Immersive Systems for Archaeological Parks and Urban-Scale Heritage: A Systematic Review of Augmented and Virtual Reality Across Ancient Cities, Historic Districts, and Participatory Urban Planning

Abstract

Immersive technologies support heritage interpretation and management, yet research remains divided between cultural and archaeological heritage and urban planning. This systematic review, reported according to PRISMA 2020, aimed to examine the design, application, and evaluation of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality systems in archaeological parks, historic districts, and urban-planning contexts. Peer-reviewed English-language journal articles and full conference papers published from 2010 to 15 July 2026 were eligible; museum-only, artifact-only, non-immersive, and methodologically insufficient reports were excluded. Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and SpringerLink were searched through 15 July 2026. A five-domain, study-type-adapted rubric was used for critical appraisal, and findings were synthesized narratively by spatial scale, delivery mode, technology pipeline, and evaluation. Of 10,790 records, 21 studies were included: 17 direct applications, three enabling methods, and one foundational survey. Twelve reported user or stakeholder evaluations, but only ten reported numerical sample sizes, precluding calculation of a pooled participant total. Evidence was heterogeneous, predominantly descriptive, and rarely longitudinal. The original screening, data extraction, and critical appraisal were performed by a single reviewer. Following peer review, all 21 included reports and the key coding and appraisal variables underwent retrospective independent verification and reconciliation. No supplementary hand-searching or citation searching was conducted. The urban dimension of ancient cities remains underexplored, while communication of uncertainty in city-scale reconstructions remains unresolved. The review proposes a cross-domain taxonomy, core evaluation outcomes, and an integrated research agenda. No external funding was received. The review was not registered, and no formal protocol was prepared.