Extended Reality as a participatory method to facilitate sustainable Urban Regeneration strategies for Brownfields in South Indian cities

Abstract

Brownfield is a multi-disciplinary concept that refers to various types of environments. The sudden urbanisation and expansion of south Indian cities have led to a drastic increase in the number of brownfields it houses. Although there is no official definition, an emerging consensus has risen around the urban character of brownfields and the need for new interventions. Their location within metropolitan areas represents a strategic opportunity to regenerate the urban fabric at the neighbourhood scale. However, most importantly, architects, planners and stakeholders find it challenging to engage and communicate concepts with general users due to the magnitude of these brownfield areas. Public participation in urban planning processes is affected by what is known as the “paradox of participation”: in early planning phases, when there is still sufficient room for decision-making, only a small number of the people participate, while in advanced phases, when decisions can usually only be revised at great expense, a high level of public participation can be observed. The resulting delayed and more costly planning processes could be partially prevented by shifting public participation activities to a much early phase of planning processes. The reasons for the public’s low level of participation in early planning phases are seen as the lack of clarity and the absence of concern due to a high level of abstraction in the concept stage. Public participation and engagement in architecture have reached a new level as expectations among the general public have increased and technological advancements are creating new opportunities. The emergence of extended reality tools offers architects and planners significantly new methods to communicate effectively with stakeholders, users and other professionals in the field. Technological experiences have reshaped how ideas are presented and continue to offer development collaboration opportunities. This ongoing research assesses the performance of extended reality (Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality) applications when used as a public participation tool and their effectiveness in communicating development ideas and strategies for the sustainable regeneration of brownfields in and around metropolitan cities in South India.