Project R-16508

The Other Space (Research)

De Andere Ruimte (DAR) is an online participation tool developed by the Civic and Policy Design research group (ArcK, UHasselt). It enables citizens and local stakeholders to explore their surroundings through walks, evaluate places, and enrich them with stories, photos, and audio. This generates rich, location-based input for spatial design and planning processes. DAR stands out from conventional participation platforms through its narrative approach, focus on lived experience, and the possibility for self-organization by citizen collectives. With the IOF POC project, we are developing DAR 2.0: a stable and user-friendly platform, rebuilt from scratch using modern technologies. New features include route creation and tracking, automated analysis and categorization of input using AI, speech-to-text, improved data visualization, and offline functionality. In parallel, we are establishing a legal and ethical framework addressing privacy, data ownership, and shared management so that citizen collectives can safely and autonomously use the tool. DAR will be extensively tested in three diverse pilot cases and iteratively improved. At the same time, we are refining the business model with a concrete licensing proposal, pricing strategy, and communication plan. Our goal is to have DAR ready for broad market introduction by 2027, following a hybrid valorization path: commercial licenses for professional users and an open-access base version for citizens — achieving both economic value and lasting societal impact.

01 January 2026 - 31 December 2027