In this paper we present an update on the geometric modeling of urban scenes from physical measurements. This field of research has been studied for more than thirty years, but remains an important challenge in many scientific communi-ties as photogrammetry, computer vision, robotics or computer graphics. After introducing the objectives and difficulties of urban reconstruction, we present an non-exhaustive overview of the approaches and trends that have inspired the research communities so far. We also propose some new research directions that might be worth investigating in the coming years.