| dc.description.abstract | This thesis aims to provide a better understanding of immersive virtual reality (VR) in participatory planning processes. VR has seen major developments in recent years. New VR headsets such as the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift have become available to consumers, and provide new possibilities for the visualisation of spatial developments. Immersive VR has been researched, but since immersive VR has improved significantly in recent years, most of the literature is out-dated. Furthermore, the added value of immersive VR within participatory planning has not been elaborated on eloquently in literature. Therefore, research is needed to explore the possibilities of immersive VR in contemporary participatory planning.
An important attribute of immersive VR is the immersion. Immersion means that its user is closed off from the real world. A high quality immersive experience should result in a sense of presence, a sense of place, which should increase learning capabilities of the user in VR: the user can experience the environment.
Within the planning practice, participatory planning has gained interest since the 1960s and is seen as positive means for contemporary planning. Nevertheless, bottlenecks exist with participation. One way to overcome some of the bottlenecks of participatory planning is through planning tools. For instance, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are well-known tools for practitioners to communicate plans. Also Planning Support Systems (PSS) can be used to aid with planning issues, often through analytical analyses. However, generally, PSS and GIS require a high level of proficiency, which can lead to the exclusion of participants that do not have this level of proficiency.
Regarding PSS, seven different added values can be distinguished: learning about the object, learning about other stakeholders, collaboration, communication, consensus, efficiency and better-informed plans or decisions. Regarding 3D virtual environments, five different learning affordances can be named: spatial knowledge representation, experiential learning, engagement, contextual learning and collaborative learning. These are used as framework to research the added value of immersive VR.
Mixed methods were used for this research. Firstly, interviews with experts were conducted. Secondly, an experiment using mobile VR was conducted. This experiment entailed an informative gathering with a VR tour about a redevelopment of ‘Weteringcircuit’. Thirdly, another experiment was conducted using desktop VR. In this experiment, experts were asked to give their opinion about three different designs of the development area ‘Sloterdijk I-zuid’, in the western part of Amsterdam, discuss them and achieve consensus on the best design. The experts were asked about their opinion of VR as a tool for participation processes and of the workshop in general.
The interviews pointed out that participation processes differ from project to project and that they are highly dependent on the project team and the available resources. Furthermore, it was discovered that expectation management, the customer journey, and a suitable form of communication are important within participatory planning.
Within VR, a distinction has to be made between mobile VR and desktop VR. Mobile VR has got lower computing power, less degrees of freedom, but is more accessible and cheaper than desktop VR. With desktop VR, the quality of the hardware is better, but you are bound to a powerful computer.
Through the interviews and experiments, it was discovered that immersive VR within participatory planning can have multiple added values. It helps to gain knowledge about the object and lets the user learn in an experiential way. With VR, it is easier to estimate heights and distances. Because the users of VR are able to experience the environment, it is easier for them to express themselves in a natural way. This also motivates them to participate actively and increases enthusiasm. Furthermore, scenario building, error prevention and simulations are added values of VR.
Overall, VR is a powerful tool to visualise spatial plans. It lets the user experience the environment in a natural way. Within participation processes, it can start and enhance the conversation about the environment on a more subjective level. It creates opportunities to take away language and professionalism barriers and to uncover lay and experiential knowledge. Therefore, VR should be seen as a serious candidate for visualising more complex spatial plans. Nevertheless, it is still uncertain what VR can contribute to the outcome of such processes and it remains unclear how presence benefits the process. This has to be researched further in the future. | |
