International Journal of Architectural Research Mohammad A. Khan, Lian Loke Archnet-IJAR, Volume 11 - Issue 1 - March 2017 - (181 - 209) – Original Research Articles Copyright © 2017 Archnet-IJAR, International Journal of Architectural Research 181 LOCATIVE MEDIA INTERVENTIONISM: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR CRITICAL REVIEW OF AUGMENTED REALITY APPLICATIONS IN THE PARTICIPATORY SPATIAL DESIGN CONTEXT Mohammad Ashraf Khan* and Lian Loke Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Sydney, Australia *Corresponding Author’s email address: mohammad.khan@sydney.edu.au Abstract This paper offers an analytical framework for a critical review of augmented reality visualisations in the domain of participatory spatial design in general and Participatory Architecture in particular. By offering this framework the paper aims to respond to the concern in published discourse that augmented reality visualisations are insufficient on their own to accomplish participation’s ultimate objective of social inclusion. To derive this framework the paper turns to augmented reality itself, that is, the realm of locative media practice as a whole. Illustrative examples have been reviewed to identify an overarching commonality of purpose, namely proactive spatial intervention for social inclusion. This common underpinning concept has been labelled as Locative Media Interventionism, or LMI. Finally, this compact framework has been used to evaluate augmented reality applications in participatory spatial design. A cursory evaluation of micro as well as macro scale examples indicates that the usage of this visualisation technology has yet to undergo the process of maturation that locative media in general has undergone. It has yet to evolve out from being a mere novelty to becoming a politically charged platform for delivering social inclusion. Keywords: Architecture; participatory spatial design; augmented reality; locative media. INTRODUCTION This paper is in response to a published concern that visualisations alone are insufficient for achieving the ultimate aim of social inclusion in participatory spatial design (e.g. Jasanoff, 2003; McGrath, Hsueh, & Shan, 2016; Selinger, 2005). Is this concern true for augmented reality visualisations as well, and if so, then how may it be dispelled? These two questions are significant because augmented reality technology is a much-celebrated recent advancement, and it is important to determine whether the expectations associated with this invention are actually deliverable or not. Augmented reality is now known fairly commonly as geo-located augmented reality, or G-AR, or also as geo-situated augmented reality (e.g. Bohøj, Borchorst, Bødker, Korn, & Zander, 2011; Cameron, 2010a; Reinwald, Berger, Stoik, Platzer, & Damyanovic, 2014). It first appeared in 2009 and was investigated in 2011 by the author for its potential appropriation in participatory spatial decision-making (see Khan & Dong, 2011a, 2011b), albeit only with regards to its experiential aspect in general, not its potential to deliver social inclusion specifically. To evaluate the social inclusion effectiveness of G-AR visualisations however, it is first necessary to define an analytical framework that can be suitable for the task. An optimum source to turn towards can be the domain of locative media practice as a whole, because of two reasons. Firstly, this field has a track record for innovative interventions in spatial politics to affect social inclusion (e.g. Amat & Brantner, 2016), and therefore can offer insights on how to achieve similar results via G-AR in the field of PSD as well. Secondly, it also happens to be G-AR’s principal domain of origin (e.g. Layar, 2016; Wikitude, 2016), and as such its evolution may hold insights