Keywords: Co-design, Immersive Virtual Environment, Participation, Urban Design Process, Virtual Reality
The Netherlands is grappling with a housing shortage of 248,000 homes by 2025, creating
challenges for prospective homeowners, especially students and starters. Involving the ramping
of existing structures and public spaces, is considered essential to combat this shortage. Despite
the enactment of the Environmental and Planning Act, citizen engagement remains challenging
due to top-down procedures in the urban development sector. To bridge this gap, methods
facilitating collaboration between non-experts and experts are necessary given the ongoing
urbanization trend.
The study centres on the redevelopment of a public square next to the train station in Eindhoven’s
city centre, highlighting the crucial role of collaboration in the urban design process. The primary
research question revolves around how technology can enhance and promote the involvement of
non-experts in the built environment. The study unfolds in three stages: literature research,
experimental setup, and the actual experiment. The study aims to examine participant
preferences for co-design through IVE, utilizing surveys and experimental research.
Literature findings suggest appropriate tools are crucial for attracting non-experts in the urban
design process. Co-design actively involves non-designers, leveraging diverse perspectives to
address challenges. IVE complements co-design by enhancing user engagement, visual
communication, and collaboration, fostering a sense of ownership. Therefore, there is potential
for integration of IVE into the co-design process of urban design.
A workshop involving 20 participants, utilizing Oculus Quest 2 devices with the Arkio program,
was organized to collaboratively design a public square in Eindhoven. Results from
conversations, surveys, and analysis revealed participants’ enthusiasm for engaging in urban
design as non-experts. The collaborative immersive experience increased engagement, fostering
confidence and contextual understanding of design attributes.
In summary, the study showcased the enthusiasm of a youthful audience to participate in urban
design as non-experts, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative approach and the flexibility
of IVE. The findings suggest the need for expert guidance, contextual information, and knowledgebuilding workshops to enhance the effectiveness of this method in real-life applications,
particularly during the early stages of urban development initiatives.