Virtual Reality and the Interactive Design of Elevated Public Spaces: Cognitive Experience vs VR Experience

VR and visualization are visual aids, but can give much more than sight, such as a wider sensation of being in the 3D world. For the past ten years, researchers and organizations have been trying to find ways to get the public more involved in social project design and execution. Technologies such as Visual Simulation (VS) and Virtual Reality (VR) could make it possible to provide final stakeholders and consumers with closer access to the design and implementation processes of social projects. This paper analyzed two recent developments in London, Sky Garden and Crossrail Place. The study investigates how technologies such as VR can enhance the design experience of elevated urban spaces. The main aim of this study is to explore the difference and similarities between human interaction in the real cognitive experience and the virtual world. The method used in this study is walk-long interviews with the visitors of both gardens and a VR exploratory experiment, followed by semi-structured interviews with the participants. This methodology brings the participant as an active element of the project, able to explore the space and propose changes.