Development of a mobile augmented reality application to enhance youth engagement in planning and designing public spaces in urban areas

Abstract

Urban planning necessitates public participation to ensure that every individual’s voice and requirements are heard and considered, thereby promoting inclusive urban development. According to UN-Habitat (2018), public participation fosters a positive relationship between a government and the public by communicating effectively and solving conflicts collaboratively. Despite the theoretical emphasis on participatory planning in planning practices, research has identified a lack of community participation in planning-related contexts, leading to the current gap between urban planning and public participation. The incompatibility between communication preferences and the public’s preferred method of engagement significantly contributed to the lack of public engagement in urban planning using traditional approaches [1]. Furthermore, in the local context, the existing participatory planning methodologies are outdated and fail to motivate people to voice their opinions. Given this situation, we hypothesize that incorporating advanced digital technology and an augmented reality application into a participatory planning methodology could enhance community involvement in planning and de-signing public spaces in cities based on their needs.