Articles
Urban planning with citizen participation
Sweden reinvents urban planning with citizen participation using 3D and Facebook
Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweden, launches a unique 3D web service engaging citizens to contribute with ideas and suggestions for the development of the city. Citizens can explore the city in 3D on the web and interactively propose projects based on the latest gaming technology. Suggestions are shared on Facebook and rated by the community using common social media features.
”MinStad (english translation “MyCity”) is a billboard for our citizens to expose and discuss ideas for the development of our city. With this web service we aim at increasing the dialogue with our citizens to make the right priorities for building a sustainable city and to improve the public support for our projects. Another goal is to reach people that we normally do not meet in exhibitions and consultation meetings. On the web, families and other people with busy schedule are now given the chance, 24 hours a day, to raise their voices and contribute to the planning process. Also, we wish to engage children and teenagers who are the actual receiver of the city that we are shaping in the 10 to 20 year time frame.” says Eric Jeansson, GIS-manager at the City Planning office in Gothenburg.
Users can easily navigate in the virtual 3D model of the city and make changes to the model with user friendly tools. Describe suggestions in text, dismantle buildings, change the terrain, create volumes for new buildings and even upload Sketch-up 3D models are functions supported. The propagation effect is leveraged by the integration with Facebook and other social media.
See MinStad: minstad.goteborg.se
Gothenburg City’s ”MinStad” is based on CityPlanner, a web service developed by the Swedish software company Agency9. CityPlanner is a global cloud service to visualise construction and infrastructure projects on the web to communicate and collaborate efficiently in project teams and to publish projects externally to the public. Visualising advanced 3D CAD models of projects that earlier required a dedicated workstation and expensive software can now be published on the web using Agency9’s unique solutions.
”Our cooperation with Gothenburg City has been very exciting in evolving this communication platform for urban planning. The potential use cases for 3D mapping and GIS are extensive and interest is now reinforced by Google and Apple’s investments in 3D city coverage. As a leading provider of web based 3D visualisation and spatial solutions, Agency9 is well positioned to meet the market demand.” says Håkan Engman, Vice President Sales at Agency9.
Original article published on Geospatial PR