How Can Games Transform Cities? Geogames as Tools for Research, Education, and Urban Praxis

Bruno Andrade, Alenka Poplin, Marta Brković Dodig and David Schwartz
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Bruno Andrade: School of Architecture, Federal University of Bahia—UFBA, Brazil / Salvador University—UNIFACS, Brazil
Alenka Poplin: Urban Planning and Development Department, Iowa State University, USA
Marta Brković Dodig: Technology and Society Lab, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology—EMPA, Switzerland
David Schwartz: School of Interactive Games and Media, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA

Urban Planning, 2026, vol. 11

Abstract: Geogames have matured from an emergent field in the 2000s into a transformative intersection of game design, geographic information science, and games with a purpose. This thematic issue advances the geogames research, education, and praxis agenda through 10 articles organized into two sections. Section 1 establishes geogames as rigorous research and educational instruments, exploring their theoretical foundations, methodological applications, and pedagogical value for fostering spatial literacy and emotional engagement. Section 2 demonstrates geogames as operational tools for real‐world urban planning, showcasing their implementation in participatory consultations, communicative planning, and sustainability initiatives. These contributions frame geogames as a socio‐technical epistemology rather than mere representational or engagement tools, revealing their capacity to address complex contemporary urban challenges. By bridging virtual simulation with material intervention in games, this issue presents a unified framework for reimagining research, teaching, and the transformation of urban spaces through geogames—where the concept of Gaia (Earth as a living system) converges with gameplay—in an era marked by unprecedented spatial, environmental, and social challenges.

Keywords: game‐based learning; game design; geogames; participatory planning; urban planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:urbpla:v11:y:2026:a:12351

DOI: 10.17645/up.12351

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