Virtual geographical environments (VGEs) are being used to represent our sense of place through the application of extended-reality or cross-reality (XR) technologies with a focus on technological advancement and immersion. In light of this, we propose that an expanded and interdisciplinary understanding of the concept of immersion is required to facilitate an understanding of spatial data to a broader audience. The potential of focusing on narrative immersion and literary placemaking in VGEs is discussed to evoke a stronger sense of place and a feeling of presence and belonging in users. This paper seeks to highlight the unique affordances and potentialities of XR narrative style GIS digital representations through an interdisciplinary theoretically lead analysis of outputs created by the Building City dashboards project towards the goal of expanding audiences of non-specialist stakeholders in urban planning processes.