Through delineating key characteristics of the emergence and development of the metaverse,this paper highlights the commonalities between the metaverse and urban design,which include common origins in vision,shared foundations in reality,and similar creation processes through collaboration.Furthermore,the paper summa-rizes three dimensions in which the metaverse-empoweres urban design:spatial ex-pansion,temporal continuity,and communal co-creation.Considering issues in urban development,city operation,and urban design processes,a method combining"real-ity(R)"and"augmented reality(AR)"-termed"RAR(Reality Augmented Reality)"-is proposed.The process and outcomes of metaverse-empowered urban design using the"RAR"method are collectively referred to as"metacity".By summarizing typical practices of"metacity",the paper categorizes and examines in detail the creation pro-cess,establishing a comprehensive flowchart of creation and operation.It further elaborates on the technical pathway for realizing metaverse-empowered urban design through the"RAR"method with the aim of providing urban design guidance against the backdrop of existing urban landscapes.