How can games engage local residents and activate their participation in the circular economy?
As a method which easily allows the participation of a large number and wide range of players, gaming has its role to play in meeting this challenge. Gaming is well-known for its ability to distil complex information into accessible formats and can thus be used effectively to distribute knowledge and raise awareness. Moreover, as an inherently participatory and immersive experience, gaming has the potential to activate residents’ sense of ownership as well as their agency in impacting the spaces around them.
The challenges of 21st century city-making require innovative methods that incorporate the complexity of today’s rapidly urbanising world. Traditional ways of urban planning and design — top-down and singlehanded — are already making way for a practice of city-making deeply rooted in the collective experience, creativity, and intelligence of growing and increasingly diverse groups of people. This will be crucial in building sustainable urban futures.
Gaming carries unexplored potentials for city-making. When inserted carefully into urban processes, games significantly improve the practice of conventional urban design by, for example, supporting collaborative decision-making and design, extracting and visualising comprehensible meaning from big data, and contributing to conflict resolution. However, the field of City-Gaming is relatively new and there is an urgent need for building an integrated community, developing a common language, and supporting newcomers. These are the driving motivations behind the launch of GAMES FOR CITIES: a public research- and event-programme that explores the role of gaming for complex urban issues.
Read more at http://gamesforcities.com/about/