Gamification of Urban Development Strategies: Facilitating Understanding of Stakeholder Roles and Strategies

Abstract

Cities are multifunctional entities, catering to diverse activities and populations. As a result, urban redevelopment strategies often carry important externalities and inclusive processes should be established to move from a traditional planned city to a co-productive city. The following article presents a gamification exercise as a learning activity for a course in Tourism Planning and Development. Game-elements have increasingly been included in consultation rounds as tools to improve co-creation, inclusivity, creativity, and general stakeholder support. The proposed game allowed students to increase their understanding of power-processes and stakeholder strategies, and adapt to other player goals due to the need to gather broad democratic support. Through the game, students became active participants in the creative process of redeveloping city spaces rather than purely critiquing existing plans as passive observers.