SCC-CIVIC-PG Track B Strengthening Community Resiliency through Extended Reality (XR): Engaging Small, Under-Resourced Municipalities in Planning & Execution of Government

Remote governing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic creates the need for new approaches to effective collaboration and governance during crisis, particularly for under-resourced municipalities that typically have had limited access to novel technologies. The proposed research aims to determine whether Extended Reality (XR) is an effective technology for engaging under-resourced municipalities in disaster response planning and governing. By understanding the distinct needs of small municipalities and exploring the effectiveness and potential limitations of XR technology, this research aims to develop a pilot XR toolkit with potential for wider replication. This work has the potential to make meaningful cross sector contributions to advances in promising applications of XR, municipal governance, and disaster planning toward reducing disruptions in governance in future pandemics or other disasters.

While XR technology has been deployed in disaster preparedness and community planning, it has primarily been used by the federal government and states, counties, and cities. This work aims to explore the effectiveness of using this novel technology in small under resourced municipalities, particularly those with high levels of fragmentation. The proposed research pilot will engage leaders from 24 under-resourced municipalities in North St. Louis County, Missouri in the use of novel XR technologies for governing during pandemics or other disasters. Specifically, this project will introduce the technical capabilities and immersive virtual experiences of XR as a viable tool to assist in planning for, facilitating and maintaining government operations during disasters. Methods will include implementation meetings and concept mapping to determine municipal priorities to ensure the technology is focused and developed based on input of communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Stage 1 will bring together government, industry, nonprofit, and academic stakeholders to identify community assets and vulnerabilities that may affect the acceptance and adoption of XR technology while jointly co-developing a full proposal for a Stage 2 research pilot. Stage 2 will jointly explore and test novel uses of XR technologies for effective governance during pandemics or similar disasters and identify potential applications of XR with the potential to reduce interruptions in government activities during times of disruption. This research aims to define the user requirements toward developing an XR tool kit that will allow small municipalities to plan for and respond to future disasters or pandemics. XR will enable municipalities to maintain city assets, plan public works projects, and maintain and improve public health and safety in real time. This project is supported by the CIVIC Innovation Challenge program Track B - Resilience to Natural Disasters: Equipping Communities for Greater Preparedness and Resilience to Natural Disasters through a collaboration between NSF and the Department of Homeland Security.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.