Game On: Play for Inclusive and Meaningful Engagement

Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the interactive nature of learning labs, only those with a seat may participate. Please arrive early to secure your spot!

Planners often struggle to move beyond technical jargon and traditional meeting formats when engaging communities. This presentation explores how gamifying the planning process can make engagement more accessible, inclusive, and meaningful. Presenters share real-world examples such as Place It! Workshops, board games for comprehensive plans, and survey-based Jeopardy games from California, Texas, Illinois, and elsewhere.

Take part in a hands-on Lotería activity and experience firsthand how playful, tactile methods help communities articulate values, identify multiple perspectives, and co-create visions of place.

Leave with practical strategies to:

• Break down barriers of language, culture, and planning expertise;

• Foster equitable and inclusive dialogue among diverse stakeholders; and

• Translate community input into actionable planning decisions.

By grounding engagement in lived experiences and place-based values, gamified approaches strengthen communication, build trust, and demonstrate the real-world impact of planning decisions. Obtain tools to integrate play into your own engagement processes, thereby transforming passive feedback into active collaboration, amplifying diverse voices, and generating co-created, actionable community visions.
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