Seeing Cities Before They’re Built
Industry:
Services Provided:
Tech Stack:
Timeline:
Project Highlights
inCitu had a bold mission: to make the future of cities visible before construction begins. Their idea was to transform dense zoning plans and urban data into immersive AR experiences, empowering residents to “walk through” upcoming developments and give feedback directly from their neighborhood streets. SLM Software contributed as a development partner, building the backend pipelines, data integrations, and scalable infrastructure that made large-scale AR urban planning possible. Together, we helped inCitu turn complex blueprints into a participatory tool for transparent, community-driven change.
The Challenge
Urban development has historically been opaque. Citizens were handed PDFs and zoning codes they couldn’t interpret, while officials struggled to communicate changes effectively. Developers often faced pushback fueled by uncertainty and lack of trust. inCitu needed a way to:
- Visualize urban projects in real time using AR on mobile devices
- Integrate diverse datasets (GIS, zoning, transit, housing) into one platform
- Facilitate community participation with accessible tools for feedback
- Scale quickly across cities while ensuring accuracy and transparency
Our Approach
SLM Software worked with inCitu’s cross-functional teams to design a robust, data-driven AR platform. Our role centered on backend development, data engineering, and ensuring the system could scale as adoption grew.
Data Integration Pipelines
Unified GIS data, 3D architectural models, and transit datasets into a central system. Built ingestion workflows to keep urban plans continuously updated.
Scalable AR Infrastructure
Deployed backend microservices to process large urban models with minimal latency. Ensured compatibility with ARKit/ARCore for mobile accessibility.
Collaboration Features
Enabled annotation and feedback capture within the AR experience. Designed dashboards for city officials to analyze engagement and sentiment
Analytics & Optimization
Integrated session tracking, heatmaps, and sentiment analysis to measure community participation. Used insights to refine AR flows and improve adoption.
The Impact
inCitu’s platform became more than a visualization tool—it became a movement for transparent urban planning. Performance results:
- 5,000+ urban developments visualized in AR
- 250,000+ residents explored future projects in their neighborhoods
- 1M+ people impacted by accessible, transparent planning
- Supported high-profile projects in Buffalo (Ralph Wilson Park), Columbus (COTA transit), and the Bronx (Wakefield Yards)
Citizens could finally “see” changes before they happened, while city planners and developers gained clarity, trust, and smoother collaboration.
We Covered
- Data pipelines unifying GIS, transit, and 3D models
- Scalable backend microservices for AR rendering
- Mobile AR integration (ARKit/ARCore) for easy access
- Feedback capture & dashboards for planners and developers
- Analytics (heatmaps, sentiment, engagement tracking)
What We Learned
Seeing is believing: AR unlocks empathy and trust in city planning. Data storytelling matters: complex plans need to be visual, not buried in PDFs. Participation drives adoption: when people are invited in, opposition decreases. Scalable infrastructure is essential: urban tech must handle massive datasets in real time
Partner With SLM Software
We help companies like inCitu turn bold ideas into impactful platforms. From AR-powered urban planning to AI-driven healthcare, our team builds the backend logic and scalable systems that bring innovation to life. Ready to transform your vision into reality? Contact us!
