Planning and management of urban space that involves the local community the process is key to optimal management of the surroundings, in line with social needs. Social isolation imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic considerably reduces the possibility of conducting public consultations. This study hypothesized that such consultations can be carried out using new visualisation technologies in the virtual reality (VR) area. Owing to the development of new technologies, innovative services can be created which make it easier for recipients to absorb new content. To this end, the ArchitektVR application was developed, which uses enhanced reality for public consultations concerning planned land development. 3D visualisation with VR enables the presentation of various aspects of area development in a clear form, understandable to an average user with no specialist qualifications. It facilitates the presentation and creation of multiple variants/scenarios for the future shape of the area. The research assumptions were tested for a disused area of a water body. According to preliminary tests, the use of virtual reality could provide a new form of communication between decision-makers and citizens. Effective and easy-to-understand visualisations might provide encouragement to participate in local matters and enable citizens to make better decisions. 3D visualisation enabled concerned individuals to assess the potential development of a selected area fragment without an in-person visit, either in the field or to an office. This is of particular importance in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and sanitary restrictions.
More and more cities are evolving towards the smart city concept, which brings about a tangible effect of raised life quality levels. This is confirmed by the satisfaction of inhabitants with the introduced smart solutions. It is their opinion on this issue that is crucial, as they are the main beneficiaries of these measures. This article presents a case study of a medium-sized city, which illustrates the smart city issue from an inhabitants’ perspective. An analysis of objective indices classifies a city as smart, and it is included in European lists of smart cities. It is interesting, however, to see how the inhabitants themselves assess the city in the context of the smart solutions in place. Are they relevant to them? Has the quality of life increased? Are they satisfied with the individual aspects of city functioning? What solutions are they awaiting? What areas require changes? The involvement of inhabitants and the public participation level were also assessed. The questionnaire survey results indicated whether the city can be classified as a smart city of the future and identified the spheres of the city’s activities that need improvement. The main conclusions are that inhabitants have a positive perception of a city’s smart services provided that their implementation results in an enhanced quality of life. At the same time, even though inhabitants are aware of the smart services introduced, they do not fully use them, which may be due to their low attractiveness, a lack of promotion on the part of the city, or a lack of equipment readiness.
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