One of the neat things we are trying with Hive Mechanic is pairing paper with digital cards to make games. (Hive Mechanic is our game authoring tool for non-programmers and city leaders.) Why is this cool? Because everyone knows cards — and some cutting edge game designers use them as a creativity boost. Our inspirations […]
Simple Prototype Input Boxes featuring Makey Makey
In our search to democratize game design, our lab has been exploring the Makey Makey as a simple way to create your own “alternative controller.” The appeal in good part is that any old physical switch or button can be hooked up and function similarly to the arrow keys on a computer (plug-and-play!). Plenty of […]
New exhibit: Photo Mapping DC’s Alleys (at the District Architecture Center)
For this installation at the District Architecture Center, we invite residents of DC to “Show Us Your Alley” by cameraphone and help to reimagine public alleys. Our team’s contribution is a blend of playful visualization and what we call “conversational mapping” by text message — no apps required! The full show is ALLEY HOPPIN! Putting […]
Press release on AR as opportunity for cities, and how to remix Pokémon GO
# # # Press Release # # # June 29, 2018 Augmented reality games provide new opportunity for cities to strengthen communities and civic engagement, finds American University report New research provides case studies and best practices for cities to leverage games like Pokémon GO to achieve local goals New York City, NY — A […]
Presenting at Games for Change (update: photos)
We will launch the report at the Games for Change festival with two panels on June 29, 2018. Hear what cities did in partnership with the Knight Foundation and Niantic, Inc. at these sessions: Friday panel #1: Knight Foundation VP Sam Gill and Niantic VP Gabriel Stricker on “How Technology Is Changing Our Relationship to the Places […]
Additional Charlotte Reflections
Additional Observations and Provocations (These are not included in the official report.) Distinctive City Feature: PokéWalk What the Organizers Did: Charlotte officials and Niantic staff created a “PokéWalk,” by linking together 16 PokéStops and two gyms along a three-mile route between two parks with access to 11 neighborhoods. Blue Pokéball stencils were sprayed onto the […]
One organizer in New Bedford
The story of Pokémon GO in New Bedford could not be told without Michelle Keith, who has become an unofficial spokesperson for the game locally. Keith’s introduction to Pokémon came through the inquiry: how can this game be used to motivate people to vote? Inspired by the crowds of people playing while she and her […]
Additional Chester Reflections
Additional Observations and provocations (These are not included in the official report.) Distinctive City Feature: PastPort In partnership with Big Heritage, the city of Chester, England included two days of Pokémon GO social enterprise that engages museums, schools and communities with the past, approached the event through a historical lens. They offered antique-looking Pokémon GO […]
Provocations on the future of cities
Good lenses can amplify insights. Below are five provocations on the future of cities that help to frame our report, “Cities Remix a Playful Platform.” To guide our readers, we propose several provocations to help frame this report. For novel designs, our mental models and categories may not fit cleanly. These provocations aim to help […]
Additional San Jose reflections
Additional Observations and provocations (These are not included in the official report.) Distinctive City Feature: Golden Raid Passes On the day of the event, “Golden Raid Passes” were distributed by Niantic Ambassadors along the route. Having one of these physical passes at any of the major event stops allowed players to enter into a raffle […]