Metro Nashville joins Google 3D mapping program

Davidson County Metro Nashville has signed a deal with Google Inc. to map the city's buildings in three dimensions, a deal officials say will help the city analyze and promote growth. The agreement makes Metro part of Google's "Cities in 3D" initiative, an effort to create interactive renderings of many of the world's major cities. The map of Nashville can be used to help businesses find new locations and give planners an idea of how new buildings would look by superimposing them on the skyline, the Metro Planning Department said in a statement. The three-dimensional maps of Nashville can be accessed online using the Google Earth program. — CHAS SISKcsisk@tennessean.com