Innovative citizen participation through XR and Digital Twins: The future of urban planning in the x-CITE project
- Future Insight
- 45 minutes ago
- 2 min read
What if, as a resident, you could walk through a new neighborhood before the first stone was laid? What if you could immediately experience the impact a new building has on your view, the public space, or the quality of life in your neighborhood? Not through a 2D or 3D floor plan, but in Virtual or Augmented Reality (XR). This is exactly what the x-CITE project makes possible.
Future Insight plays a leading role in the European x-CITE project . This initiative aims to engage citizens more actively in urban development by seamlessly linking Extended Reality (XR) with Local Digital Twins (LDTs).
From complex data to an understandable experience
Cities today possess enormous amounts of data: 3D models, BIM information, and digital twins. While this data is extremely valuable, in practice it often proves difficult for non-technical users or residents to access.
Within x-CITE, Future Insight has been working on Work Package 3: "CitiVerse Federation: Interoperability, Design, and Architecture for XR." In this project, we are defining the architectural foundation that ensures XR tools can be seamlessly integrated with city digital twins.
XR Architectural Framework Baseline
As part of this package, we delivered the XR Architectural Framework Baseline (D3.4) . This ensures that immersive solutions:
Be interoperable and reusable between different cities.
Seamlessly connect to international open standards such as MIMs Plus.
Future-proofing a city's digital infrastructure.
Rotterdam as a pilot case: Experiencing the city before it changes
In the Rotterdam use case, we're bringing this technology to life. In close collaboration with designer and architect Harmen van de Wal of Krill, Scott Vermast of Howest University (a specialist in game engines and XR development), and the Municipality of Rotterdam, we're testing this innovative approach in practice.
Future Insight is leveraging its expertise in 3D databases, BIM, and software architecture. We design and implement the crucial data connectivity layer that enables the immersive experience. The result? Rotterdam residents can explore urban developments in an interactive XR environment. This not only enhances transparency and participation but also leads to more informed decision-making.
Help build the open city of the future
With the x-CITE project, we're breaking down the barriers of traditional urban planning. We're creating a scalable and vendor-neutral XR framework. This allows cities to maintain full control over their own digital innovation, without the risk of vendor lock-in, but with the power of technical robustness and open standards.
Do you want to take the step towards a city where citizens can truly participate in building?
Let's explore together how XR and 3D city models can take your projects to the next level. Contact Rick for a free consultation.
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