ABSTRACT 'Serious games' can represent complexity
and engage people in complex and partially subjective problems and option selection.
A concept prototype is emerging to manage, inform and support collaboration in
Town Planning in relation to developing policies, regarding future city or street
shapes, and judging insertions into existing spatio-physical environments. Whilst
some of these tools are already available in a limited and specialised manner,
such as standard 3D models, there is no open and inclusive tool to allow multiple
clients to meet, experiment and shape the future of their area of concern online.
In games, where you can meet in virtual worlds, spatio-physical environments are
static whilst avatars and characters are highly dynamic - we have the inverse
requirement for experimenting with future urban form. Can we get the planner to
'play' with the 3D world in a useful and meaningful manner? Can we then meet online
and discuss possibilities for sites and districts and see our thoughts manifest
in conceptual patterns. This is the theory behind the software. Utilising urban
design patterns and planning codes from a global repository of city morphology
will be the planning contribution, with the technology the contribution from the
games industry.