“A 3D Play for Citizen Planning
Nate Berg. June 26, 2012
The city of Gothenburg, Sweden, has taken a novel approach to getting locals involved in the planning process. Instead of relying only on public meetings and design charrettes, the city has developed an interactive and photorealistic 3D map that residents can use to drop in suggestions and ideas for improving their city.
MinStad, or “MyCity,” is a localized version of Google Earth where residents can zoom in and around the city to identify places where better transit access is needed, or where additional housing should go, or even where a dilapidated building should be torn down. With a population of more than 500,000, Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden and it’s actively trying to get more of its citizens involved in thinking about how the city should evolve.
The map highlights 10 specific neighborhoods, though the entire metropolitan area is included. Categories include walk, public transport, sporting, living, cycling, work, swimming, eat, nature, preserve, culture, sunbathing, and tear down, and suggestions so far have run the gamut. More than 200 have already been added since the site went public at the end of May.”
Via: The Atlantic
Photo: MinStad
