A method for generating map graphics including two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements comprising: Generating, with a processor, a graphical display of a two-dimensional base map on a graphical display device; receiving, with a multi-modal input device, a user selection of a region of interest in the graphical display of the two-dimensional base map, the region of interest corresponding to only a portion of the graphical display of the two-dimensional base map; identifying, with the processor, a first footprint region in the graphical display of the two-dimensional base map, the first footprint region being around and including the region of interest and a first portion of the graphical display of the two-dimensional base map outside of the region of interest; generating, with the processor, a three-dimensional graphical display of at least one first building or first landmark located within the region of interest on the graphical display device; and generating a first two-dimensional graphical display of at least one second building or second landmark located within the first footprint region and outside of the region of interest on the graphical display device, wherein the at least one second building or second landmark is not present in the two-dimensional base map, the first two-dimensional graphical display including a top-down flattened view of the at least one second building or second landmark, wherein the receiving of the user selection of the region of interest with the multi-modal input device is further comprising: receiving an input gesture corresponding to the region of interest on the two-dimensional base map with a touchscreen input device, wherein the touch input is an arbitrary closed curve; wherein three-dimensional images and other contextual information are generated for only the region of interest while the remaining portions of the map display are rendered in a lower-detail two-dimensional mode. Generating, with a processor, a graphical display of a two-dimensional base map on a graphical display device; receiving, with a multi-modal input device, a user selection of a region of interest in the graphical display of the two-dimensional base map, the region of interest corresponding to only a portion of the graphical display of the two-dimensional base map; identifying, with the processor, a first footprint region in the graphical display of the two-dimensional base map, the first footprint region being around and including the region of interest and a first portion of the graphical display of the two-dimensional base map outside of the region of interest; generating, with the processor, a three-dimensional graphical display of at least one first building or first landmark located within the region of interest on the graphical display device; and generating a first two-dimensional graphical display of at least one second building or second landmark located within the first footprint region and outside of the region of interest on the graphical display device, wherein the at least one second building or second landmark is not present in the two-dimensional base map, the first two-dimensional graphical display including a top-down flattened view of the at least one second building or second landmark, wherein the receiving of the user selection of the region of interest with the multi-modal input device is further comprising: receiving an input gesture corresponding to the region of interest on the two-dimensional base map with a touchscreen input device, wherein the touch input is an arbitrary closed curve; wherein three-dimensional images and other contextual information are generated for only the region of interest while the remaining portions of the map display are rendered in a lower-detail two-dimensional mode.