VIRTUAL Barcelona Livable Cities

Abstract

The integration of digital technologies with the built environment is reshaping urban experiences, offering new ways to engage with public spaces. Compared to similar technologies that can potentially lead to a disconnect from physical geography, Augmented Reality (AR) overlays digital content onto the physical world. While it has been widely utilized in education, heritage, and museum context its potential to reshape perceptions of urban spaces, particularly those underutilized or overlooked, remains underexplored. This study investigates how a location-based AR game can contribute to the visibility of public spaces by creating experiences to encourage new ways of engaging with urban environments. The experience employs game mechanics such as object searching, reward systems, and movement-based interaction to encourage participants to interact with urban environments, identifying which mechanics effectively enhance user engagement and which may fall short or require further development. Findings contribute to the growing discourse on AR in urban contexts and its capacity to enrich public space experiences. By positioning AR as a tool for engagement, the study proposes that such technologies can contribute to the evolving nature of urban design and public space perception. While the study is in progress, preliminary observations suggest AR’s potential in fostering new spatial narratives and enriching public interaction in cities.