Urban Blue Acupuncture: An Experiment on Preferences for Design Options Using Virtual Models

Abstract

Within the BlueHealth project, funded under the Horizon 2020 European Union research framework, a number of targeted experimental design interventions created in virtual reality (VR) were used to test the effect and impact of planning and design on encouraging people to use various blue spaces. A set of designs in three different coastal landscape types—a cliff/steep slope; a sandy beach and an area of reed beds—located in Tallinn, Estonia, were used as the sites for nine different intervention designs. The designs were based on a combination of the site features and inspirations from solutions found in different locations internationally. Using 3D modelling and a Virtual Reality system, a set of nine videos, one to depict each intervention, was created and shown to a quota sample of 252 Estonian residents. Respondents were asked a set of questions associated with each option. The results were analysed statistically and qualitatively. The results uncovered key preferences for designs and revealed differences among age groups and the levels of personal interconnection with nature. However, there were problems associated with the interpretation and understanding of some of the options by some of the people due to the degree of realism of the VR representations, which may have affected the results. The project shows that VR could be a useful tool for testing design ideas as part of public participation approaches but that care is needed in ensuring that viewers understand what they are assessing.

A conceptual framework to mitigate the adverse effects of surface urban heat islands through urban acupuncture: a two-phase scenario of diagnosis and prescription at the neighborhood scale

“…Therefore, informal and potentially underutilized urban blue spaces can be repurposed for recreational activities with minimal infrastructure and management (Balicka et al, 2021). This approach illustrates the positive benefits of the "less is more" and "small is powerful" principles, encompassing their unique criteria and principles (Vassiljev et al, 2020).…”

“…Drawing inspiration from acupuncture therapy, UA identifies and address stress points within a community, much like treating diseases (Lerner, 2014). The premise of this approach is that small interventions can profoundly influence the urban environment (Vassiljev et al, 2020). In the UA projects, local individuals predominantly assume the role of implementers, using a bottom-up approach.…”

“…Furthermore, the design of water bodies, such as fountains, water features, and water installations in public spaces, contribute significantly to the cooling of the surrounding areas (Ampatzidis et al, 2023). With active community participation, urban water acupuncture interventions can transform public spaces into vibrant, interactive, and costeffective environments (Bell et al, 2020;Vassiljev et al, 2020)…”

The City and its Stream: Blue Urban Acupuncture as a Method for Neglected Spaces Regeneration in Lebanese Riversides: The Case of Beirut River

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While Experiencing a Forest Trail, Variation in Landscape Is Just as Important as Content: A Virtual Reality Experiment of Cross-Country Skiing in Estonia

“…While not projecting such videos in a way that created a virtual reality experience, they came close to allowing people to feel that they experienced the landscape in a quasi-realistic way, at the normal speed of driving and with a wide field of vision. Similarly, Vassiljev et al [40] used videos from computer generated simulations of exploratory movement through sections of a coastal landscape to test the acceptability of different recreational structures proposed to be installed there. Expanding further on the issue of movement in landscape, preference may change over time as people become used to the scenery.…”