Digital game design for sustainable mobility: a community approach to behavioural transformation in onlife urban environments

Abstract

This research presents a case study examining how transformational game design pro- motes sustainable mobility through community psychology approaches in onlife environ- ments. The MUV platform1, developed as University of Palermo spinoff, demonstrates prac- tical integration of behavioural change models with game design principles. Longitudinal data from 2,856 users across European cities show 33.8% average carbon footprint reduction, with 14.9% daily-to-monthly active user retention. The platform’s sport-as-metaphor framework transforms routine mobility decisions into engaging activities whilst supporting empower- ment and social equality. Findings establish that university-led digital innovations can achieve meaningful individual and collective behavioural change, providing replicable pathways for scaling community psychology interventions addressing climate challenges.