The New York Times details how virtual reality is expected to change the game of real estate. The possibilities for planners and architects are endless as well.
Jennifer Miller visited Halstead Property in Manhattan to get a taste of the future of real estate. Namely, how virtual reality is already being to use in selling properties that haven't yet been built. Miller explains:
Halstead had hired a company called Virtual Xperience to create a virtual rendering based on the architectural plans. The idea was to have potential buyers wear an Oculus Rift headset and 'walk' around the building. The more realistic the experience, the more likely a client might be willing to pay the asking price of nearly $1.98 million for the building before construction crews even broke ground — at least that was the hope.
According to Miller, Halstead is preparing to introduce virtual reality headsets to their sales offices this year. Other real estate brokers are doing the same. Expectations for the benefits of the technology, writes Miller, are high.
FULL STORY: A New Dimension in Home Buying: Virtual Reality
All the Reasons to Map a City's Smells
"Smell-mapping" is gaining attention from urban planners, data scientists, and nature conservationists alike.
Inchvesting in Detroit
$1 will buy you one square inch of a vacant lot in Detroit, and membership in Jerry Paffendorf's club of "inchvestors." It may sound like a scheme, but Paffendorf calls it a way to network, invest in Detroit, and attract entrepreneurs.
Robotaxi Charging Lots Could Complicate San Francisco Housing Development
Multiple sites slated for housing development are now being turned into charging and storage lots for autonomous vehicles, making housing an unintended victim of the robotaxi revolution.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service