Project by Sze Wing Chan and Wei-Jun Lin

Abstract Urban sounds are rich yet often overlooked aspects of city life, continuously shaped by technological, social, and environmental change. This project investigates how immersive media – particularly augmented reality (AR) and spatial audio – can be used to reflect on and re-imagine the soundscapes of urban environments. With the use of design fiction methodologies, we created soundscapes that illustrate the present and speculative future of the KTH open-air square in Stockholm through a combination of real audio recordings, synthesized sounds, and layered sound design. These soundscapes are placed in an interactive AR installation where audiences can navigate a physical space filled with virtual AR windows representing each corner of the open-air square. These windows allow users to hear the current and future soundscapes of how urban environments may evolve by 2040. The experience invites reflection on urban futures, highlighting how sound can serve as a powerful medium for storytelling and participatory imagination for the future.