VR unmatched: Leveraging non-experts as co-urban designers

The recent development in Virtual Reality (VR) allows for novel engagement in participatory urban design. Despite that any design approach cannot include and address all items that are relevant or needed during a design process, social VR design instruments offer additionality via their real-time generation and visualisation possibilities that are unmatched in conventional realms. The research employs an anthropogenic approach to design research to engage end-users in the design process. An Immersive Virtual Environment (IVE) instrument 'SketchPad' allows laypersons to design successfully urban forms. SketchPad engaged laypersons in a meaningful design discussion and generations of urban spaces. The research discusses the findings of the experiments. The paper concludes with a reflection of how non-experts as co-designers can use IVE instruments to drive change of their neighbourhood proactively and to positively impact on the liveability of their neighbourhood.