeling, GIS urban planning, 3D GIS urban planning, 3D city models, urban digital twin training, CityGML training, 3D geospatial analysis, GIS for smart cities, 3D GIS analysis, BIM GIS integration, urban digital twins, GeoAI urban planning, 3D GIS workshop.

Frequently asked questions

1. Who should attend the 3D Urban Modeling with GIS Training Workshop?

The workshop is suitable for GIS professionals, urban planners, architects, surveyors, engineers, county and municipal planning officers, remote sensing specialists, smart-city professionals, infrastructure planners, environmental professionals, real estate professionals, researchers and development consultants.

2. 2. What will participants learn in this 3D GIS training?

Participants will learn how to create and manage 3D urban models, prepare terrain and elevation data, model buildings and infrastructure, perform 3D spatial analysis, create interactive 3D scenes, conduct viewshed and shadow analysis, and apply 3D GIS to urban planning and smart-city applications.

3. 3. Does the course cover 3D city models and CityGML?

Yes. The training introduces 3D city models, CityGML, CityJSON, levels of detail (LoD), semantic 3D urban objects and 3D geospatial databases, together with practical applications in urban planning and infrastructure management.

4. Does the workshop cover BIM and GIS integration?

Yes. Participants are introduced to BIM-GIS integration, including the relationship between building information, IFC/BIM data and 3D GIS or city models. The course demonstrates how these technologies can support development planning, infrastructure management and urban design.

Schedule & fees

Dates	Location	Duration	Fee (USD)
31/05/2027 - 11/06/2027	Nairobi,kenya or Virtual	10 Days	$3,000
02/08/2027 - 13/08/2027	Naivasha,Kenya	10 Days	$3,000