Achieving public participation in inaccessible areas using virtual reality a case study of Beit Hanoun – Gaza – Palestine

Abstract

The responsible authorities depend on public participation in decision-making. However, there are many obstacles facing them because of their reliance on traditional tools. These obstacles include that a large number of participants do not understand the tools of participation, as well as the inconsistency of time and place in which the participation process is taking place. This creates a gap between decision-makers and participants, all of which reduce the efficiency of participation.This research paper will study the use of virtual reality, using programs such as Vizard in the conduct of a participatory process by linking virtual reality and internet without restricting the participants with a particular place and time to carry out the process of participation, as well as the provision of tools to facilitate decision-making tools. Beit Hanoun (Gaza-Palestine) was selected to test the effectiveness of the tool used because it suffers from the efficiency of the tools available to participate in the city.The results show that the tool used to effectively integrate citizens into decision-making in a more interactive way can enhance communication between decision-makers and citizens. Virtual reality tools and the Internet are reliable tools in any study of the integration of citizens into decision-making. Keywords: Public participation, Virtual reality, Urban design