Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI
Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI

Project

MobileCityGame

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Using a cooperative and interdisciplinary approach of gamification, citizen science and participation, the interdisciplinary research project MobileCityGame develops a computer-based serious game for the low-threshold and generally comprehensible illustration of complex traffic and urban planning contexts and decision options. Existing simulation models of traffic planning and development as well as technology and behavioral data are linked to a dynamic overall model with a planning horizon until 2050. The result of MobileCityGame is a fully operational and calibrated demonstrator of an interactive simulation game for urban sustainability and mobility policy using the example of the city of Karlsruhe.

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Designing sustainable mobility and transport systems in urban areas poses an enormous challenge due to limited space and the conflict of interests and objectives in terms of land use, lifestyle and quality of life, environmental and climate protection, economic efficiency, competitiveness, and comfort. New technologies and new forms of organizing mobility such as automated driving and ridesharing are making the design of sustainable urban mobility increasingly complex - but also exciting. The development of future concepts that fulfill all the dimensions of sustainability and are supported by as many interest groups as possible requires the active participation of citizens, companies and municipal offices. This is where the project MobileCityGame comes in with a fun and playful approach.  

Based on a cooperative and interdisciplinary approach of gamification, citizen science and participation, the MobileCityGame offers a low-threshold and generally understandable platform to communicate the complex interrelations, possibilities and limits of the design of urban mobility systems for private individuals, educational institutions, science and municipalities. The users of MobileCityGame should thus gain a playful insight into the possibilities, limits, dependencies and effects of different approaches to urban mobility policy.

MobileCityGame is also intended to enable urban decision-makers to test and evaluate strategy and action options up to the year 2050 simply, quickly and cost-effectively. It thus complements common procedures for the preparation of transport development plans by adding a strategic and participatory component. Overall, MobileCityGame is intended to make the cooperative and sustainable design of urban and mobility space easier and more transparent, in order to make it more livable and to arouse interest in politics and participation.

In the project MobileCityGame, a computer-based simulation game of the category “serious game“ is developed based on validated environmental, traffic and behavioral models. Existing simulation tools for traffic and economy of the project partners such as mobiTopp of KIT or ASTRA and ALADIN of Fraunhofer ISI, as well as data and analyses on technology and behavior trends are reduced to their essential functions and linked to a dynamic overall model via procedures of model-based system development. The modular system covers the following sub-areas:

  • Population and spatial development,
  • mobility services and infrastructures,
  • behavioral trends, new technologies, and
  • energy systems.

The overall model forms the computational core of the simulation game MobileCityGame. In it, the computational core is supplemented by an interactive user interface with concrete features of the city of Karlsruhe. The players can choose from a variety of measures to influence and improve mobility and the cityscape, develop futures and experience their effects along the basic principles of sustainability: environmental, social, economic.

The basic features of the game take up existing serious game concepts such as Energetika or Twist++. Based on the runnable model calibrated for the city of Karlsruhe, interactive user workshops on strategy building for Karlsruhe until 2050 are conducted.

Reducing complexity while preserving the essential interrelationships, interdependencies and impacts of different optional strategies and measures is the main scientific challenge of the MobileCityGame project.

The result of MobileCityGame is a fully operational and calibrated demonstrator of an interactive simulation game for urban sustainability and mobility policy for Karlsruhe. Fields of application of the serious game will be explored by involving potential users from public administration, mobility providers and civil society and translated into a suitable game design.

In addition to testing new participatory formats using the simulation game, MobileCityGame also provides information on the preferences of the players by evaluating the course of the game. These provide valuable information for social science mobility research.
 

Duration

01.09.2020 - 30.08.2023