Google Glass, Snap Spectacles, Facebook/Meta Oculus. Augmented reality is coming whether we like it or not. But is there a good way to take on AR? Can it help with making our cities more democratically engaged and create meaninful places in the real world? Software engineer Justin Copenhaver founded Urality to solve the problem of digital placemaking in our cities. He joins the Olmsted Podcast to discuss the intersection of augmented reality and urbanism.

Links:
Check out Urality here: https://www.urality.com/

Follow Justin on Twitter: @copeonarope

Join the Olmsted Slack community!

Notes:

• Urality, digital placemaking and way finding + community storytelling app that Justin is building;
• Good AR vs Bad AR (billboard effect, attention economy);
• AR and placemaking + urban planning + gaining political support for something like a bike lane by projecting it in AR;
• Digital democracy, technocracy, tyranny of a vocal minority;
• Strong towns, density, land value tax, fiscally sound cities;
• DENSITY!;
• How to bring a tangent full circle 101;
• Pandemic and people spending time in their communities for the first time;
• Lack of shame on facebook;
• Social media! But good;
• Is tourism a dirty word?;
• Problems with EVs;
• Justin’s opinion on the trajectory of the urbanism movement - incrementalism;
• Tactical urbanism;