Chase Mullen

Chase Mullen, Director of Design Visualization at MIG, is an urban designer and technology expert with a unique specialization in three-dimensional (3D) visualization and graphics. The son of a planner, Chase learned AutoCAD while still in elementary school and he was so fascinated with the idea of creating virtual places that he taught himself 3D modeling. Now he develops software, methods, and tools to use technology to elicit meaningful input and encourage informed decision-making in planning and design.

With an acute eye for graphics and interactivity, Chase molds GIS, CAD, 3D, and VR (virtual reality) data into models that allow people to see and experience potential policy changes or design ideas. He is continuously engineering new software and work flows in anticipation of encountering a problem where they might be useful. Chase also strives to advance 3D visualization within the field to help clients, communities, and colleagues make decisions more efficiently and effectively. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses and spoken at national and state planning conferences on the creation and application of 3D visualization to public engagement.

For the past two decades Chase has worked closely with clients and interdisciplinary teams to develop design solutions and graphic representations tailored to each community and set of opportunities and challenges. He has created a “digital design charrette” method using visualizations in a facilitated session, allowing participants to verbalize design concepts and watch them take shape. By instantly seeing the physical manifestations of their ideas, participants gain better understanding of project issues and trade-offs.

Courses taught by Chase Mullen

Virtual Reality for Planners 1: Introduction

Virtual reality presents urban planners with a unique tool to create immersive virtual experiences that can inform visioning processes, design decision-making, and community engagement. Learn about the evolution of virtual reality technology, its key vocabulary and logistics, the benefits of virtual reality over traditional media, and what the future of public engagement may hold.

45 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

Virtual Reality for Planners 2: Modeling in SketchUp

This course provides a step-by-step SketchUp tutorial and teaches users how to create content appropriate for a virtual reality environment. Viewers will learn how to optimize the performance of their software and ensure success in the next steps of the process, including final model export to Unity.

72 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

Virtual Reality for Planners 3: Working with Unity

This course provides a high-level overview of the process involved in creating a virtual reality application and teaches viewers how to assemble a virtual reality application from scratch using Unity how to make the process as successful as possible.

64 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

Virtual Reality for Planners 4: Refining the End User Experience

Creating a VR experience is one thing, but managing its use at public events and integrating it into the urban design workflow is an extra, separate step. This course considers the bigger picture and covers a few ways to fine-tune the user’s experience for maximum success.

74 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD