Using Second Life to prototype real world urban development in Boston

I previously blogged about the interesting work that Gene Koo and Eric Gordon are doing in Boston using Second Life to empower local community leaders.  Next Tuesday, August 19, Gene and Eric will present the progress of their project, called "Hub2", an initiative that "gives local neighborhoods a more powerful voice in urban planning and public design."  Here's a fuller description:

Residents engage in a process that employs 3D virtual tools and problem-solving techniques to articulate a common vision reflecting the participants' values. Goals of Hub2 include strengthening civic engagement with public spaces, involving population segments traditionally left out of development planning, and providing a constructive and productive community input process for public design.

In this presentation, Professor Eric Gordon (Emerson College) and Gene Koo (Berkman), together with the staff of Hub2, will describe Hub2's progress and challenges in working this summer with the North Allston neighborhood to participate in the design of Honan Library Park, which Harvard University is redeveloping as part of its larger Allston project. Joining this presentation will be the youth interpreters who have helped less technologically adept neighbors access the Hub2 technology and who in turn have learned to build and code in Second Life as well as understand urban planning.

That's on Tuesday, August 19, 12:30PM ET. For details go to http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2008/08/hub2.  The inworld event will take place at the Berkman Center at this teleport link. Or you can watch it on the boring old 2D web here.