Dr. Jose Gamez, and Michael Ward, a graduate student in the College of Architecture, are collaborating with Dr. Zack Wartel, Justin Babbs, and  Dr. William Ribarsky of the Charlotte Visualization Center at the College of Information Technology, on a pilot planning study for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission.  The study will focus on the South End area of Charlotte, which is an area that is currently undergoing a significant amount of development activity.  The pilot project aims to develop an interactive 3-dimensional planning tool that will enable city planners to test proposed zoning and code regulations in a virtual urban environment.