Work

Geogame‐Based Simulation for Active Mobility Planning in Socially Sustainable Cities

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The tendency to simplify urban complexity in planning, without considering diverse social and geographical contexts, can exacerbate the urban mobility crisis. Within this paradigm, geogames offer geospatial, collaborative, playful, and inclusive means of evaluating sustainable urban design projects. To achieve the main objective of this study—namely, integrating game‐based simulation into an interconnected dual‐geogame framework—Cities: Skylines (C:S) was employed to model the city of Concepción. An initial calibration geogame, Scenario A, facilitated an expert‐led diagnostic process through visualisation and exploration. Based on these findings, a participatory neighbourhood scenario (B) was designed to support active mobility planning, incorporating alternatives proposed by citizens during the Covid‐19 pandemic. This model assessed quantitative changes in agents’ modal shift preferences. Technically, C:S integrates agent‐based modelling to evaluate mobility impacts within a simulated urban environment. The results informed a second geogame, where the scenario (B) was presented and refined through collaborative co‐creation with undergraduate students. Through this process, alternative interventions were negotiated, adjusted for post‐pandemic relevance, and enriched through consensus. Students successfully co‐designed an improved version of the neighbourhood—Scenario C—focused on enhancing active mobility. These findings suggest that geogame‐based simulation can reduce uncertainties associated with agent preference shifts within C:S and facilitate consensus‐building for socially sustainable urban projects. The geogame framework contributes to developing a systemic, geospatial, playful, and inclusive approach to real‐world urban planning, providing valuable insights for the planning and design of future socially sustainable cities.

Source: Urban Planning

DOI: 10.17645/up.10590

Authors: Elías Albornoz del Valle, Francisco Núñez Cerda

Institution: University of Bío-Bío

Language: English

Topic: Urban Transport and Accessibility

Subfield: Transportation

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,132