UD Co-Spaces is an urban design visualization and engagement prototype for generating and testing urban planning and design options with diverse audiences of planners, designers and the public. This tool embeds a large touch screen user interface set into a standing height table, and limits it to projected and hand-held display interfaces. Custom software links four independent applications: online maps, elementsdb, 3D visualizations and an indicators dashboard.

Designed for rapid experimentation by small groups of people, users can test ideas for urban design. The user simply drags images of selected “cases” from elementsdb, for example a residential building, from a sidebar onto the digital map on the work-surface. The indicators dashboard immediately reports on metrics such as numbers of dwellings, floor areas, energy usage, while a projected 3D view illustrates form. Records of every iteration can be captured for later reference and comparison.