Abstract
Gearing cities towards a path of sustainability is a daunting task. The urban models that we have come to accept during the 20th century need to be revisited, but change, even if welcomed in abstract, is usually met in reality with enormous resistance from the economic and political models that underlie our cities. Some of the most powerful tools for promoting change are those related to conceptualization and visualization. When considering urban plans that aren't just incremental improvements over what already exists, city officials, urban planners and the general public must be able to visualize not just the merits of those plans in isolation, but how they interact with all the infrastructure that already exists. This paper describes one such urban plan that has been under consideration in the city of Uppsala, Sweden, for the past 5 years: a solar-powered Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system connecting the main train station to the Hospital and the University. The process of discussing the PRT system included the development of a virtual reality simulation of parts of the city. We report on the process and role of this virtual reality simulation.
Highlights
Urban planners, real-estate developers, and the general public are aware that the current carbon based energy life is not sustainable, and that innovative approaches to urban development are needed
This paper describes the technology that was employed for meeting these requirements, and the main observations and lessons learned from this project so far, in particular the role that the virtual reality model of Uppsala played in stakeholder discussions and in the evolution of this urban planning process
That person did some modeling at points, but was in no way the main modeler; we found no need to add direct communication between the main modelers in the United States and the urban planners in Uppsala
Summary
Real-estate developers, and the general public are aware that the current carbon based energy life is not sustainable, and that innovative approaches to urban development are needed. The experience, knowledge, and execution of planning for urban developments are upheld by a fragmented base of stakeholders, many times having inconsistencies between their databases. Most software tools for making 3D models, simulations, and presentations are developed and marketed assuming the above context. This means that the tools themselves are perpetuating the current fragmented structure of urban planning, becoming a limiting factor in the goal of having a holistic, contextual view of any given urban sector. The market of IT for urban planning is dominated by tools that have been focusing on specific areas of technical expertise rather than trying to support the coordination and integration aspects of these projects
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
