Do you remember when we said that x-CITE would deliver CitiVerse tools that let you see planned urban developments in 3D—and test what they might do to traffic before anything is built? That you could explore alternative scenarios and see which measures would make a difference?
On 5 December 2025, that promise was put to the test in Kortrijk. A group of Howest urban planning students took part in a full-day workshop on a real redevelopment case, using the first x-CITE tools in a realistic setting.
Students were introduced to the site and the city’s plans for it. Working in small teams, they explored the proposals, considered potential impacts, and developed concrete ideas to improve traffic flows and limit unintended consequences.
To make their proposals more tangible and explore impacts more realistically, students used the x-CITE CitiVerse tools:
- Some tried an augmented reality (AR) experience—digital elements overlaid on a real-world camera view—to see proposed developments in 3D on location.
- Others used the digital environment to compare scenario options and examine how different traffic choices could influence outcomes.
What mattered most was the result: students were able to propose alternative traffic solutions and evaluate them in a structured way. For the City of Kortrijk, this translated into useful, actionable input—generating additional mitigation solutions and strengthening existing thinking.
The workshop also produced clear feedback to improve the tools for future use. Students highlighted what would make the experience clearer for non-experts: stronger step-by-step guidance, more consistent visual cues (e.g., legends and colour meaning), and easier ways to capture and revisit results (e.g., snapshots).
In short, the workshop was a concrete validation of x-CITE’s core value proposition: helping people understand urban change earlier, test options more realistically, and support better decisions with more confidence.
The full workshop report is available for download on the website in the Downloads section.
