GAMES – NOT JUST FOR FUN

Cities work in complicated, intricate, and interdependent ways. The cross-sectoral interdisciplinary realms that govern daily life in an urban setting necessitate a thorough understanding of all sectors and their interrelationships. Despite its importance, city planning and functioning receive little to no attention in the Indian school educational structure. Often students decide to join planning field for their post graduate studies where they start as architects, geographers, economists, sociologists etc. Introducing the complexities and the modalities of a city or a human settlement at school level might be complex and overwhelming, however introduction to the concepts and fundamentals with innovative ideas, can develop interest at more early stage of education.

Detangling components and breaking them down into smaller, more understandable segments can help games simplify difficult and seemingly insurmountable urban challenges while exposing students to a wide range of urban issues. Many such games already exist while others are still being developed. Introducing such interactive, role-playing city planning games has a high potential for developing student interest and familiarizing them with concepts of sustainable development goals, resilience, smart cities, and other such ideas at an early stage, allowing them to explore career paths later on as an informed student.

Detangling components and breaking them down into smaller, more understandable segments can help games simplify difficult and seemingly insurmountable urban challenges while exposing students to a wide range of urban issues. Many such games already exist while others are still being developed. Introducing such interactive, role-playing city planning games has a high potential for developing student interest and familiarising them with concepts of sustainable development goals, resilience, smart cities, and other such ideas at an early stage, allowing them to explore career paths later on as an informed student.

Although games like City Skyline, Sim city, Play urban plan, Plan it green, TOD etc. games are in the public domain, exploration of the same for educational purpose and their adoption at the curriculum level is still at a very nascent stage at a global level and almost negligible in India.

Looking at the gaming industry having a very wide audience and the capability to hold interest and inspire beyond conventional methods, it is a safe bet that students exposed to city modeling games from an early stage of education can certainly understand concepts of sustainable actions and their applications and outcomes in a more organized, evident yet fun way. These games not only focus on the over all functioning of cities but also highlight individual, community, local and regional initiatives and outcomes to achieve better, more resilient, sustainable and inclusive environments for everyone. The dynamic nature of such aspects can be more relatable while learning through real life visualizations and modelling made possible through games.

FROM

Pallavi Tiwari

Assistant Professor , School of Architecture

Lingayas Vidyapeeth