Digital Urban
Folkestone use town centre 3D Model and Virtual Reality to boost Regeneration Engagement
Folkestone use town centre 3D Model and Virtual Reality to boost Regeneration Engagement
Details:
- Company: Digital Urban
- Client: Folkestone & Hythe District Council
- Year: 2023
- Region: England
- Product: Digital Urban Virtual Reality, Digital Urban Explorer, Digital Urban Interactive Touch Table
Service areas:
- Community engagement
- Visualisation, 3D modelling and animations
- Digital twins
Introduction
Project - A Brighter Future for Folkestone
Our brief was to increase and broaden engagement in Folkestone's £22 million regeneration using digital immersive experiences and youth engagement. The council wanted to encourage visits to the town centre and was determined to give locals a voice in its future. They wanted to involve a wide demographic.
We delivered three digital experiences: a magic carpet VR ride, an urban explorer quest and a media table showcase. These engaged the public over two different three-day workshops. Additionally, our Youth Engagement team ran two youth engagement events with over 200 pupils attending.
Our brief was to increase and broaden engagement in Folkestone's £22 million regeneration using digital immersive experiences and youth engagement. The council wanted to encourage visits to the town centre and was determined to give locals a voice in its future. They wanted to involve a wide demographic.
We delivered three digital experiences: a magic carpet VR ride, an urban explorer quest and a media table showcase. These engaged the public over two different three-day workshops. Additionally, our Youth Engagement team ran two youth engagement events with over 200 pupils attending.
Challenges
The council wanted to encourage visits to the town centre and encourage these visitors to linger a little longer. We worked with the council to create immersive experiences that showcased proposed changes that would, in the words of local councillor Rich Holgate, “radically change the look of the town centre”. We laser-scanned the high street and modelled design proposals for active travel, a new bridge and a new park.
Using this model we created a VR vibrating magic carpet ride and a hand-controlled gamepad experience which used gamification to test where people might want to spend their time and money. During the magic carpet ride, people dropped coins when they saw something worth spending time and money on. During the gamepad experience they were given the opportunity to find out more about a space or place (for example a bridge or a museum) via pop-up information factoids.
Using this model we created a VR vibrating magic carpet ride and a hand-controlled gamepad experience which used gamification to test where people might want to spend their time and money. During the magic carpet ride, people dropped coins when they saw something worth spending time and money on. During the gamepad experience they were given the opportunity to find out more about a space or place (for example a bridge or a museum) via pop-up information factoids.
Solutions
The events ensured that locals had a voice. Indeed, during our third engagement event the council was already showcasing how the plans had been altered based on feedback gained from residents attending the previous events.
The youth engagement events involved school children designing their dream park and these designs have influenced the final designs.
Videos of events:
Phase 1 engagement video: https://vimeo.com/889147175
Phase 2 Magic Carpet experience: https://digitalurban.place/projects/folkestone/
The youth engagement events involved school children designing their dream park and these designs have influenced the final designs.
Videos of events:
Phase 1 engagement video: https://vimeo.com/889147175
Phase 2 Magic Carpet experience: https://digitalurban.place/projects/folkestone/
Results
Folkestone & Hythe District Council conducted a robust evaluation of the impact of their spend on immersive experiences. They compared their July 2023 public engagement events which did not use immersive experiences to their public engagement events in November 2023 and March 2024 which did employ immersive experiences.
Their evaluation showed that 10 times as many people engaged with the consultations with digital experiences. Of these people 40% were under 35 (compared with only 6% before). Over 75% of attendees at the digital consultation events had never attended a consultation event before.
The richness and quality of the feedback, facilitated by the VR, was impressive.
Their evaluation showed that 10 times as many people engaged with the consultations with digital experiences. Of these people 40% were under 35 (compared with only 6% before). Over 75% of attendees at the digital consultation events had never attended a consultation event before.
The richness and quality of the feedback, facilitated by the VR, was impressive.
“I struggle to understand 2D maps and project text. The way the plans were presented using VR, the digital touch table and the excellent Folkestone console game was breathtaking! The tasks on the game helped me work my way through the project area, taking in the changes as I went.”
A workshop attendee
Attendee
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