Virtual Reality in the Management of Town Planning Design

The present paper deals with the use of Virtual Reality (VR) techniques supporting the management of urban planning design. The three-dimensional stereoscopic visualization by means of large displays shows its important benefits since the first phases of design: giving a 3D shape to an idea is an effective instrument, both for the designers to promote a solution and for the customers to make suggestions and to choice among different projects proposals, before the final one is approved. In this way, the analysis of a project becomes completely different from evaluating the traditional 2D drawings: by means of the immersive virtual reality techniques, the customer can "walk inside the project", choosing its own paths and comparing different design solutions in real time. The case study has concerned an outdoor sports area that will be located in a former industrial site in Bagnoli, next to Naples city center. The researchers of University of Naples Federico II have made a virtual reconstruction of the entire area for BagnoliFutura SpA company, which is the main contractor for the transformation of the industrial site. The use of the VR techniques has allowed the zoning commission to extensively evaluate the different project proposals and has improved the presentation of the project to the press and the general public.