Planners in Acton, Massachusetts used Second Life as a pr and outreach tool to engage citizens in planning a key commercial area.
Local planners worked with Justin Hollander of Tufts University and Ann Sussman of openNeighborhood to organize and create the Second Life planning process.
From a final report prepared by Tufts on the project:
"The [Second Life] model allowed users to explore the existing conditions of Kelley's Corner and fly over the neighborhood, while at the same time interacting with other Acton citizens who may also be logged onto the site simultaneously. After exploring the virtual model, users were invited to visit the Village Design Center, a futuristic looking structure placed at the edge of the neighborhood by the OpenNeighborhood team."
FULL STORY: Second Life Offers New Life
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions