AR and VR in urban planning

This master’s thesis explores opportunities of augmented reality and virtual reality (AR and
VR) as visualisation tools in the context of urban planning.

From both a theoretical and practical standpoint, an overview of the possibilities, opportunities and risks was elaborated, substantiated with examples from practice and literature, and additionally supplemented with suggestions and ideas generated through experiments with AR and VR tools.

Numerous applications emerged within the scope of planning and its related domains, offering distinct advantages and potential user groups. These applications ranged from methods aimed at enhancing transparency and promoting participation to use cases capable of generating direct economic benefits.

The primary focus of this work revolved around use cases at various levels and spheres of planning and participation, encompassing both virtual and real urban spaces. Furthermore, the integration of this technology into the planning strategy of the City of Vienna was examined, along with potential future developments.

Following the results of the theoretical section, two selected smartphone-AR-visualisations were prototypically designed, developed, tested and possible further development steps for both apps were outlined.

FLWP-AR: a visualisation of a zoning and development plan for handheld devices
By projecting a 3D model onto the plan document in real time, users are able to interact with and inspect the projected model, which represents the potential spatial expression of the project after its construction (depicted as the maximum cubature). This approach helps to reduce content abstraction and enhances understanding, thereby contributing to inclusivity in planning processes.

AR-Trees: virtual urban plants for handheld devices
Through this application users can visually showcase opportunities for urban greening within urban spaces. Place the marker on an empty parking space and watch the city become greener, even if only virtually.