Towards a Typology of Urban Gamification

Abstract

This paper aims to propose a tentative typology of urban play in the wider frame of gamification. Based on the semiotic features of urban spaces and of human activities within them. The paper starts by outlining the existing perspectives on urban gamification and by describing the semiotic feature of urban spaces. Based on these, the author constructs a brief typology of urban gamification in regard of the kind of action undertaken and how it involves the city. Finally, a few examples are analyzed by the mean of this typology, underlining how playful activities of urban gamification can influence the citizens' perception and interpretation of the urban environment.

Automatic Recognition of Playful Physical Activity Opportunities of the Urban Environment

“…For the traceurs interviewed by Ameel & Tani [2], parkour seemed to be a way of continuing to use public space in a childlike manner, and Leone [22] goes as far as describing parkour as a desire to turn the entire city into an entertainment park. Thibault [50] elaborates this through a threefold playful characterization: playing in the city, playing with the city, and also playing the city by escaping and opposing its logic.…”

Transurbanism

“…Smart cities have also been accused of technocentrism, and the "Playable City" has been suggested as an alternative [63]. Building on strategies of gamification [41,80] and on the importance of play in urban spaces [76,27], many recent urbanistic approaches focus on playful ways of involving citizens in city-making so to ensure their right to the city [50]. For example participatory design [34] and "DIY urbanism" [18] aim respectively to involve residents in urbanistic projects and to reshape city spaces through grassroots, bottom-up actions [67].…”

Understanding urban gamification - playful meaning-making in real and digital city spaces

“…Playable Cities, a concept developed by the Watershed in Bristol, are proposed as an alternative the technocentrism and coldness of Smart Cities (see also de Lange 2015 andNijholt 2017). Finally, Urban Gamification (Thibault 2019) claims that urban play can be instrumental for empowering citizens and help them reappropriating public spaces.…”