The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and Special Interest Group (SIG) 3D SIG 3D members defined the first version of CityGML and in 2005 submitted CityGML as a candidate standard into the OGC standards process. CityGML is a comprehensive open data model framework and XML-based encoding standard for the storage and exchange of virtual 3D urban models and is now an OGC standard.

It is an application schema of the OGC Geography Markup Language 3 (GML3) Encoding Standard , an international standard for spatial data exchange and encoding approved by the OGC and ISO. CityGML has been adopted as part of the European Union's common spatial data infrastructure, INSPIRE. "The ability to exchange and use three-dimensional models of cities and regions plays an increasingly important role in applications such as architecture, urban and regional planning, augmented reality, and emergency and disaster response," said Mark Reichardt, President and CEO of the OGC. "Such applications need standards to bridge the interoperability gap between geospatial technologies and design technologies. We appreciate the SIG 3D's leadership in this area and we are fortunate to have their continuing support and participation." Read More