Examining the effectiveness of urban planning exhibitions in planning communication: a contextual model of learning

Urban planning exhibitions have been a long-standing element in planning culture, on a worldwide level. Until now, there has been a considerable gap in researching the efficiency of urban planning exhibitions in communication, especially from a quantitative perspective. Rooted in communicative planning and built on Generic Learning Outcomes and Contextual Model of Learning theory, this paper aims to explore the role of urban planning exhibitions in communication and the factors that influence their efficiency, using the recently opened Guangzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Hall (UPEH) as an example. The 115 participants in this study were divided into two groups (experimental and control) and asked to answer a series of urban planning questions before and after visiting the Guangzhou UPEH. Results showed that except for the level of education, the personal and sociocultural factors had no significant effect on changes in participants' knowledge on the subject. However, the physical factors of participants' visits, including the length of the visit, the number of exhibits seen by participants and the degree of engagement with the top-rated exhibits, significantly influenced learning about urban planning. The results demonstrated that urban planning exhibitions can provide inclusive platforms in facilitating planning communication and public engagement.