Friday Eye Candy: 195 Gigapixels of Urban Glory

An incredibly detailed bird's eye view of Shanghai.

1 minute read

January 25, 2019, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Shanghai

Mr Thinktank / Flickr

"Faces and licence plates are among the details that can be clearly seen in an ultra-high-resolution bird's-eye photograph of Shanghai, created by Chinese company Bigpixel Technology," according to an article by Rima Sabina Aouf.

"Shot from 230 metres up the city's Oriental Pearl Tower, the BigPixel image offers a 360-degree panorama of Shanghai that users can pan across and zoom into, so that even people and objects at ground level appear identifiable."

"The clarity comes because the image is made up of 195 gigapixels — that is 195 billion pixels, or 195,000 megapixels. As a reference point, the latest iPhone camera takes photos at 12 megapixels."

Click through to the source article to feast your eyes.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019 in Dezeen

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

Large crowd on street in San Francisco, California during Oktoberfest festival.

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns

In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

June 2, 2025 - Robbie Silver

Street scene in Kathmandu, Nepal with yellow minibuses and other traffic.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs

Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.

15 minutes ago - Fast Company

Bike lane in Washington D.C. protected by low concrete barriers.

DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint

Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.

2 hours ago - The Washington Post

Bird's eye view of studio apartment design.

In These Cities, Most New Housing is Under 441 Square Feet

With loosened restrictions on “micro-housing,” tiny units now make up as much as 66% of newly constructed housing.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive