Pilot project - Urban games

Today´s youth have shown great interest in gaming and in “saving the planet". What if we could utilize gaming to help save the planet? This Pilot Project is investigating that possibility on an urban scale. By presenting complicated systems like cities in a gaming

format, organizations can provide opportunities for learning about urban development and sustainability.

Facilitate communication and learning
The purpose of this Pilot Project is to develop the capacity of Mistra Urban Futures to utilize processes and tools that facilitate communication and learning. This can be done through, among other things, establishing an interface that serves as a platform for crossborder meetings within the format of games and simulation programs. Another aim is to link existing and future urban games and simulation programs which are relevant to the topic and to produce new games and visualization programs. These efforts are meant to provide players and target groups with detailed images of the city and ideas about urban development. Results generated from gaming activities can provide information that can be understood and used by others.

Primary target groups and results  
The project´s primary target groups are young people in school settings and decision makers. Results expected from the program include: the establishment of a platform for dialogue, learning and influence, collaboration among national actors towards games development and application of themes, a Pilot Project prototype, and a method box for sustainable urban development.

The project has started an extensive marketing and external analysis regarding its thematic and systematic content. In addition, collaboration with a number of actors was recently initiated to start production of a number of games relating to sustainable urban development. A mapping out of the region´s relevant actors in this area is also underway.