Playgrounds of Possibility

This chapter discusses transformative power of incorporating a game mechanics into urban design, where cities become dynamic and participatory playground, instead of a fixed, infrastructure. It states that cities are like games, a fact which is influenced by interaction, feedback and co-creation. Incorporating features of quests, feedback loops, and scoring into civic life, urban planners will be able to promote stronger engagement, inclusiveness, and resilience. This chapter presents the term of playful urbanism, according to which game-inspired design favors the way citizens interact with the environment, such strategies as augmented reality trails, gamifying recycling systems, augmented reality, and more. It emphasizes the democratizing effect that playing may have on the planning process, the expression of previously unheard voices and the use of previously inactive spaces.