Utilizing a Web-based Geographic Virtual Environment Prototype for the Collaborative Analysis of a Fragile Urban Area

In this paper, we will discuss the opportunities and challenges of using a Web-based Geographic Virtual Environment Prototype, primarily developed in the framework of a long-term research project by Pak and Verbeke (2011), as a complementary medium to support an international urban design studio. We reconfigured and rescaled this prototype with the objective of encouraging students to make a collaborative, open-source and location-based analysis of the fragile project area (the Brussels-Charleroi Canal) and share their findings with each other. During this eight week long experimental study, the students were able to effectively use the environment during the analysis phase of the urban design studio; despite their heterogeneous profiles. They created an online inventory that covers five gigabytes of analysis findings, sketches, photos, maps, studio presentations and texts describing their experiences. This environment shows the power of crowdsourcing and online collaborative analysis. Moreover, the findings of our online student survey demonstrate a general positive attitude towards the use of the Virtual Environment Prototype.

ISBN:978-9-4912070-1-3

Jaar van publicatie:2011

IOF-keylabel:ja

Authors from:Higher Education