The use of gamification for participatory smart city planning of Indonesia's new capital

Poeti Nazura Gulfira Akbar, Mareta Maulidiyanti, Ngurah Rangga Wiwesa and Anisatul Auliya

International Journal of Urban Sciences, 2025, vol. 29, issue S1, 210-231

Abstract: The implementation of participatory planning has encountered numerous challenges, including the exclusion of certain groups such as children, whose aspirations and participation are often overlooked. Earlier studies highlight how digitization has opened up new opportunities for community participation in city planning. Gamification is a technique that has become increasingly popular in recent years for optimizing the effectiveness and impact of participatory city planning. This study explores the potential of utilizing Roblox as a gamification tool in inclusive urban planning for children, using it to examine their ideal city concepts. Through workshops and semi-structured interviews with 10 primary school students in the Jakarta Metropolitan Area, we found that Roblox effectively facilitates the visualization of the built environment. Despite technical challenges, it emerges as a promising participatory tool for children in urban planning. The study identifies two prevalent themes in children's ideal cities: pollution-free environments and convenient access to public amenities. This research contributes by introducing a unique gamification approach through Roblox for involving children in urban planning discussions and filling a gap in research on gamification and children's participation that predominantly stems from Western countries. Unlike previous studies that mainly utilized games to educate children, our emphasis on understanding children's perceptions also adds to existing literature.Interactive gaming like Roblox has proven effective in eliciting children’s ideas regarding their ideal city preferences. However, follow-up interviews are still needed to explore the ideas behind their city designs.⁠Indonesian children envision their ideal city with three key themes: maintaining pollution-free air, incorporating abundant green spaces, and ensuing accessible public facilities.Involving children in the planning process not only protects their rights, but also allows practitioners to reflect, develop collaborations, and incorporate more voices into policy and urban planning.Roblox, with its ability to create customizable virtual worlds, provides a unique platform for researchers to study children’s urban design preferences. By analyzing their creations and interactions within these virtual spaces, researchers can gain valuable insights into what aspects of city life children find most important.This approach offers several advantages over traditional methods like surveys or interviews. In Roblox, children can express their ideas in a more creative and engaging way. They are not limited by pre-defined options or language barriers. This can lead to a richer understanding of their preferences and priorities.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/12265934.2024.2382699

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