by Martin Guler, Valmir Bekiri, Matthias Baldauf, Hans-Dieter Zimmermann
Abstract:
Participatory urban planning fosters collaboration among residents, stakeholders, and decision-makers, enhancing urban development’s inclusivity and residents’ quality of life. Virtual Reality (VR) integration offers transformative potential, surpassing traditional engagement methods by immersing individuals in immersive virtual environments. This paper investigates VR’s role in participatory urban planning, focusing on its increasingly accessible applications at home. We conducted an exploratory user study using an immersive VR protoype visualizing a real urban development project in Switzerland. 14 participants engaged with the prototype from home. Findings indicate a great potential of home-based VR in enhancing citizen engagement in urban planning. The study contributes insights into VR’s efficacy for home-based participatory planning, derives practical recommendations, and outlines promising avenues for future research.
Reference:
M. Guler, V. Bekiri, M. Baldauf and H. Zimmermann, "Virtual Reality for Home-Based Citizen Participation in Urban Planning – An Exploratory User Study", in HCI in Business, Government and Organizations: 11th International Conference, HCIBGO 2024, Held as Part of the 26th HCI International Conference, HCII 2024, Washington, DC, USA, June 29 – July 4, 2024, Proceedings, Part II, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, pp. 38–49.
Bibtex Entry:
@inproceedings{Guler24,
author = {Guler, Martin and Bekiri, Valmir and Baldauf, Matthias and Zimmermann, Hans-Dieter},
title = {Virtual Reality for Home-Based Citizen Participation in Urban Planning – An Exploratory User Study},
year = {2024},
isbn = {978-3-031-61317-3},
publisher = {Springer-Verlag},
address = {Berlin, Heidelberg},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61318-0_4},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-61318-0_4},
abstract = {Participatory urban planning fosters collaboration among residents, stakeholders, and decision-makers, enhancing urban development’s inclusivity and residents’ quality of life. Virtual Reality (VR) integration offers transformative potential, surpassing traditional engagement methods by immersing individuals in immersive virtual environments. This paper investigates VR’s role in participatory urban planning, focusing on its increasingly accessible applications at home. We conducted an exploratory user study using an immersive VR protoype visualizing a real urban development project in Switzerland. 14 participants engaged with the prototype from home. Findings indicate a great potential of home-based VR in enhancing citizen engagement in urban planning. The study contributes insights into VR’s efficacy for home-based participatory planning, derives practical recommendations, and outlines promising avenues for future research.},
booktitle = {HCI in Business, Government and Organizations: 11th International Conference, HCIBGO 2024, Held as Part of the 26th HCI International Conference, HCII 2024, Washington, DC, USA, June 29 – July 4, 2024, Proceedings, Part II},
pages = {38–49},
numpages = {12},
keywords = {Virtual Reality, Urban planning, Participatory planning, Smart government},
location = {Washington DC, USA}
}