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Participatory Chinatown (0 comments)
Play Game >> Brief Description
Participatory Chinatown seeks to pair gaming with the traditional town-hall meeting. Donning virtual avatars, residents explore Chinatown in someone else's shoes to complete virtual quests that highlight planning issues and encourage collaboration and discussion. The game combines virtual interaction, physical deliberation, and Web-based input to foster extended community participation.
Release Date May 3, 2010Developer Muzzy Lane
Project Lead Eric Gordon
Press Coverage
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2010/05/06/chinatown_the_video_game/ http://shareable.net/blog/participatory-chinatown http://www.boston.com/yourtown/brookline/articles/2010/05/03/chinatown_community_meeting_features_video_game/ http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/05/04/shaping-future-chinatown-game http://www.hastac.org/blogs/amandaucsc/interview-eric-gordon-participatory-chinatown http://bit.ly/b7Wysz (World Journal, in Chinese)
Press Release URLhttp://www.mapc.org/news/news-releases/urban-planning-video-game
Full Description
Participatory Chinatown is a 3-D immersive game designed to be part of the master planning process for Boston’s Chinatown. You assume the role of one of 15 virtual residents and you work to complete their assigned quest - finding a job, housing, or place to socialize. But look out! Sometimes language skills, income level, or other circumstances can make your task more challenging. Whatever your experience, you’ll then be tasked with considering the future of the neighborhood by walking through and commenting on proposed development sites. The game can be played in a group or as a single player experience. In both cases, you’ll be interacting with the community, either face-to-face or through their comments within the game. Every one of your comments and decisions will be shared with real life decision-makers and play a role in the future of the neighborhood.
Purpose
Participatory Chinatown seeks to shift the dynamic within community meetings that, for many populations, have high barriers to participation. At traditional town-hall meetings, planners and officials give presentations about neighborhood issues, and then ask for community input into important planning decisions. With this model, there is an expectation that residents draw upon planning literacies that they may not possess.
Our game enhances this process by combining gameplay, virtual interaction, physical deliberation, and Web-based discussion to give residents multiple entry-points into the planning process. This type of participation allows all ages to participate, and also fosters inter-generational collaboration amongst stakeholders. Unlike most meetings, which facilitate a one-time dialogue, Participatory Chinatown invites residents to continue their gameplay and discussion using a Web-based version of the game.
MetricsHow are you measuring results?
We employ surveys and interviews for community members who use the game as part of a community meeting. Follow-up interviews will be conducted later this year. We will also track the use of the game by online participants.
What outcomes have been measured?
We have measured satisfaction and significance of engagement with the civic process. We want to understand how the game can both produce a one-time meaningful experience and provide incentive for continued participation. Because the game just launched on May 3, 2010, we have not had the opportunity to analyze our data.
Non-Profit involved: yes
Funding Sources: MacArthur
Budget
Overall: 420,000
Secured: 170,000
Game Tags
Participation, urban planning, role-play, planning, civic engagement, city, deliberation
Where you can play this game The game was designed to be played during community planning meetings, breaking large groups into tables of up to 15 players. The game can also be played single-player at http://participatorychinatown.org.
Contacts
General Eric Gordon, eric_gordon@emerson.edu
Press Amanda Linehan, alinehan@mapc.org
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