Regaining a sense of belonging
AR Placemaker
AR Placemaker: Augmented Reality for Community-based Urban Co-Design
AR Placemaker is an innovative mobile application that utilises augmented reality (AR) technology to facilitate inclusive, immersive and collaborative urban design experiences. With just a smartphone, everyone can visualize design ideas in a real surroundings, share feedback, and collaborate directly in creating vibrant, inclusive, and climate-resilient urban environments—this interactive approach encourages collaborative place-making that reflects diverse voices and local identities.
Germany
Local
Aachen
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Prototype level
No
No
As an individual partnership with other persons/organisation(s)
Public participation in urban development remains a challenge, as traditional decision-making processes often fail to engage communities - especially marginalised groups. This disconnect results in poorly designed spaces that do not meet public needs. AR Placemaker is a mobile app addresses these issues by using augmented reality (AR) as a participatory tool for inclusive urban co-creation. By making urban design interactive and visually accessible, AR removes barriers to engagement and enables residents - regardless of expertise - to contribute meaningfully. Through immersive 1:1 scale visualisation, users can experience, evaluate and modify design proposals in real time, suggesting interventions that improve accessibility, inclusivity and climate comfort. During prototyping workshops in Aachen, Germany, participants used AR to visualise the transformation plan of a flood-prone street. It demonstrated the power of AR to significantly increase the level of understanding and engagement of the local community in urban design.
The project prioritises inclusion by fostering a collaborative design process where urban interventions genuinely reflect the voices of their users. By enabling citizens to shape their own spaces, it cultivates a sense of ownership and responsibility, strengthening their connection to the urban environment.This participatory approach ensures designs are not only more inclusive but also better aligned with diverse community needs, particularly those of marginalised groups, and lead to design decisions that balance sustainability with public aesthetics, ensuring resilience and long-term functionality. By redefining urban development as a collaborative, community-rooted process, the project transforms public spaces into inclusive, resilient environments shaped by their users. Collaborating communities in decision-making ensures spaces are valued, sustainable, and maintained long-term, bridging equity gaps in urban governance.
The project prioritises inclusion by fostering a collaborative design process where urban interventions genuinely reflect the voices of their users. By enabling citizens to shape their own spaces, it cultivates a sense of ownership and responsibility, strengthening their connection to the urban environment.This participatory approach ensures designs are not only more inclusive but also better aligned with diverse community needs, particularly those of marginalised groups, and lead to design decisions that balance sustainability with public aesthetics, ensuring resilience and long-term functionality. By redefining urban development as a collaborative, community-rooted process, the project transforms public spaces into inclusive, resilient environments shaped by their users. Collaborating communities in decision-making ensures spaces are valued, sustainable, and maintained long-term, bridging equity gaps in urban governance.
collaborative design
inclusion
placemaking
digital participation
gamification
AR Placemaker aims to address key sustainability challenges in urban public spaces, focusing on climate resilience, accessibility, and social inclusion. By leveraging AR technology, the platform allows users to visualize and interact with sustainable design solutions in real-world contexts, transforming abstract concepts into tangible experiences. In its prototype phase in Aachen, AR Placemaker demonstrated several sustainability-driven interventions for a street at the boundary of RWTH University:
• Climate-resilient urban design: AR features showcased rain gardens, permeable surfaces, and urban greening strategies, illustrating their ecological and functional benefits. For instance, a proposed “climate oasis” used AR to demonstrate how rain gardens manage stormwater, enhance biodiversity with insect-friendly plants, and cool microclimates, making sustainability solutions more accessible and engaging.
• Inclusive public space: The street was reimagined as a vibrant public space, incorporating social programming such as open-air study areas. By overlaying these interventions onto real-world environments, the tool allowed users to experience how such modifications could mitigate flooding, reduce urban heat islands, and foster social interaction.
• Accessible and inclusive infrastructure: The platform featured an elevated crosswalk to improve pedestrian safety, particularly for disabled individuals, promoting barrier-free mobility and accessibility.
The project is evolving into an interactive design platform where users can modify proposals through the AR interface using a library of sustainable elements—the “Placemaker Toolkit”—which includes urban furniture, vegetation, and barrier-free facilities. This enables users to tailor the proposed designs to local needs from their own perspectives. By allowing real-time, interactive adjustments, the tool ensures that designs balance climate resilience, social equity, accessibility while preserving cultural identity.
• Climate-resilient urban design: AR features showcased rain gardens, permeable surfaces, and urban greening strategies, illustrating their ecological and functional benefits. For instance, a proposed “climate oasis” used AR to demonstrate how rain gardens manage stormwater, enhance biodiversity with insect-friendly plants, and cool microclimates, making sustainability solutions more accessible and engaging.
• Inclusive public space: The street was reimagined as a vibrant public space, incorporating social programming such as open-air study areas. By overlaying these interventions onto real-world environments, the tool allowed users to experience how such modifications could mitigate flooding, reduce urban heat islands, and foster social interaction.
• Accessible and inclusive infrastructure: The platform featured an elevated crosswalk to improve pedestrian safety, particularly for disabled individuals, promoting barrier-free mobility and accessibility.
The project is evolving into an interactive design platform where users can modify proposals through the AR interface using a library of sustainable elements—the “Placemaker Toolkit”—which includes urban furniture, vegetation, and barrier-free facilities. This enables users to tailor the proposed designs to local needs from their own perspectives. By allowing real-time, interactive adjustments, the tool ensures that designs balance climate resilience, social equity, accessibility while preserving cultural identity.
AR Placemaker's mission is to enhance the aesthetic and experiential quality of urban spaces by fostering cultural awareness, inclusivity, and emotional connection through AR-driven participatory design processes. The platform empowers communities to shape their environment by overlaying visually engaging, context-sensitive proposals—such as green walls, community gathering spaces, and climate-responsive infrastructure—onto real-world settings. This interactive process ensures that urban transformations are not only functional but also socially meaningful and aesthetically resonant for the public.
The prototype tested at RWTH University demonstrated how the AR Placemaker can revitalize cultural heritage and reinforce local identity. For example, interactive AR features allowed participants to visualize the the transformation of an underused bordering street with a historical waterway into a vibrant, comfortable public space. Participants reported that the AR Placemaker provided a realistic sense of the upgraded space, showing not only how it would look but also how it would feel. This goes beyond traditional consultation methods, preventing tokenistic public engagement by allowing public to truly understand and adjust the 3D spatial design through real-time immersion, interaction of AR. As a result, urban interventions reflect local narratives, traditions, and community-driven aesthetic preferences.
AR Placemaker strengthen emotional ties between people and their urban environment by bridges design and lived experience. By actively involving citizens in shaping their surroundings, the platform fosters a sense of authorship and belonging, making public spaces more culturally relevant, inclusive, and cherished. Additionally, the AR experience serves as an educational tool, making complex spatial concepts accessible and empowering diverse audiences—regardless of design expertise—to reimagine vibrant, sustainable, and community-driven urban spaces.
The prototype tested at RWTH University demonstrated how the AR Placemaker can revitalize cultural heritage and reinforce local identity. For example, interactive AR features allowed participants to visualize the the transformation of an underused bordering street with a historical waterway into a vibrant, comfortable public space. Participants reported that the AR Placemaker provided a realistic sense of the upgraded space, showing not only how it would look but also how it would feel. This goes beyond traditional consultation methods, preventing tokenistic public engagement by allowing public to truly understand and adjust the 3D spatial design through real-time immersion, interaction of AR. As a result, urban interventions reflect local narratives, traditions, and community-driven aesthetic preferences.
AR Placemaker strengthen emotional ties between people and their urban environment by bridges design and lived experience. By actively involving citizens in shaping their surroundings, the platform fosters a sense of authorship and belonging, making public spaces more culturally relevant, inclusive, and cherished. Additionally, the AR experience serves as an educational tool, making complex spatial concepts accessible and empowering diverse audiences—regardless of design expertise—to reimagine vibrant, sustainable, and community-driven urban spaces.
AR Placemaker’s key objectives centre on fostering an inclusive and collaborative platform for urban development by eliminating participation barriers and empowering communities to co-create public spaces that reflect their needs and identities. The platform is designed for accessibility, functioning seamlessly on everyday smartphones without requiring specialized equipment, thereby lowering the technological and financial barriers to engagement. The intuitive, icon-based user interface minimizes linguistic obstacles, ensuring ease of use for diverse demographics. Most importantly, the platform features robust AR visualization which overlays digital designs onto real-world environments, enabling real-time, 360-degree exploration of proposed urban modifications. This significantly reduces the cognitive barrier associated with abstract spatial concepts, making urban planning more tangible and comprehensible for laypersons. By addressing challenges related to technology, equipment access, language, and spatial literacy, AR Placemaker ensures broader participation from various user groups, including older adults, children, and marginalized communities. Prototype workshops conducted with students demonstrated the platform’s effectiveness in lowering the knowledge threshold required for spatial design, making urban planning more engaging, interactive, and understandable for non-experts.
AR Placemaker advances systemic inclusion through its integration into institutional frameworks. Through collaboration with local authorities, the platform ensures that community-generated proposals directly influence decision-making, fostering a transparent and participatory governance model.This approach not only democratises urban design but also establishes a precedent for citizen-driven placemaking, balancing participatory engagement with institutional impact. AR Placemaker serves as a model for equitable, accessible, and community-centred urban development.
AR Placemaker advances systemic inclusion through its integration into institutional frameworks. Through collaboration with local authorities, the platform ensures that community-generated proposals directly influence decision-making, fostering a transparent and participatory governance model.This approach not only democratises urban design but also establishes a precedent for citizen-driven placemaking, balancing participatory engagement with institutional impact. AR Placemaker serves as a model for equitable, accessible, and community-centred urban development.
AR Placemaker is built on a foundation of public participation, ensuring that citizens and civil society actively contribute to shaping urban spaces through AR-assisted co-design. During the prototype phase, the platform was tested with students from RWTH Aachen University, who explored its potential in a real-world urban context. Participants reimagined a key street between the city and campus, envisioning a greener, more accessible, and socially inclusive public space. By directly interacting with the AR interface, they provided valuable feedback on design elements such as street greenery, rainwater harvesting systems, social programming zones, and outdoor study areas. Their input refined the practicality and relevance of the proposed interventions, demonstrating how the tool can effectively translate community ideas into actionable urban designs.
Building on this prototype, the project aims to expand participation in the urban context and engaging a broader urban community. This includes collaborating with local citizens, particularly including marginalized groups, through co-design workshops where they can review, critique, and modify proposals using the AR interface. Simultaneously, governments and urban planners will leverage these public insights to align designs with diverse needs, ensuring long-term community value and equitable development decisions. By enabling real-time design modifications, AR Placemakre aims to fosters direct, two-way dialogue between residents and decision-makers. This dynamic interaction empowers communities to actively shape their daily environments while equipping authorities with data-driven, community-based solutions. The result is a collaborative framework that bridges grassroots creativity with institutional expertise, ensuring that public spaces are both functional and deeply rooted in the needs of those who use them.
Building on this prototype, the project aims to expand participation in the urban context and engaging a broader urban community. This includes collaborating with local citizens, particularly including marginalized groups, through co-design workshops where they can review, critique, and modify proposals using the AR interface. Simultaneously, governments and urban planners will leverage these public insights to align designs with diverse needs, ensuring long-term community value and equitable development decisions. By enabling real-time design modifications, AR Placemakre aims to fosters direct, two-way dialogue between residents and decision-makers. This dynamic interaction empowers communities to actively shape their daily environments while equipping authorities with data-driven, community-based solutions. The result is a collaborative framework that bridges grassroots creativity with institutional expertise, ensuring that public spaces are both functional and deeply rooted in the needs of those who use them.
AR Placemaker engages stakeholders at community, city, and regional inter-city levels, fostering a collaborative and scalable approach to participatory urban planning approach. Each level plays a distinct interconnected role, contributing to democratic urban development and ensuring long-term impact.
Stakeholders in local level involve communities, municipalities, and urban designers:
• Municipalities serve as key implementers, using the platform as a tool for inclusive decision-making, integrating citizen-generated proposals into planning processes.
• Citizens from local community actively participate in urban design, using AR platform to visualize and communicate their needs, overcoming traditional barriers to engagement.
• Urban designers, architects, and experts provide technical expertise, ensuring feasibility, sustainability, and alignment between citizen input and urban development goals.
These initiatives generate added value by empowering citizens to influence the development of their communities, fostering a sense of responsibility for urban development and engagement. They enhance transparency and democratic decision-making processes, ensuring municipal planning is responsive to community needs.
Stakeholders in the regional level involves regional planning authorities, collaborating European cities and pilot projects:
• The platform integrates with other digital tools, including social media and online forum, to facilitate best practices and pilot projects sharing between cities, allowing successful participatory models to be replicated and refined across diverse urban contexts.
• It supports scalability, enabling municipalities across the region to adapt and implement the AR platform within their unique urban frameworks.
These involvements create added value by strengthens knowledge sharing network of innovation-driven city interventions that leverage AR for inclusive urban design. Enhances the replicable model of participation.
Stakeholders in local level involve communities, municipalities, and urban designers:
• Municipalities serve as key implementers, using the platform as a tool for inclusive decision-making, integrating citizen-generated proposals into planning processes.
• Citizens from local community actively participate in urban design, using AR platform to visualize and communicate their needs, overcoming traditional barriers to engagement.
• Urban designers, architects, and experts provide technical expertise, ensuring feasibility, sustainability, and alignment between citizen input and urban development goals.
These initiatives generate added value by empowering citizens to influence the development of their communities, fostering a sense of responsibility for urban development and engagement. They enhance transparency and democratic decision-making processes, ensuring municipal planning is responsive to community needs.
Stakeholders in the regional level involves regional planning authorities, collaborating European cities and pilot projects:
• The platform integrates with other digital tools, including social media and online forum, to facilitate best practices and pilot projects sharing between cities, allowing successful participatory models to be replicated and refined across diverse urban contexts.
• It supports scalability, enabling municipalities across the region to adapt and implement the AR platform within their unique urban frameworks.
These involvements create added value by strengthens knowledge sharing network of innovation-driven city interventions that leverage AR for inclusive urban design. Enhances the replicable model of participation.
The project is fundamentally transdisciplinary, integrating expertise from spatial design, AR technology, and social sciences to create an inclusive and participatory approach to urban planning.
1. From a spatial design and urban planning perspective, the project aims to enhance public open spaces by prioritizing accessibility, climate comfort, and inclusivity. Through a collaborative process between designers and the public, design strategies are developed to address diverse user needs. The AR platform serves as an interactive public tool, allowing stakeholders to review, modify, and contribute design ideas in real time.
2. The technological aspect of the project explores the implementation of augmented reality in spatial design. This involves developing a mobile AR interface that facilitates the easy modification of 3D elements, allowing citizens to interact with and refine urban design proposals intuitively. The integration of digital tools enhances the accessibility of urban planning processes, making participatory design more engaging and interactive for non-expert users.
3. Incorporating social sciences, the project examines the digital influence on public participation and the relationship between authorities and citizens. By providing an interactive AR platform, the project empowers citizens to take an active role in urban development.
By merging these disciplines, the project ensures that technological advancements align with urban design principles while fostering meaningful civic engagement.Urban designers define spatial needs, which AR developers translate into interactive digital experiences, while social scientists assess the impact on civic participation. This exchange ensures that AR tools are not only technologically innovative but also socially relevant and practically applicable. The added value of this transdisciplinary approach lies in bridging the gap between the rapid technological advancement and people's standard of living.
1. From a spatial design and urban planning perspective, the project aims to enhance public open spaces by prioritizing accessibility, climate comfort, and inclusivity. Through a collaborative process between designers and the public, design strategies are developed to address diverse user needs. The AR platform serves as an interactive public tool, allowing stakeholders to review, modify, and contribute design ideas in real time.
2. The technological aspect of the project explores the implementation of augmented reality in spatial design. This involves developing a mobile AR interface that facilitates the easy modification of 3D elements, allowing citizens to interact with and refine urban design proposals intuitively. The integration of digital tools enhances the accessibility of urban planning processes, making participatory design more engaging and interactive for non-expert users.
3. Incorporating social sciences, the project examines the digital influence on public participation and the relationship between authorities and citizens. By providing an interactive AR platform, the project empowers citizens to take an active role in urban development.
By merging these disciplines, the project ensures that technological advancements align with urban design principles while fostering meaningful civic engagement.Urban designers define spatial needs, which AR developers translate into interactive digital experiences, while social scientists assess the impact on civic participation. This exchange ensures that AR tools are not only technologically innovative but also socially relevant and practically applicable. The added value of this transdisciplinary approach lies in bridging the gap between the rapid technological advancement and people's standard of living.
The AR Placemaker project challenges mainstream urban design practices by reimagining community engagement through dynamic, immersive collaboration.Conventional tools – technical drawings or static renderings – alienate non-experts and stifle creativity. This project pioneers a gamified, real-time approach to co-design, with following innovative characters:
1. Lowering Expertise Barriers: Conventional tools rely on static, 2D representations that require design knowledge to interpret, excluding marginalised groups and perpetuating less efficient communication. AR Placemake disrupts this norm by enabling 1:1 scale, real-time spatial visualisation directly in the user's environment. Citizens can "walk through" proposals, interact with 3D models, and modify designs intuitively, eliminating the need for specialised knowledge. Unlike costly technologies, AR Placemake operates on everyday smartphones, ensuring affordability and scalability.
2. Enhancing Engagement & Understanding: The project leverages AR's gamified nature, making urban design an interesting and enjoyable experience. By gamifying features—e.g., allowing users to walk around and "unlock" interactive elements in the virtual environment—the platform makes civic engagement fun and aspirational. In prototype testing, AR Placemake outperformed rendering images by doubling interaction times and significantly increasing spatial comprehension.Users reported feeling more connected to proposals, as AR's immersive quality made spatial designs tangible and relatable.
3. Fostering Ownership & Self-Expression: While traditional methods limit feedback to surveys, AR Placemake lets users co-create solutions in real time. Through an intuitive interface and design library, residents can adjust layouts, propose amenities and change design elements, transforming from passive consultants to active collaborators.This active interaction transforms the public from observers or consultants into design collaborators.
1. Lowering Expertise Barriers: Conventional tools rely on static, 2D representations that require design knowledge to interpret, excluding marginalised groups and perpetuating less efficient communication. AR Placemake disrupts this norm by enabling 1:1 scale, real-time spatial visualisation directly in the user's environment. Citizens can "walk through" proposals, interact with 3D models, and modify designs intuitively, eliminating the need for specialised knowledge. Unlike costly technologies, AR Placemake operates on everyday smartphones, ensuring affordability and scalability.
2. Enhancing Engagement & Understanding: The project leverages AR's gamified nature, making urban design an interesting and enjoyable experience. By gamifying features—e.g., allowing users to walk around and "unlock" interactive elements in the virtual environment—the platform makes civic engagement fun and aspirational. In prototype testing, AR Placemake outperformed rendering images by doubling interaction times and significantly increasing spatial comprehension.Users reported feeling more connected to proposals, as AR's immersive quality made spatial designs tangible and relatable.
3. Fostering Ownership & Self-Expression: While traditional methods limit feedback to surveys, AR Placemake lets users co-create solutions in real time. Through an intuitive interface and design library, residents can adjust layouts, propose amenities and change design elements, transforming from passive consultants to active collaborators.This active interaction transforms the public from observers or consultants into design collaborators.
An AR Placemaker project is developed for implementation and can be replicated in the following ways:
1. Identifying the focus area and key stakeholders: The project team collaborates with local authorities, community associations, and urban planners to define a focus area based on community needs and urban challenges.
2. Co-analysis and initial design proposals: Through stakeholder engagement, challenges and opportunities of the area are identified. Architects and planners then develop initial design proposals and the customized design toolkit, aligning the inputs gathered from the public.
3. Integrating AR technology into the design process: The design proposals and interactive features are then programmed into the AR Placemake app, featuring 3D AR visualization of the design(s) and interactive features of self-modification.
4. Community workshop and AR-based co-creation: Workshops are organised in collaboration with local authorities and community groups. Participants explore, review, and modify expert-generated designs using the AR Placemake app and the design toolkit.
5. Feedback and design ideas collection: the app integrates feedback functions to collect workshop-generated proposals, preferences and comments. Feedbacks gathering extends beyond workshops through social media and municipal websites, allowing the public to comment and review others' comments. Broader audiences are invited to download the AR Placemake app on their own devices and engage onsite themselves or in future workshops.
6. Data analysis and refinement of design proposals: Experts and the public collaboratively analyse feedback and AR-generated proposals to refine the initial design, ensuring the refined design better aligns with community needs and sustainability goals.
7. Followed-up workshops and continuous feedback loop: further AR Placemake workshops are organised to review the upgraded design, fostering an ongoing feedback loop between experts and the public.
1. Identifying the focus area and key stakeholders: The project team collaborates with local authorities, community associations, and urban planners to define a focus area based on community needs and urban challenges.
2. Co-analysis and initial design proposals: Through stakeholder engagement, challenges and opportunities of the area are identified. Architects and planners then develop initial design proposals and the customized design toolkit, aligning the inputs gathered from the public.
3. Integrating AR technology into the design process: The design proposals and interactive features are then programmed into the AR Placemake app, featuring 3D AR visualization of the design(s) and interactive features of self-modification.
4. Community workshop and AR-based co-creation: Workshops are organised in collaboration with local authorities and community groups. Participants explore, review, and modify expert-generated designs using the AR Placemake app and the design toolkit.
5. Feedback and design ideas collection: the app integrates feedback functions to collect workshop-generated proposals, preferences and comments. Feedbacks gathering extends beyond workshops through social media and municipal websites, allowing the public to comment and review others' comments. Broader audiences are invited to download the AR Placemake app on their own devices and engage onsite themselves or in future workshops.
6. Data analysis and refinement of design proposals: Experts and the public collaboratively analyse feedback and AR-generated proposals to refine the initial design, ensuring the refined design better aligns with community needs and sustainability goals.
7. Followed-up workshops and continuous feedback loop: further AR Placemake workshops are organised to review the upgraded design, fostering an ongoing feedback loop between experts and the public.
The AR-based participatory design platform is highly transferable and can be adapted to various cities, communities, and urban challenges across Europe and beyond. Its approach and technology can be applied at different participation stages and urban contexts, benefiting diverse stakeholders.
The AR Placemake app, installable on smartphones and tablets, supports various participation formats and engagement levels. During the prototype phase, it was tested for visualizing and discussing design ideas in group workshops. It can also be used individually without expert supervision, allowing users to explore self-design features and leverage an integrated sustainable design library to propose and refine ideas independently.
The AR-driven participatory approach is flexible and can engage diverse target communities based on their specific needs. The prototype was tested in an educational setting, involving students and local residents in designing socially inclusive spaces that encourage learning and community exchange. The platform can also be adapted for other communities, for example nursing homes, helping design age-friendly environments that support social interaction and well-being for seniors and healthcare workers.
Through AR Placemake’s collaborative feedback loop, users can share proposals with experts and communities, facilitating two-way communication between professionals and the public.
The project can address varied urban challenges by adapting its design strategies to local conditions. For instance in flood-prone regions , it can helping communities co-design flood-resilient solutions, such as rain gardens and permeable pavements. In tropical cities it can supporting the development of green cooling strategies and water-sensitive urban designs. Or in historic districts, it can help public and experts to balancing heritage preservation with sustainable urban interventions.
The AR Placemake app, installable on smartphones and tablets, supports various participation formats and engagement levels. During the prototype phase, it was tested for visualizing and discussing design ideas in group workshops. It can also be used individually without expert supervision, allowing users to explore self-design features and leverage an integrated sustainable design library to propose and refine ideas independently.
The AR-driven participatory approach is flexible and can engage diverse target communities based on their specific needs. The prototype was tested in an educational setting, involving students and local residents in designing socially inclusive spaces that encourage learning and community exchange. The platform can also be adapted for other communities, for example nursing homes, helping design age-friendly environments that support social interaction and well-being for seniors and healthcare workers.
Through AR Placemake’s collaborative feedback loop, users can share proposals with experts and communities, facilitating two-way communication between professionals and the public.
The project can address varied urban challenges by adapting its design strategies to local conditions. For instance in flood-prone regions , it can helping communities co-design flood-resilient solutions, such as rain gardens and permeable pavements. In tropical cities it can supporting the development of green cooling strategies and water-sensitive urban designs. Or in historic districts, it can help public and experts to balancing heritage preservation with sustainable urban interventions.
AR Placemaker is a project that tackles global urban challenges related to public engagement, urban development challenges and technology barriers. A key issue that the project prioritises is low citizen engagement in urban planning, especially among marginalised groups such as migrants, seniors, and people with disabilities.Traditional consultations often create knowledge barriers, limiting participation.AR Placemake shifts engagement from passive to active, allowing citizens to visualise, modify, and contribute to urban design in real-time. This enhances inclusivity, transparency, and democratic decision-making, while also helping local governments communicate ideas more effectively, building trust and accountability.
The project also addresses key urban challenges impacting well-being, including climate resilience, accessibility, and social inclusion. Cities increasingly face heatwaves, floods, and biodiversity loss but often underutilise nature-based solutions. Additionally, car-oriented development and a lack of walkable, barrier-free spaces hinder mobility, while social inclusion depends on mixed-use developments, diverse public functions, and well-designed urban furniture. The AR Placemake platform provides a comprehensive sustainable design toolkit within an AR app, empowering citizens to explore and propose sustainable features such as rain gardens, water elements, and street furniture. This integrated approach raises public awareness and promotes the wider adoption of resilient and inclusive urban design.
Digital technologies are advancing rapidly, but often remain disconnected from everyday people's life. AR Placemake bridges this gap by implementing cutting-edge AR technology to create mobile-friendly tool that makes participatory urban planning accessible.By streamlining engagement in urban design, the project lowers technical barriers, ensuring digital innovation enhances urban living and contributes to people's well-being.
The project also addresses key urban challenges impacting well-being, including climate resilience, accessibility, and social inclusion. Cities increasingly face heatwaves, floods, and biodiversity loss but often underutilise nature-based solutions. Additionally, car-oriented development and a lack of walkable, barrier-free spaces hinder mobility, while social inclusion depends on mixed-use developments, diverse public functions, and well-designed urban furniture. The AR Placemake platform provides a comprehensive sustainable design toolkit within an AR app, empowering citizens to explore and propose sustainable features such as rain gardens, water elements, and street furniture. This integrated approach raises public awareness and promotes the wider adoption of resilient and inclusive urban design.
Digital technologies are advancing rapidly, but often remain disconnected from everyday people's life. AR Placemake bridges this gap by implementing cutting-edge AR technology to create mobile-friendly tool that makes participatory urban planning accessible.By streamlining engagement in urban design, the project lowers technical barriers, ensuring digital innovation enhances urban living and contributes to people's well-being.
In the year following the application, the project will focus on scaling its impact, refining its technology, and expanding its reach to a wider audience. Key steps include:
1. Further development and technical enhancement: The AR Placemake app will undergo technical improvements based on feedback from prototype testing. Enhancements will focus on improving AR visualization accuracy, refining design modification functions, expanding the sustainable design toolkit, optimizing the user interface for accessibility, and integrating in-app feedback functions.
2. Local pilot projects and real case testing: The concept will seek pilot locations in collaboration with municipalities, universities, and community organizations. These projects will test the AR platform in real urban environments, ensuring its adaptability to different spatial, cultural, and regulatory contexts.
3. Authorities engagement and capacity building: project development and pilot workshops will seek to establish partners from local authorities, universities, urban planners and community leaders in integrating AR Placemaker into participatory planning processes. This will ensure that the tool is not only implemented, but actively used by decision-makers and citizens.
4. Public outreach and community involvement: The project will leverage social media, municipal platforms, and public events to engage a broader audience. Promotion among public will encourage communities to use the app as a self-expression tool, provide feedback, and participate in co-design activities, fostering long-term engagement.
5. Evaluation, iteration, and scalability: Data from pilot projects will be analyzed to assess effectiveness, usability, and impact on decision-making. Findings will inform iterative improvements, ensuring the concept remains adaptable and scalable for future urban contexts across different cities and communities.
1. Further development and technical enhancement: The AR Placemake app will undergo technical improvements based on feedback from prototype testing. Enhancements will focus on improving AR visualization accuracy, refining design modification functions, expanding the sustainable design toolkit, optimizing the user interface for accessibility, and integrating in-app feedback functions.
2. Local pilot projects and real case testing: The concept will seek pilot locations in collaboration with municipalities, universities, and community organizations. These projects will test the AR platform in real urban environments, ensuring its adaptability to different spatial, cultural, and regulatory contexts.
3. Authorities engagement and capacity building: project development and pilot workshops will seek to establish partners from local authorities, universities, urban planners and community leaders in integrating AR Placemaker into participatory planning processes. This will ensure that the tool is not only implemented, but actively used by decision-makers and citizens.
4. Public outreach and community involvement: The project will leverage social media, municipal platforms, and public events to engage a broader audience. Promotion among public will encourage communities to use the app as a self-expression tool, provide feedback, and participate in co-design activities, fostering long-term engagement.
5. Evaluation, iteration, and scalability: Data from pilot projects will be analyzed to assess effectiveness, usability, and impact on decision-making. Findings will inform iterative improvements, ensuring the concept remains adaptable and scalable for future urban contexts across different cities and communities.
