Yesterday, the BBC in article entitled, Test driving a cityscape, summarized efforts to improve urban planning through 3D modelling. France’s Center for Building Technology (CSTB) has used 3D models to better understand lighting and noise pollution within a city. The models are used to evaluate the impact of new development on a community. More than half of us on the planet now live in urban environments. Educated planning decisions will impact the quality of life within these communities. I’d like to see more integration of 3D models and   contaminant fate models within the urban environment.