Public Play Space - Turning Urban Spaces into Public Places with Games and Play

Abstract

This volume is articulated in two sections. The first section, titled “Reflections on Play, Games And Placemaking”, develops a theoretical investigation on the topics of play, games and placemaking in the evolutionary scenario shaped by the digital revolution. Key notions and critical aspects are introduced, delineating the conceptual framework that upholds research activities, lessons learned and the new research questions posed by the project. The second section is called “The Public Play Space Open Methodology”. It systematically describes the Public Play Space experience and activities, with the objective of expounding the research method at the core of the Public Play Space Open Methodology. Conceived as an open toolbox to support participatory design strategies mediated by play and digital technologies, this section not only describes the new tools developed to implement participatory design, but also offers a critical analysis of the research process itself.