Let’s Build the Urban Future Together: An Approach Towards User-Centred Digital Support Methods for Urban Planning

Urban planning, a multidimensional process shaping the spatial development of urban and rural areas, confronts challenges in citizen participation. Current planning processes lack a user-centric approach, relying on abstract maps and complex communication, impeding citizen understanding and interest. This deficiency results from unstructured processes, inadequate resources, and a dearth of user-friendly tools. To address this, XR technologies, especially VR and MR, present a promising avenue. This study proposes a digital support tool for urban planners, integrating XR to enhance citizen participation. Astakeholder analysis and requirements for the VR tool are outlined, emphasizing usability, inclusivity, and adaptability. Three small studies are presented that show how the integration of the tool in information, participation and evaluation phases is received by citizens. The tool, which can be integrated into planning processes, harbors great potential by promoting citizen engagement and shaping asustainable, democratically controlled future, for urban planning and beyond.