PLACE GAME is an urban game-session that helped us to think of how to turn our space on the factory into a working public space. The game was carried out in Abastan by Urban Research Team members: Polina Shurupova, Matvei Garapach, Tanya Grunina
The team was thinking: at the moment of the building renovation, what can happen on the factory's yard? It has to be public, social – but isn’t it dangerous? How this territory can contribute to the community development? or to the town development? do the town even needs this territory?
To answer these questions Abastan citizens have played this fun non-serious urban game – the Urban Research team had adopted placemaking algorithms to factory territories. The algorithms help the users of the space to come up with ways to improve the space. During the first (and, at this moment, the only) session, the users were Abastan citizens, who attempted to imagine ways to make empty areas usable and pleasant.
Workshop programme
Step by step guide
1. First step
Urban Research Team created a game form for Abastan citizens to empower the brainstorming on how to turn a factory space into a public space.
2. Methodology
The team used the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) methodology to develop the game form and run the game.
3. Starting the workshop
We met all together, grouped into teams and filled out the game form individually looking thoroughly at the space, noticing the details we have not paid attention before.
4. Solving problems
Personal response depends on the viewer's thoughts and values individually. This might be sometimes in conflict with cultural values. Thus we discussed the findings in groups.
5. Identifying opportunities
Each group then presented their insights on how to improve the place in a form of 1 minute performances in front of other Abastan citizens.
6. Insights impact
The group insights should be used to develop the way on how we perceive the space in general, as well as to improve the certain parts of the space with minimal effort.
Insights from the PLACE GAME to be published by mid November 2022.
