Across scales, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) to see buildings and infrastructure in the context of cities and regions is the focus of chapter 2 of the 2nd edition of the book, which I am working on at present. So much has happened in this space, since I first wrote this chapter: from Google Earth and Google Streetview to Smart Cities; Internet of Things (IOT); laser scanning; mobile devices; Occulus Rift, HTC Vive, Vuforia ... I could go on. Pokémon Go is the current craze.
My early thoughts and reflections are that these technologies are profoundly changing our relationship with the built environment. They do potentially give greater power to citizens (at least those with smart phones) to have an augmented experience of the built environment and immersive virtual reality could be used to bring people together and empower them to participate in planning decisions. Applications include tourism, planning, emergency response, infrastructure management etc. However there are also new challenges. This subway rider in Boston shows how VR may not augment understanding of the built environment but may instead isolate people in virtual worlds.... I am looking for great examples of the use of AR and VR to enhance cities and regions; and of the changing relationships between people and the hybrid digital and physical environment in which they operate ....
