An Integrated System for Urban Parks Touring and Management
Urban Science, 5(4), 91, 2021
2021
Journal
- Contact persons: Harry Nakos , Yannis Stavrakas
- Relevant research project: VR-Park
Abstract.
Urban parks are important recreational spaces of environmental interest for citizens and city
visitors. Targeted and attractive promotion of these areas can help develop alternative forms of “green
tourism” and increase environmental awareness among citizens, which is particularly important and
vital for the future of the planet. New technologies are a key tool for improving the experience of
touring urban parks, as they can make the tour much more attractive by highlighting interesting
information about the flora and fauna of the park, as well as various other points of interest. This
paper presents an integrated system based on augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and data
analytics methodologies, comprising both mobile and web applications, focusing on urban parks
touring and management, respectively. Through the mobile app for the park visitors, an attractive,
interactive touring environment is created which highlights the environmental and historical interest
of those areas. At the same time, the web applications for the park managers receive and analyze
visitor data to help improve the visitor experience and the overall quality of the park. Finally, the
developed integrated system is evaluated to ensure that it meets all user requirements and that its
usability and functional components satisfy both groups of potential users, i.e., park visitors and
park managers.