Transforming sustainable urban planning into a tangible, interactive, and participatory experience.
Developed in collaboration with İzmir Planning Agency (İZPA) and Yaşar University Media Center / VRLab Creative Studio, the Living City (Yaşayan Şehir) project reimagines how citizens, students, and urban planners engage with complex urban dynamics. By bridging physical wooden smart objects with top-down projection mapping and real-time simulations, the interactive table creates a living, responsive ecosystem directly under the hands of participants.
The Core Interaction Laws & Mechanics
Inspired by dynamic kinetic rules and responsive ecological systems, the interactive table operates on three foundational interaction laws:
- 1. The Law of Dynamic Urban Flow (Movement & Adaptation): When physical objects (representing residential buildings, transit hubs, and commercial centers) are placed on the table, the digital inhabitants (“little characters”) instantly adapt their daily routines, navigation paths, and commuting routes in real time.
- 2. The Law of Ecological Balance & Reaction (Action & Equilibrium): Every zoning decision triggers immediate environmental feedback loops. Planting green corridors and parks purifies the air and boosts biodiversity, while overbuilding without adequate green buffer zones generates heat islands and traffic congestion.
- 3. The Law of Collective Impact (Big Decisions Through Collaborative Play): Multiple participants interact around the table simultaneously. The cumulative impact of their individual interventions reveals the delicate trade-offs between economic expansion, transportation accessibility, and ecological sustainability.
Interactive Microsimulations & Scenario Sandbox
Through an intuitive tangible user interface (TUI), users can explore modular microsimulation modules designed to demystify complex policy parameters:
- Micro-Mobility & Transit Optimization: Real-time simulation of pedestrian paths, bike corridors, and public transit connectivity.
- Green Corridor & Biodiversity Networks: Algorithmic mapping of urban wildlife flow and urban tree canopy coverage.
- Energy Grid & Renewable Microgrids: Balancing localized clean energy production with neighborhood consumption.
- Livability & Citizen Well-being Index: Instant scoring of air quality, noise comfort, accessibility, and community happiness.
Technical Architecture
The system combines custom-crafted tactile wooden blocks embedded with spatial tracking markers, high-lumen precision projection mapping, and a real-time simulation engine. This phygital approach ensures that participants of all ages can immediately experiment, debate, and co-design future cities without technical barriers.