In many developing countries, there is a lack of data and/or fragmented provision of data, a lack of tools and methods to understand the available data (Schechtner 2017) and “only by identifying more comprehensive ways to map [visualize], understand and engage urban real economies [and policy makers/shapers] can the momentum for infrastructure-led and environmentally sustainable economic growth be maintained” (Simone 2014). In order to develop visualization technology - being able to communicate in an information dense and accessible format - resulting into policy recommendation, South Africa’s legislative capital Cape Town and Colombia’s capital and largest city Bogotá, is chosen as one of the two focal points of the ETH Institute of Science Technology and Policy (ISTP) Urban Research Incubator (URI). This research uses empirical research results around gated communities, urban norms in Bogotá and stigmatised neighbourhoods in Cape town and their representation in immersive experiences to test the impact on policymakers’ values and perceptions.