PRISM Video: Enhancing Public Engagement in Civil Projects through VR - South Dublin County Council

Andrew O’Mullane is Senior Executive Engineer for Active Travel at South Dublin County Council where he’s also Programme Manager for Active Travel Infrastructure Projects. At PRISM ‘25 he spoke about the Council’s use of Virtual Reality to Enhance Public Engagement in Civil Projects.

Programme Details

• Budget: €300 million.

• Duration: Approximately 9 years (started around 2001).

• Scope:

  • 250 km of infrastructure.

  • Delivered through ~60 schemes and 45 projects.

  • Project costs range from a few million to €10 million, with some up to €16–50 million.

Challenges

• Planning Process:

  • Complex and often met with public apprehension.

  • Requires public consultation under Part 8 of Planning and Development Regulations.

• Communication Issues:

  • Traditional drawings are hard for non-technical stakeholders to interpret.

  • Councillors struggle to explain plans to constituents.

Innovative Solution

• Virtual Reality (VR):

  • Introduced by ARUP Consulting Engineers to improve understanding [ARUP is a member of Eirmersive]

  • Provides immersive 3D environments showing proposed layouts and traffic modelling.

  • Used for public consultations, online portals, and community engagement events.

Benefits of VR

• Enhances clarity for the public and councillors.

• Allows stakeholders to “experience” the design rather than interpret technical drawings.

• Builds confidence and transparency in project delivery.

Current Application

• Focused on key areas within schemes (e.g., congested roundabouts).

• Produces videos and interactive VR experiences for consultations.

• Demonstrates how new layouts integrate with existing environments and improve traffic flow.

Closing Thought

• VR is seen as a “game-changer” for public engagement and project approval.

• Aim: Broader adoption across all schemes in the future.