Global Building Atlas: Explore Every Structure on Earth with Ease
From the towering skyscrapers of Shanghai to the historic homes of Edinburgh, users can now explore any building around the globe with a single click, thanks to the new Global Building Atlas.
This extensive project, developed by researchers at the Technical University of Munich TUM in Germany, features over 2.75 billion buildings, significantly surpassing previous databases. It offers a highly detailed three-dimensional visualization of buildings, achieving precision up to thirty times greater than similar resources.
* How Was It Created?
The team utilized approximately 800,000 satellite images from 2019 onwards, combined with artificial intelligence algorithms, to predict the presence of unrecorded buildings based on the heights of neighboring structures.
This integration of laser data, spatial mapping, and AI technology enabled the creation of a comprehensive three-dimensional map of the entire planet.
* Why Is It Significant?
_ This atlas provides insights into urban expansion, living conditions, and poverty levels.
_ It allows users to easily locate their homes or explore any location worldwide by entering an address in the search bar.
_ It supports social and economic research by measuring building sizes per capita, serving as an indicator of living standards.
* Notable Statistics
• The atlas contains 2.75 billion buildings worldwide.
• Asia leads with 1.22 billion buildings, followed by Africa with 540 million, and Europe with 403 million.
• North and South America account for 295 million and 264 million buildings respectively, while Oceania has fewer than 14 million structures.
• Finland ranks highest in Europe for construction volume per person, exceeding 3,900 cubic meters, while Greece has the lowest due to economic challenges.
* Scientific and Practical Applications:
• Urban development studies and city planning.
• Identifying disaster-prone areas to enhance relief efforts.
• Assisting governments in planning housing and public services in high-need areas.
Since its launch, the site has attracted over 280 thousand visitors, indicating a growing global interest, although users may experience slower loading times due to high traffic.
With the Global Building Atlas, exploring the world transforms from a simple map into a realistic three-dimensional experience of every building on Earth.
