GreenXR: Building greener, fairer and more democratic cities through virtual worlds and XR

GreenXR: Building greener, fairer and more democratic cities through virtual worlds and XR 

Man with spectacles in a VR realm. Photo.

The time is right to co-design and systematically evaluate new place-based technologies so that we can create hybrid (virtual and physical) cities that are greener and more fair for all. We need solutions that use virtual worlds as part of our preparedness and resilience tools for peace and democracy.

Technologies for place-based experiences have the umbrella name of  eXtended Realites (XR) and include VR, AR og MR. The use of place-based technologies in applications to develop the cities of the future has increased dramatically in recent years. Meta, Apple, and Microsoft have developed a number of solutions, but much remains to be done in this field. The future is exciting for the new generation of creators.

Relevant competence

Everyone with an interest in digital technologies, art, society, cities, sustainability, democracy and peace is welcome to join our class. 

Extended Reality can be used by all, and should be studied from multiple perspectives and backgrounds. We want a diverse group of students to help create the next generation internet and the next generation green city-living. Some ways in which you can apply XR are:

  • Humanities – how can we use of art and technology to involve inhabitants and to ask questions about how reality will be redefined as we move further into a hybrid digital-physical way of life?
  • Psychology – how will living in new virtual worlds affect individual and social behaviour? 
  • Social sciences – what (geo)political consequences will our new cities have, and how can we model these using virtual worlds?
  • Economy – how can we model the sustainability aspects of XR, in terms of their life cycle, materials used, benefit to society, economic feasibility and positive social impact?
  • Technology – prototyping with XR, including the use of AI.

About this village

We focus on how virtual worlds can enhance peace and democracy, and how they can contribute to a greener future for our cities and ways of life. We ask:

  • What tools should we use?
  • How do we develop for XR?
  • How do we evaluate the impact of our ideas – do they lead to greener cities, fairer societies, more participation in democracy, novel peaceful solutions to crises emerging from climate change and geopolitical tensions?

Possible projects:

  • Creating a prototype of Trondheim as a city of the future 
  • Recreating an environmental catastrophe (for example, an inundation) using XR, to understand systemic weaknesses
  • Creating new city planning tools that can be implemented with XR
  • Other projects (student-driven)

The village is connected to  Sense-IT at IES.

Teaching format

Virtual

Man with VR goggles on a sofa. Photo.

Facts

  • Course code: TFE4853
  • Village title: Building greener, fairer and more democratic cities through virtual worlds and XR 
  • Type: Semesterbasert
  • Teaching form: Virtual
  • Language: English
  • Village supervisor: Ana Sanchez Laws 
  • Contakt information: Ana.s.laws@ntnu.no 
  • Semester: Spring 2025
  • Host faculty: IE

  • Other requirements:
    This village is part of Virtual Experts in Teamwork (VEiT). VEiT gathers knowledge about virtual EiT-villages, to develop them further. Students from all campuses meet in the VEiT villages.

    The village is virtual. All teaching and group work takes place using online collaboration tools. Students must have a computer with camera and microphone.

    Village meeting every Wednesday from 08.00-16.00.
    Individual work is also expected.

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Important information about EiT

Important information about EiT:

  • The focus on teamwork skills and group processes is the unique feature of Experts in Teamwork (EiT)
  • EiTs teaching methods depend on the contribution and presence of every participant throughout the semester. For this reason, attendance is compulsory on every village day.
  • In contrast to many courses, the first few days are especially important in EiT. During this period, get to know each other and discuss what each individual can contribute. You will also draw up the compulsory cooperation agreement and start preparing a shared research question.
  • For additional information about Experts in Teamwork, see page for students