Urban Nature Games for integrating nature-based solutions in urban planning: A review

Abstract

Adopting nature-based solutions (NbS) in urban planning is not mainstream due to insufficient knowledge or incentives for implementation. Game-based approaches may increase NbS adoption by educating urban stakeholders and engaging them in the planning process. Here, we develop a conceptual framework for assessing various games’ main purpose (educational, interventional, or for research) and how they capture important concepts of NbS and urban planning, including promoted nature values (intrinsic, instrumental, or relational), types of capital, and spatio-temporal scale. Next, we compile a database of 69 ‘Urban Nature Games’, including 22 of ‘high relevance’ to urban planning and NbS based on our analysis. Most games were educational, addressed city or regional scales, and promoted instrumental nature values. Our database and mapping of the high-relevance games against urban planning processes and NbS types help educators, practitioners, and researchers select the most suitable games according to their needs. This research lays the groundwork for a consolidated assessment of Urban Nature Games’ relevance, scope, and practice.