Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Map
Enlarged
photo image
of selected item
Attribute of the selected item
(survey entries)
Thumbnail of
machiya photo
Fig. 9. Sample screenshot of kyo-machiya GIS database using PhotoField: geographic
locations, attributes, and photographs of well-preserved kyo-machiya identified by field survey
in northern central part of downtown area of Kyoto
6 Concluding Remarks
Since the passing of laws regulating the preservation of old Kyoto in 1966, the city
has introduced many development restrictions and ordinances to preserve its historic
character. The largest number of streetscapes and buildings that need to be preserved
as cultural assets in Japan exist in Kyoto. Post-war Japan has seen rapid economic
growth, and Kyoto's streets have already undergone extremely fast changes and
innumerable historical monuments and places have been destroyed by the impact of
development. The remaining heritage sites and landscapes are still endangered by
future developments and disasters.
In this paper, we have described how to apply the digital diorama, Virtual Kyoto, to
share valuable information regarding the historical city, from historical vistas shown
in arts to simulated sceneries with possible future scenarios. In particular, by using the
web-based diorama to distribute 3D panoramic scenes to clients, it will be possible for
many people to use the perspectives to learn from and appreciate the city's historical
environment combined with arts and cultural contents of Kyoto. In the process, the
city's historical memory will become the common domain of many people and a base
for discussing the future of the historical city. Digital humanities [20], a newly
emerging field for studying humanities using digital information, may encourage
debates on city culture between humanity and policy-planning researchers by sharing
digital information in a shared information environment like the digital diorama.
One challenge is to extend the use of the digital diorama, Virtual Kyoto, and enrich
it through possible public input involving a wider range of people for collective
thinking of the past, present, and future of the historical city, Kyoto. Further research
is needed to evaluate how the nature of digital diorama that enables shared realistic
viewing experience of landscapes might change public involvement in of archiving
historical materials and decision making in city planning.
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