Play to Sustain

The concept of smart cities increasingly emphasises resilience, the ability of urban systems to withstand, adapt to, and recover from shocks such as climate change, natural disasters, and socio-economic disruptions. One of the key challenges in building urban resilience lies in engaging citizens in meaningful and sustained ways. This chapter explores how gamification the application of game design elements in non-game contexts, can be harnessed as a powerful tool to foster civic engagement, behavioural change, and collaborative problem-solving in urban resilience strategies. By examining case studies from global smart cities, the chapter evaluates how game-based applications, competitions, reward systems, and digital simulations have been employed to improve waste management, energy conservation, emergency preparedness, and urban planning participation. The analysis reveals both the potential and the limitations of gamified approaches, emphasising the importance of inclusive design and data ethics.