Practical, Impactful Policy
On our walk along the railway tracks behind the Evergreen Brickworks, we came across a fenced-off bridge spanning the Don Valley. The fence prevents pedestrian traffic from crossing the bridge, which at its peak is over 60 feet high. Displayed on the fence is a sign advertising the Mental Health Helpline: the 24/7 service provides “credible, professional, reliable” information about mental health services in Ontario.
The fence and sign exist to discourage people who can benefit from mental health services from harming themselves. From a policy creation perspective, physical spaces are arguably the most practical approach to social issues.
I thought a lot about what this practical approach means for a course concerned with influencing policy from the outside. Why can’t policymakers outside government enact practical programs to better their communities?
Our trip to the House of VR prompted me to think about what this type of policy-making could look like in an augmented reality world. What’s to prevent activists and community leaders from creating signs and overlays in the virtual world, tied to physical spaces in support of policy objectives?
I look forward to a virtual world which reflects our real physical spaces; practical policies, tied to a better world: a mental health hotline projected on a bridge, addiction services information displayed virtually in high-level drug use areas, outreach information for marginalized communities located in high-visibility areas. What is the future of practical, impactful policy in virtual reality?
