Residents step into the future with Victoria’s first virtual city
People in Melbourne’s north will be able to stand on top of buildings that haven’t been built yet and stroll through leafy parks that don’t yet exist — and it’s all thanks to virtual reality. TAKE THE TOUR
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People can take a stroll through a future Moreland under a state-first project that has transformed our streets into virtual reality.
My Virtual Moreland gives people the ability to step forward in time by walking through the municipality and viewing proposed buildings and projects in a digital world.
Moreland Council is the first Victorian council to undertake the ambitious project, which will be used as part of community consultation for planning projects.
The $850,000 project was paid for through the federal government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.
Moreland Leader took a test run and was able to walk through the new park at West St in Brunswick before it had been built, offering 360-degree views of the area.
The technology is able to show shadows, give you views from the bottom and top of buildings and a better visual of how proposed developments look within a landscape.
Users have the ability to choose any time and date throughout the year and view how the sun will impact relevant areas.
City Futures director Kirsten Coster said they had received great feedback with the tool to date.
“It allows people to be much more engaged with the planning process and it’s easier for them to understand what new buildings will look like,” she said.
Ms Coster said VR would play a key role in planning for the Moreland’s future, with its population set to grow by 50,000 people by 2036.
“It’s going to be really important how we get those people on board and create enough space, so a tool like this will be fundamental,” she said.
Ms Coster said the council had been playing with the idea of creating a virtual Moreland for a while, and already had a couple of councils come and look at their technology.
“Having the whole city in VR certainly sets us apart at the moment and we are proud to be leaders in this space,” she said.
Ms Coster said council would create a VR room where residents could come in and use the technology.
Developed by virtual reality experts KASA, other features include the ability to take 3D measurements, view zoning information and use tools to build virtual spaces within the city.
An iOS and Android app has also been developed by extended reality experts Lost in the Machine as part of the program.
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The smartphone app allows residents to retrieve a 3D model of selected planning applications and view them either in augmented reality or virtual reality — on location or on a tabletop.
To create Virtual Moreland, a plane was flown over the city a number of times and images were taken to help build the virtual city.
Developers will be asked to submit models of their proposed developments so they can be added to the Virtual Moreland project.