Metaverse-Based Approach in Urban Planning: Enhancing Wastewater Infrastructure Planning Using Augmented Reality

This chapter explores metaverses in the context of urban planning. As one of the metaverses’ key technologies, the potential of augmented reality (AR)-based visualisation for digital on-site support in planning processes of wastewater infrastructure is investigated. Based on a framework incorporating organisational and technical requirements, a market analysis of location-based apps that are able to visualise location-based data using AR technology is conducted. The selected mobile AR app is subsequently configured featuring the digital data of wastewater infrastructure in a public urban ensemble in a German town. The study data were collected via a mixed-method approach. According to the participating urban planning experts (N = 18), a standardised questionnaire (PSSUQ) shows the level of user satisfaction with the app, while the satisfaction with technical aspects and advantages for stakeholder communication and project management are evaluated via custom questionnaires. Guided interviews highlight aspects regarding the transfer of AR apps into practical settings of infrastructure planning. Aspects such as potential operational areas, useful additional features, and obstacles hampering the usage of AR-based visualisation in practical contexts are addressed. Overall, the study shows both the potential for using metaverse-based digital tools in planning processes and the challenges that still need to be overcome.