Assessing the compound impacts of climate change and land use dynamics on future groundwater availability in dryland areas of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Public spaces play a crucial role in shaping the quality of urban life. However, these spaces are often designed by professionals with minimal community involvement in the design process. Even when engagement occurs, traditional methods such as hand drawings, manual mapping, or public discussions limit the general public's ability to visualize and effectively communicate their ideas. This study examines the application of Mobile Augmented Reality as a means to enhance public, specifically youth, involvement in designing public spaces, thereby addressing the existing gap. This research aims to develop and test CityBuildAR, a mobile AR application that enables users to visualize and design public spaces through their smartphones. The methodology comprised a) A systematic literature review, b) A review of existing AR applications in urban design, and c) the development of CityBuildAR using Unity Real-Time Development Platform for Android devices, followed by d) app demonstrations and validation with user groups. Participants were divided into three categories: professionals, university students, and the general public based on their spatial design knowledge: limited, transitional, and professional. The open cafeteria (Sentra Court) at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, was selected as the study site. The study findings revealed that: (a) Mobile Augmented Reality is an effective way to engage people with limited knowledge in public space design to express their design thinking, (b) Compared to professionals, the general public wanted to have more green elements in the public space; (c) Even though M-AR has the potential to enhance community engagement in designing public spaces, it cannot replace the conventional approaches completely. The study demonstrates the potential of AR in democratizing urban design processes and recommends its integration into future public engagement initiatives. By bridging the gap between professionals and the general public, tools like CityBuildAR offer a novel pathway toward inclusive and participatory urban development.