FCC wins at Ireland eGovernment Awards
Fingal County Council won three awards, including Overall Winner, at the Ireland eGovernment awards on Thursday the 19th of September in the Radisson Blue Royal Hotel. Members of the Digital Services department, Aishling Hyland and Lisa Deacon, were there to collect the awards along with Marguerite Drake Fingal Libraries Department.
Overall Winner Ireland Government Award – VR 3D Planning Consultations
The Ireland eGovernment Awards Overall Winner is selected from all finalist entries. Speaking about this award Maeve Kneafsey, Founder & Director, Ireland eGovernment Awards, said “We are thrilled to announce that Fingal County Council has been crowned the Overall Winner at the prestigious Ireland eGovernment Awards 2024, winning the Smart Cities Category for their ground-breaking VR 3D Planning Consultations!”
Fingal County Council has transformed urban planning by developing Ireland’s first virtual reality public consultation platform, allowing citizens to experience proposed public projects—like the Balbriggan Harbour improvements—in stunning 3D through VR headsets. Even during COVID-19 restrictions, Fingal adapted with a 3D web viewer, letting people explore urban models from home.
The judges praised this trailblazing approach for enhancing transparency and encouraging greater public engagement, giving residents a real-time vision of future developments.
Fingal County Council continues to push the boundaries with the development of Digital Twins, virtual replicas of towns like Swords, to revolutionise urban planning further.
Education category – VR for Libraries
When evaluating digital education solutions within the public sector judges prioritise entries that demonstrate innovative use of technology to enhance learning experiences, improve educational outcomes, and address the needs of diverse learners. Judges value solutions that promote equitable access to education, foster engagement and collaboration among students and educators, and where possible leverage data-driven insights to personalise learning.
VR for libraries is an education resource providing access to an emerging technology to FCC communities, along with access to the Unity Learn platform on all library’s computers. Five Fingal libraries have eleven Oculus Quests 2 and one Oculus Quest Pro. Each library has a VR champion to help and encourage and support members of the public to join in and enjoy this technology.
Smart Cities and Urban Development Award – VR 3D Planning Consultations
The eGovernment Smart Cities and Urban Development Award recognises projects that demonstrate innovation, sustainability, and citizen-centric design. Winning entries demonstrate effective use of technology to improve infrastructure, transportation, and public services. Judges value solutions that enhance urban efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and promote inclusivity. Successful projects prioritise citizen engagement, accessibility, and equitable distribution of benefits to ensure the well-being and prosperity of residents.
The VR 3D planning consultations project aims to change the narrative around civic engagement in the public planning sphere. The creation of 3D models for public planning projects has had a positive effect on how the public view projects. It is often difficult for them to translate the architects’ images; the 3D models remove the ambiguity and allows the public to truly see the changes to their environment.
Visit Digital Fingal to find out more the 3D Models and VR for Libraries