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With AR & VR to the new youth leisure area
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Future issues and topics such as digitalization, climate change and and the common good, continue to rise to the top of the agenda. The initiative “My City of the Future” (MSdZ) was launched in Brandenburg Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning (MIL) in 2020. The aim is to support communes in testing innovative approaches to sustainable urban development.
Senftenberg recognized the opportunity to use innovative technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to actively involve young people in the planning of a new leisure area.
As part of the “PartiSFB” (Participation Senftenberg) project and with the support of Lernfuturisten, experts in modern learning and teaching, a participatory process was initiated, enabling young people to contribute their ideas and wishes directly to urban planning.
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that projects digital content, such as 3D models or animations, into the real environment in real time. Users can see additional virtual information seamlessly superimposed on the environment using a smartphone, tablet or special AR glasses.
Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that allows users to immerse themselves completely in a computer-generated world. VR glasses are typically used for this purpose and completely cover the user's field of vision, blocking out the real environment. Motion sensors in the glasses or on controllers enable users to look around, move around and interact.
- The challenge: To create a design concept for the leisure area that meets the actual needs and wishes of young people (target group 13-25 years).
- The goal: To improve and increase young people's usage and satisfaction, as well as securing urban design initiatives
- The implementation: By using innovative technologies such as AR and VR, rooom enabled workshops with VR technology and AR projections directly into the urban space. With rooomSpaces, a digital twin of the leisure area was created to coordinate the various design elements.
- The result: realistic designs of a new leisure area and a deep understanding of what is really important to young people: quality of stay, multifunctional usability and digital offerings.
A digital twin is a virtual representation of a real object, location, or process. It is not just a 3D model, but an interactive, dynamic representation that can be linked to real-time data and continuously updated.
The project process: Seven steps to the new youth recreation area
The participatory design process for the new youth leisure area in Senftenberg comprised seven successive phases. During these phases, young people were systematically involved in defining objectives, designing the area and presenting the final results.
Phase 1: Start
During the organisational kick-off phase, the relevant target groups were identified, the participation partners were recruited, and the specific process sequence was defined.
Phase 2: Future workshop
In moderated brainstorming workshops, young people contributed their ideas and wishes.
Phase 3:Workshops
In follow-up workshops, the young people were able to develop their ideas and create initial virtual designs.
Phase 4: AR with 3D objects
IThe designed elements were placed directly in the urban space using AR.
Phase 5:Virtual live session in the Digital Twin
The youth leisure area was presented for the first time in a virtual live session in the digital twin.
Phase 6: Final vote
Based on previous work, final variants were developed and presented in the Digital Twin for a final vote.
Phase 7: Final presentation
The project cycle concludes with a public presentation of the results. It becomes clear that the new youth leisure area is more than just a place; it is a symbol of successful youth participation using digital means.
Co-creation with AR & VR - when ideas can be experienced digitally
The decision to integrate AR and VR into the participation process was based on the desire to provide young people with an immersive and interactive platform. These technologies make it possible to visualize planned designs realistically and bring them directly to life.
The participation process included several innovative elements:
3D visualizations: In addition to a digital model of the planned project area, 50 3D objects were created of design elements that emerged directly from the ideas of the young people - including seating, play areas, sports elements and creative recreational areas.
AR-supported participation: Using AR, the design elements that had been planned in advance and created as 3D models could be projected directly into the urban space via a smartphone or tablet. This enabled the young people to experience their leisure area in the real environment and provide feedback.
Voting in the Digital Twin: All the elements designed for the leisure area were transferred into an interactive, walk-in 3D environment. This Metaverse milestone gave young people the opportunity to experience and present their designs in a fully immersive digital space. With the help of immersive collaboration tools, the favourites were then voted on together.
VR workshops: Participants used VR goggles to explore the new leisure area. Immersive environments were created instead of abstract plans, making the quality of the experience tangible.
3D, AR and VR as perfect tools for digital planning processes
The #PartiSFB project made use of various functions of the rooom platform. A digital twin of the youth leisure area was created based on a drone flight. In a further step, this was enriched with 3D models of the design elements. In addition, interactive avatars and tools such as emojis and like functions were used to achieve a collaborative result.
Solutions used:
rooomSpaces is a user-friendly, browser-based solution for designing virtual 3D spaces. Individual environments can be created in just a few clicks, no additional software or technical knowledge required, and can be enriched with interactive content in a flexible way.
rooomProducts is the smart solution for digital product presentations in 3D, AR and VR. Simple photos or CAD data can be transformed into high-quality, rotatable 3D models that users can view from all sides and place in the real environment.
Would you like to integrate digital technologies into your planning processes?
Digital participation increases engagement and effectiveness.
The impact of the participation formats used can be clearly demonstrated through the feedback received from young people.
Feedback from young people in the #PartiSFB project clearly shows that the greater the use of digital technologies, the higher the level of personal engagement. These results prove that digital tools are not just technical gimmicks, but effective ways of involving young people in planning processes. They make participation tangible, creative and effective.
“Collaborating with rooom was a complete success. The continuous, competent support of the rooom team during the entire course of the project deserves special mention. The result: impressive participation by young people, who were inspired and sustainably involved by immersive technology.
- Gernot Kühn, founder of Lernfuturisten
Conclusion: Participation becomes effective when it is fun.
The PartiSFB project demonstrates impressively how digital technologies such as AR and VR can open up new spaces for participation. For the young people in Senftenberg, it was a creative experience, not a dry planning process. For Senftenberg, it was a way of putting innovative youth participation into practice.
Digital processes like these enable realistic visualisations and faster coordination, leading to more efficient decisions and long-term cost savings. Collaborating with rooom shows that digital participation is not just a trend, but a tool that can be used to make urban development transparent and sustainable in the long term — not just for youth participation, but for all areas of urban development.
Senftenberg now has a tried-and-tested participation model that can be transferred to other projects, which is clearly beneficial for the democratic urban development of the future.
The 3D Space Viewer provides insight into the redesign of Senftenberg's youth recreation area.
Click on the button to open the virtual space - try it out!
About Lernfuturisten
The Lernfuturisten are a Berlin-based consultancy that specialises in designing future-oriented learning processes. They support people in organisations in embracing the future of learning through innovative ideas and concepts. A central format of the Lernfuturisten is LearningOutLoud (LOL). This learning programme takes everyone involved on a journey into the new world of work, either remotely or as an on-site workshop.
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