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Use Case

Improved Citizen Engagement in Urban Redevelopment Enabled by 3D & AR Experiences

Essen, Germany (2023)
Scale: City Level
Creating an engaging urban design process using interactive 3D & AR visuals

Industry, Innovation And Infrastructure

Sustainable Cities And Communities

Partnerships For The Goals

Challenge / Goal

How do we design sustainable urban places aligning with diverse stakeholder needs?

The redevelopment of the “Weberplatz” in Essen tries to find an answer to that question.
While being an important pathway for many commuters, the central place currently shows low levels of vegetation and lacks areas that spur social interaction.
You can find extensive details about the ongoing project by following this link. 
 
In order to find the best possible consensus among the diverse stakeholder interests, the city adopted a 3D-Online and Augmented Reality (AR) supported communication strategy during the participation process that addressed the following challenges:

  1. Engaging local experts to actively communicate their needs and desires before the planning process starts.
  2. Improving the understanding of the architectural designs' impact on temperature and wind development to reason decisions.
  3. Communicating the final architectural design in an understandable and convincing way towards citizens and politicians.

Solution

Leveraging 3D Online and AR to enhance citizen communication in urban planning processes

Starting in March 2023, Essen's city administration undertook three steps to improve overall communication as well as engagement:

  1. During the first participation event on site, citizens were asked to communicate their needs as comments in 3D, using the AR app of cityscaper.
    • As a building right next to the place is under redevelopment, citizens were able to experience the place with the future building to improve the overall understanding of the complex situation.
    • The collected comments were easily accessible online and set the baseline for the demands of the architectural design challenge. 
       
  2. An analysis of the designs impact on sensed temperature levels and air circulation was conducted and is communicated via an interactive WebAR model.
    • The model was presented at a second information event on site to further explain the decision making process of the jury and show the cooling effects of greener areas.
    • You can access the interactive model following this link. The city will also integrate the model in its above mentioned website to improve its communication on all available channels.
       
  3. The winning architecture design as well as the analysis are experienceable life on site in a 1:1 dimension using the AR app of cityscaper.
    • Until the project is finally built, citizen can use their own smartphone to walk through and understand the 3D plan.

Citizen participation

By using AR and 3D online experiences throughout the project stages, complexity is reduced so that citizens can understand the transformation easier. (Dis-) Advantages can be explained in an interactive manner, thereby reducing information asymmetries between different stakeholders and improving overall decision making. 
In order to reach as many citizen possible, flyers were sent out informing about the on site events. During the participation events, the online tools were primarily used to offer additional ways (to sticky notes on 2D plans) to gather input of local experts as well as addressing younger generations.

Images


Video

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Time period

Planning time: Less than 6 months

Implementation time: Less than 6 months

Implementers

cityscaper GmbH, rheologic GmbH, Greenbox Landschaftsarchitektur, E.ON Stiftung, city of Essen

Service providers

cityscaper GmbH

End users

citizens, urban planners, architects, project developers, city administration

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