Participatory Chinatown - Gaming for Urban Planning

[Source: Participatory Chinatown, July 6, 2011]

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. Every one of your comments and decisions will be shared with real life decision-makers.

The game can be played either as a multi-player experience where players gather in a physical meeting hall, or as a single-player experience on the web.

Participatory Chinatown has been voted into the Top 5 Social Impact Games of 2010 by the Games for Change community.
The project was funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation