Applicability and Ethics of Extended Reality (XR) in Planning

Design and planning professionals are already providing their services for the metaverse. While it's clear that extended reality (XR) can be used in planning, there is little guidance on how or when to use the technology effectively. Is planning for metaverse cities worthwhile for public engagement and urban data analysis, or are we headed toward a science fiction dystopia?

In "Applications, Approaches, and Ethics of the Extended Reality in Urban Design and Planning" (Journal of American Planning Association, Vol. 90, No. 3) Amir H. Hajrasouliha reviews 24 case studies to consider the applicability and ethics of XR in planning.

Hajrasouliha recommends planners consider the following for XR:

• Choose the appropriate XR type for the project.
• Align XR with planning goals and public engagement needs.
• Assess XR alongside technologies like the metaverse, digital twins, generative artificial intelligence (GAI), and blockchain.
• Address ethical issues such as data privacy, the digital divide, bias, and control.
• Select suitable XR devices, software, and data storage; optimize technology for efficiency.
• Decide on interaction spaces: on-site, off-site, remote, or hybrid.
• Factor in time for historical, current, and future urban representations.

What is Extended Reality?

XR encompasses augmented, mixed, and virtual reality, blending real and virtual environments in various ways — from phone camera overlays like Pokémon GO to fully immersive virtual reality (VR) games using headsets.

XR can create virtual models parallel to real-world objects, systems, or places. Known as digital twins, this approach allows planners to receive and process real-time information and, in some cases, intervene in the real-world twin via smart appliances.

A digital twin project in Herrenberg, Germany, monitored emissions, traffic, public emotions submitted via smartphones, and movement traces of bicycles and pedestrians. The model of Herrenberg also allowed for the visualization of the historic city, simulation of traffic, and proposed design scenarios.

Making Decisions with XR

The creators of the Herrenberg digital twin claimed the platform could aid participatory and collaborative processes. They asserted that a single platform hosting and combining various data types enhances decision-making. Similar claims were made about a digital twin of Palermo, Italy.

Hajrasouliha affirms this assessment through a review of XR's use at different levels of public engagement. Visualization technology can be used to inform the public about construction and planning processes. It can also be ramped up to serve as a tool for collaboration.

In Beit Hanoun, Gaza, a three-dimensional model of proposed designs allowed for increased access, as well as back-and-forth collaboration between participants and experts. Immersive virtual instruments can bridge the gap between non-expert design imagination and representation. XR can empower non-experts to actively propose designs.

Figure 1: Eight considerations for using XR in urban planning.

Bending Time

XR can emphasize different periods and potential futures. Whether visualizing a recreation of a historical alleyway or a proposed development, XR designers must consider how to curate and mix timelines.

The ethical considerations of extended reality (XR) in planning are heightened with the metaverse's rise. Companies are creating digital spaces where basic physics may not apply. It is unclear if these platforms will follow unique rules of time and space, potentially confusing users moving between metaverse platforms or between the real and virtual worlds.

By escaping typical restrictions like gravity and structural stability, design professionals can explore nontraditional processes in the metaverse. Will these virtual spaces be self-organizing by users, or will tech companies impose rules that limit their potential for unique shapes and forms?

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