On November 21, 2009, the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP, www.cstep.in) participated in Mobilicity – an “un-conference” organized by Praja (www.praja.in) to open a forum for debate about sustainable transportation in Bangalore.
At Mobilicity, CSTEP researchers took advantage of the location at the Indian Institute of Science to emphasize how experiments can be utilized in thinking about transportation and urban needs. They presented various experiments in the form of simulations and games – from the simplest urban planning games to complex computer simulation games – to promote the concept of serious gaming in the context of urban planning and sustainable development.
While some people may mistake the concept of “serious gaming” for an everyday oxymoron, hundreds – and even thousands of years ago – some of the first known serious games were already emerging in India. From the decisive game of Chaupar in the Vastraharan episode of the Mahabharata, to the ancient Indian games of chess and Moksha-Patamu (Snakes and Ladders), Indian society has long shown a deep respect for the real life insights that games can provide without any of the real life costs.
Because of these valuable insights, governments around the world now rely upon serious games to tackle complex issues such as national defense, public health, and urban planning. But Indian leaders have yet to embrace serious games as a policy tool, despite games’ robust history in this country. CSTEP aims to change this, by demonstrating once and again how games can really be considered “thought” experiments, allowing for low-cost or costless experimentation.
At Mobilicity, CSTEP showed how gaming could improve city planning in Bangalore. CSTEP invited participants to play very basic urban planning games – using mostly blocks and legos – and witness the insights such games provide. CSTEP also demonstrated some of the powerful computer simulation games that it is developing. Mobilicity participants, then, saw how all games, from the simplest to the most complex, can be exceptionally effective urban planning tools. And by coming together to play the games, they also saw how games open an interactive space for the public to engage and demonstrate its needs– making planning more participatory and thereby more effective.
