Trends, discovery and people in the digital age

Abstract

The University of Salford THINKlab is a futuristic and spacious research environment with state-of-the-art facilities located within the University of Salford in Greater Manchester. It has an established international reputation in the creative use and application of cutting-edge technologies to provide innovative solutions to meet the needs of industry, commerce and community. Over the last few years, the THINKlab has worked with partners in the public and private sector to develop a dynamic new 3-D Mirrorworld platform capable of creating new interpretations and understandings of local communities. This has started to provide new ways for local public sector stakeholders and decision-makers to engage communities to help communicate the vision for a local area, show how plans for local regeneration and transformation may deliver economic and social benefits for neighbourhood communities and build stronger sustainable futures for citizens and their communities. This chapter gives an overview of the Mirrorworld platform development over the last few years. It introduces some of the case study work that has helped to shape its present functionality and looks ahead at some of the current challenges driving public sector reform and regeneration which increasingly require smarter, more joined up solutions to deliver benefits for local citizens and businesses.