VIRTUreALITY Digital Urban Modelling as a Community Design Form

Abstract

This paper describes a practice-led research project that investigates the application of digital modelling and communication technologies in urban and architectural design. The project is being carried out by our team with the collaboration of the architecture and planning departments at local borough council and local community participation. The main methodology for the project revolves around the evolution of an interactive three-dimensional digital urban model, which incorporates a variety of visual, graphic and numeric data. This digital model is utilised within a web site to help facilitate a participatory approach to the physical and social regeneration of an inner urban zone, in terms of both the built environment and the attempted creation of a virtual community.