“Do they actually need it?” - Understanding user needs for new collaborative 3D tools for green environment planning

User-centered approach is widely recognized in the development of digital tools. However, recent research shows evident challenges in developing useful and usable tools for urban planning practice.

In GreenTwins research project, new digital 3D tools are developed for planning and visualizing urban green environments. These tools include a web based 3D co-planning tool and a virtual reality tool that enables to simulate the temporal and visual changes in the landscape. The aim is to engage end users to the process from the very beginning to ensure the usefulness and usability of the tools, and to gain a holistic picture of the users, their activities, and the use contexts. Furthermore, it is relevant to understand how the planning context is changing along digitalization and other global phenomenon, such as climate crisis.

In GreenTwins project, an analytical user research framework combining David Benyon’s PACT model and the concept of planning culture by Frank Othengrafen is applied to better understand how different user groups consider the new innovative 3D tools.

Preliminary results show that the PACT model helps researchers to identify the knowledge needs for user research. In the ongoing user research process, the user data will be analyzed through the concept of planning culture to achieve a more dynamic and holistic understanding of the ongoing cultural transformation in urban planning.