Sense of presence and sense of place in perceiving a 3D geovisualization for communication in urban planning – Differences introduced by prior familiarity with the place

Technological development towards increased visual quality and accessibility has made photorealistic 3D geovisualizations an interesting tool for communication in urban planning. Particularly the ability to support perception is important assessing geovisualizations’ effectiveness communication. We applied both concept of sense presence, i.e. medium, place, meanings affordances, a user study conducted through web-based geovisualization. The addressed shopping mall Helsinki, Finland. collected sample adolescent respondents (n = 122), familiar unfamiliar with geovisualized place question. Adolescents responded survey addressing their perceptions after virtual visit. results indicate that prior familiarity affects preferred planning outcome. Familiar were more likely prefer preservation mall. show how presence work interplay Perception not only dependent on realism geovisualization able transmit but also individual knowledge experiences audience. According results, are best used as supportive tools secondary real