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. <EOS>