Title: Developing online illustrative and participatory tools for urban planning: towards open innovation and co-production through citizen engagement
Authors: Virpi Oksman; Minna Kulju
Addresses: VTT Technology Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Finland ' VTT Technology Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Finland
Abstract: This article examines the challenge of involving various stakeholders in urban planning through user-driven innovation and collaborative design and leveraging these processes to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Consequently, we introduce a novel illustrative and participatory tool combining mixed reality visualisations with user-centred interactions and feedback-tools so as to promote user insights and involve them in design. This article analyses how these co-design services should be designed and offered to users in order to effectively support public participation and citizen-governance collaboration in future urban planning projects. We conclude that, in order to provide real benefit and value for urban planning and smart city solutions, participatory service should be integrated as part of the decision-making. Adoption of this kind of services system also means reforming of some of work processes in governance and planning how to exploit the results of the participatory processes to make informed decisions.
Keywords: virtual models; participatory design; user experience; stakeholder engagement; urban planning.
DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2017.088943
International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2017 Vol.23 No.5/6, pp.445 - 464
Received: 08 Dec 2015
Accepted: 10 Aug 2016
Published online: 03 Jan 2018 *