΢ÃÜȦ

My research focuses on the use of immersive technologies—particularly Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)—to transform urban design practice, participatory processes, and design education. I explore how immersive environments can open up new ways for communities to engage with design ideas and spatial proposals. By enabling people to step into future spaces, my work supports more meaningful and inclusive participation in shaping the built environment. A core strand of my research involves using eye-tracking analytics within VR to understand how people perceive, navigate, and focus on spatial elements. This helps deepen our understanding of the user–space relationship and provides a powerful tool for evaluating and improving design proposals based on real-time visual behaviour.

My funded projects include a HEIF-supported initiative on community engagement for the redevelopment of Shirebrook Market, using VR and eye-tracking to inform participatory design. With HEFCE funding, I led curriculum innovation projects embedding immersive technologies in urban design education. I’ve also received ESRC funding to exhibit pedagogic research at the Winter Gardens during the Festival of Social Sciences, and TESS funding to foster intercultural competence in design education.

As a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow and Co-Investigator on the EU H2020 RISE ‘MakEY’ project, I have worked with international collaborators on digital literacy, design thinking, and the role of makerspaces in early education. My work bridges practice, pedagogy, and research—demonstrating how emerging technologies can foster dialogue, challenge assumptions, and lead to more thoughtful, inclusive urban design outcomes.