An Application to Compare the Past and Present of Townscapes

Abstract

Townscapes change from one instance to another, and the data of change, like photos and maps, is kept and archived in museums and libraries. In this research, we focus on archived photo data and, by developing a smartphone application, provide an environment to allow people to experience the change of townscapes in real towns. This smartphone application gives people the opportunity to learn about the history of cities and to consider the townscapes. After showing the results of the project at Matsushige Rock Gate,which is a cultural heritage site in Nagoya, Japan, we propose to apply it also to the city of Graz.