Smarticipate platform

Urban planning in the age of the “Smart City” holds out the prospect of success if all stakeholders are involved in a digital and uncomplicated way. By processing existing information in a graphical system, complex interrelationships can be readily and efficiently conveyed to members of the public who lack expertise in the field. The opportunity to visualize ideas for discussion makes the process dynamic and offers user-friendly assistance to the public in responding to new planning projects. This makes the planning process transparent, democratic and dynamic, thereby enhancing the prospect of outcomes meeting with general acceptance. In recent years, Fraunhofer IGD has developed a range of visualizations for use in various projects where there is a degree of public participation (3DVIS, urbanAPI, AktVis, PaEGIE, see below). The experience gained and the technologies developed have now been incorporated into a 2D/3D online participation platform, a spin-off activity funded by the internal Fraunhofer program AHEAD.

A test application has been developed and trialed as part of the Darmstadt digital city lab. Further applications are being created for interested municipalities. This will enable the city administration to initiate citizen participation campaigns without the need for a background in programming and to drive forward digital transformation. Mobility in the city, planning e-charging stations, making transport as climate-neutral as possible – Smarticipate makes these and associated issues accessible to the general public by interactive means.