City Guide · A platform for cities

A city’s past and present.
In the same frame.

Maps, local stories and interactive photo experiences, adapted to your city.

Fabric Water Tower, Timișoara, on a postcard from around 1914Fabric Water Tower in the present-day photograph published by AndreiThen · c. 1914Now

Fabric Water Tower · Timișoara

Photographs and sources

Archive: postcard, unknown author, c. 1914; public domain according to Wikimedia Commons. Present-day photograph: Andrei, from the public City Guide example. Images use the framing of the published comparison.

Explore how a place has changed: use an archive photograph to frame a new shot, compare the two images and turn them into a vertical clip. City Guide connects these comparisons with maps, local stories and walking routes.

Try the live experience ↗Discuss your city

Timișoara City is an example implementation. The platform and its Then & Now experience can be configured for any city.

Interactive comparison
Then & Now photographs
Create from your photographs
Personalised vertical clips
Example implementation
timisoara-city.eu
For your city
Your identity, archive and content

Then & Now, in practice

Photograph the same place.
See what has changed.

Choose a published comparison or pair an archive image with your own photograph. Compare the two views, then create a clip. The screenshots below show the actual application.

Real product screen: the published Fabric Water Tower comparison.
Real product screen: the published Fabric Water Tower comparison. Open the full-size screen ↗

01 / Compare photographs

Compare the same place across two eras.

Choose an archive image and add a present-day photograph of the same place, ideally taken from a similar angle. The images are overlaid in one frame: move the divider to see what has changed.

  • Use a published comparison or prepare your own version.
  • Upload a present-day photograph or capture one with your phone.
  • You can preview comparisons and create clips without an account. Publishing a contribution to the community is a separate step.
Open the live comparison ↗
Real product screen: vertical preview, text, style, transition and duration controls.
Real product screen: vertical preview, text, style, transition and duration controls. Open the full-size screen ↗

02 / Create and download

Turn the comparison into a personalised clip.

Open the comparison in the video studio. Add a title, choose a visual style and transition, preview the result, then generate and download the clip directly in your browser.

  • Your title, optional subtitle, era labels and text placement.
  • Six visual styles, from Cinema and Paper to Retro.
  • Choose a sliding reveal or a gradual fade between images, with a clip duration of 6, 9 or 12 seconds.
  • Download the clip to your device; it is not published automatically.
Try the studio in the live example ↗
9:16
Vertical format · 720 × 1280
6 / 9 / 12 s
Duration chosen by the user
6 styles
Customisable text and appearance
In the browser
Local preview and generation

Export depends on the browser: MP4 when supported, otherwise WebM. Clips are silent and use the selected photographs, not AI reconstruction. Use images you have permission to reuse and retain the sources and credits.

More than a photo comparison

Explore the places behind the photographs.

Then & Now is part of the City Guide platform. The same places connect to maps, local stories, themed walks and community photographs.

Interactive map of Timișoara with landmarks and themed routes

Maps and walks

Find landmarks on the map and follow themed routes, with a page for each place.

Stories and archives

Historic photographs with sources, local context and places worth discovering.

Community photographs

Contributions connected to places; publishing is separate from private comparison and export.

Personal collections

Visitors collect favourite places and can share a selection through a link.

Search and languages

Places and stories are easy to find. The Timișoara example is in Romanian and English.

Practical information

Transport, parking, local services and other information prepared for the city.

Any city, its own story

The same platform.
A different archive. A different city.

We adapt the platform to your city’s visual identity, domain, places and photo archive. Together, we choose the languages and modules that fit your local content and visitors.

  • Your own identity and domain
  • A local photo archive with checked sources and usage rights
  • Landmarks, stories and walks suited to the area
  • Languages and modules agreed for the project

Bring City Guide to your city

What story could your city tell?

Tell us which places, archives and communities you want to connect. We will define the right configuration together.

Discuss the platform for your city →