Transforming cities through play: Fabio Viola on gamification’s role in shaping inclusive communities
City Pets at Lucca Comics & Games: a journey through play, storytelling, and urban inclusion
November 8, 2024
La forza delle storie: intervista a Pierdomenico Baccalario
November 8, 2024
Transforming cities through play: Fabio Viola on gamification’s role in shaping inclusive communities
At Lucca Comics & Games, from October 30 to November 3, 2024, our team in Lucca showcased City Pets, an innovative card game aimed at strengthening connections between people and animals in urban environments. Designed to promote empathy and responsible pet ownership among children, the game encourages positive interactions between humans and animals in the city.
Fabio Viola, a pioneer in gamification and game design, joined us at the event for an insightful conversation about the potential of gamification to inspire positive behaviors in urban settings, address complex city challenges, and foster more inclusive communities.
Interview with Fabio Viola
Q: What advantages can gamification bring to relationships between children and animals in an urban setting?
“Many of you will surely remember Tamagotchis. Tamagotchis were nothing more than virtual creatures, virtual pets that entered the digital realm of children, but often of adults as well. So, what does this example tell us? It shows how the mechanics of gaming and gamification can create new forms of empathy and connect younger generations to the themes of nature, flora, and in our specific case, fauna. Thus, gamification can serve as a catalyst for generating positive actions, such as taking care of an animal, visiting a dog park, and ensuring that pet waste is properly collected. It stimulates, reinforces, or even discourages behaviors that we consider negative through gameplay.”
Q: Lucca aims to become the first pet-friendly city in Europe. Can you give us concrete examples of how gamification can address real urban challenges?
“I have often worked on a gamified approach in favor of a territory. For example, in Alghero, the Play Alghero strategy has been using games for years as a vehicle for both tourists and residents to discover all the cultural and natural tourist attractions of the area. A series of games and free access, some analog and some digital, encourage people to visit all eleven cultural sites in the city through a sticker album that can only be completed by physically visiting each location. In other cities, like Copenhagen, there is significant work being done on the issue of overtourism, which has also become a problem in Italy. A series of campaigns, based on gameplay through missions, rewards, and rankings, motivate citizens, and especially tourists, to engage in virtuous actions that combat overtourism. Other examples are related to ecological awareness, with various cities implementing projects that utilize gaming structures and gamification to promote recycling and foster a social and altruistic approach toward others. There are many cases where cities use play as a positive element of urban regeneration.”
Q: Many adults see gaming as “child’s play.” How can gamification build more inclusive communities?
“Even today, there’s resistance towards games and video games, which are seen as mere entertainment tools. However, studies now show us that playing is synonymous with learning; through play, it’s easier to stay engaged, and when you’re engaged, it’s easier to learn. I always say, “Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, engage me and I learn.” For instance, in some countries, video games have become mandatory educational materials. In classrooms, students play video games that impart knowledge about civic education, history, or geography. Even more frequently, video games are used in video game therapy, which is part of psychological treatment processes, especially among young people. Paradoxically, what seems to be a problem becomes the antidote. Of course, we are talking about controlled play, supervised by experts. Play then becomes a gateway to socialization because most video games today are multiplayer, and when used judiciously, they help break down initial barriers. They are often used by young people to externalize their identities. Through avatars, they can freely express themselves in ways that do not necessarily correspond to their physical existence, without the judgment of others. There are already many examples of this, so when used well, video games can be a tool for inclusivity.”
Fabio Viola’s insights leave us with a lot to think about as we continue to explore innovative ways to spark positive behavioral changes in urban environments. If you’re interested in learning more about the power of storytelling and how it can help shape inclusive communities, be sure to also check out our interview with Pier Domenico Baccalario.
