---
_id: '13000'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: 'The following paper examines how gamification principles can expand citizen
engagement and participatory processes in the Smart City. Smart city data in particular
can be communicated excellently via digital media, regardless of location and
time, due to the way it is technologically generated, stored and processed. Consequently,
it makes sense to develop separate digital visualizations and tools for citizens,
which on the one hand explain relevant relationships in a generally understandable
way and on the other hand can reduce the high technological complexity. Especially
in recent times, new formats of digital citizen participation have been emerging,
some of which are specially developed between actors in urban development and
media agencies (i.e. ZebraLog, Decidim, etc.). It is not uncommon that also the
latest technologies such as VR glasses, digital twins, etc. come to use. But despite
all the technological innovation, one of the basic problems of classic participation
remains unsolved: The mix of participating citizens does not reflect the diversity
of society even remotely. Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in particular
are not sufficiently reached and hence not included; instead, it tends to be the
educated middle class that participates "who may be passionate about certain issues
and ignore larger issues" (Ampatzidou et al. 2018; Akers 2022). Moreover, digital
platforms require the decision to actively access it online. Against the background
of this challenge, the two research teams of the Institute for Design Strategies
at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Ostwestfalen-Lippe are trying to
link digital Smart City techniques with the potential of gamification by building
and testing very simple and analog tools and methods. In these the linked digital
data tends to take place much more in the background while the joy of playing
with tangible elements could support citizen engagement and behavioural changes
in an easier way. This paper looks at a selection of six applied methods and formats
that the team has tested in the public spaces of the medium sized city Detmold,
Germany, in a completely or partially analog way in 2024. Topics such as urban
planning, data security, mobility, climate change and the Smart City itself were
discussed in the formats. The methods tested serve as supplementary elements to
online participation and as a further development of classic outreach. Categorizations
of gamification elements were reviewed for the analysis. In addition, the methods
were classified at different levels of participation according to Cardullo and
Kitchin based on Arnstein''s work. The paper also takes a critical look at the
statement that "Many believe that technological advancements in communication
will support a bright new era of political engagement and dialogue" (Green 2020)
and that digitalization is therefore the panacea for participation. Furthermore,
it has been examined how power imbalances can be countered and a more inviting
environment for participatory practices can be achieved.'
author:
- first_name: Mareile
full_name: Licht, Mareile
id: '83590'
last_name: Licht
orcid: 0009-0001-2892-6767
- first_name: Kyra
full_name: Albrecht, Kyra
id: '76999'
last_name: Albrecht
- first_name: Mohamed Khaled
full_name: Ashmawy, Mohamed Khaled
id: '81286'
last_name: Ashmawy
- first_name: Marie-Joelle
full_name: Scholten-Reintjes, Marie-Joelle
id: '85569'
last_name: Scholten-Reintjes
- first_name: Ulrich
full_name: Nether, Ulrich
id: '27292'
last_name: Nether
orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4877-1691
- first_name: Axel
full_name: Häusler, Axel
id: '61520'
last_name: Häusler
orcid: 0009-0001-8565-8199
citation:
ama: 'Licht M, Albrecht K, Ashmawy MK, Scholten-Reintjes MJ, Nether U, Häusler A.
Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from Participation and Communication
Processes. (Schrenk M, Popovich T, Zeile P, et al., eds.). CORP - Competence
Center of Urban and Regional Planning ; 2025:553-564. doi:10.48494/REALCORP2025.6032'
apa: 'Licht, M., Albrecht, K., Ashmawy, M. K., Scholten-Reintjes, M.-J., Nether,
U., & Häusler, A. (2025). Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from Participation
and Communication Processes. In M. Schrenk, T. Popovich, P. Zeile, P. Elisei,
C. Beyer, J. Ryser, & U. Trattnig (Eds.), REAL CORP 2025: Urban innovation
to boldly go where no cities have gone before - medium sized cities and towns
as a major arena of global urbanisation : proceedings of 30th International Conference
on Urban Planning, Regional Development and Information Society (pp. 553–564).
CORP - Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning . https://doi.org/10.48494/REALCORP2025.6032'
bjps: 'Licht M et al. (2025) Gamification in the Smart City: Insights
from Participation and Communication Processes, Schrenk M et al. (eds). Vienna:
CORP - Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning .'
chicago: 'Licht, Mareile, Kyra Albrecht, Mohamed Khaled Ashmawy, Marie-Joelle Scholten-Reintjes,
Ulrich Nether, and Axel Häusler. Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from
Participation and Communication Processes. Edited by Manfred Schrenk, Tatiana
Popovich, Peter Zeile, Pietro Elisei, Clemens Beyer, Judith Ryser, and Uwe Trattnig.
REAL CORP 2025: Urban Innovation to Boldly Go Where No Cities Have Gone before
- Medium Sized Cities and Towns as a Major Arena of Global Urbanisation : Proceedings
of 30th International Conference on Urban Planning, Regional Development and Information
Society . Proceedings of International Conference on Urban Development, Regional
Planning and Information Society. Vienna: CORP - Competence Center of Urban and
Regional Planning , 2025. https://doi.org/10.48494/REALCORP2025.6032.'
chicago-de: 'Licht, Mareile, Kyra Albrecht, Mohamed Khaled Ashmawy, Marie-Joelle
Scholten-Reintjes, Ulrich Nether und Axel Häusler. 2025. Gamification in the
Smart City: Insights from Participation and Communication Processes. Hg. von
Manfred Schrenk, Tatiana Popovich, Peter Zeile, Pietro Elisei, Clemens Beyer,
Judith Ryser, und Uwe Trattnig. REAL CORP 2025: Urban innovation to boldly
go where no cities have gone before - medium sized cities and towns as a major
arena of global urbanisation : proceedings of 30th International Conference on
Urban Planning, Regional Development and Information Society . Proceedings
of International Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and Information
Society. Vienna: CORP - Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning . doi:10.48494/REALCORP2025.6032,
.'
din1505-2-1: 'Licht, Mareile ; Albrecht, Kyra ; Ashmawy,
Mohamed Khaled ; Scholten-Reintjes,
Marie-Joelle ; Nether, Ulrich
; Häusler, Axel ; Schrenk,
M. ; Popovich, T. ; Zeile, P. ; Elisei,
P. ; Beyer, C. ; Ryser,
J. ; Trattnig, U. (Hrsg.):
Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from Participation and Communication
Processes, Proceedings of International Conference on Urban Development,
Regional Planning and Information Society. Vienna : CORP - Competence Center
of Urban and Regional Planning , 2025'
havard: 'M. Licht, K. Albrecht, M.K. Ashmawy, M.-J. Scholten-Reintjes, U. Nether,
A. Häusler, Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from Participation and Communication
Processes, CORP - Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning , Vienna, 2025.'
ieee: 'M. Licht, K. Albrecht, M. K. Ashmawy, M.-J. Scholten-Reintjes, U. Nether,
and A. Häusler, Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from Participation
and Communication Processes. Vienna: CORP - Competence Center of Urban and
Regional Planning , 2025, pp. 553–564. doi: 10.48494/REALCORP2025.6032.'
mla: 'Licht, Mareile, et al. “Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from Participation
and Communication Processes.” REAL CORP 2025: Urban Innovation to Boldly Go
Where No Cities Have Gone before - Medium Sized Cities and Towns as a Major Arena
of Global Urbanisation : Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Urban
Planning, Regional Development and Information Society , edited by Manfred
Schrenk et al., CORP - Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning , 2025,
pp. 553–64, https://doi.org/10.48494/REALCORP2025.6032.'
short: 'M. Licht, K. Albrecht, M.K. Ashmawy, M.-J. Scholten-Reintjes, U. Nether,
A. Häusler, Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from Participation and Communication
Processes, CORP - Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning , Vienna, 2025.'
ufg: 'Licht, Mareile u. a.: Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from
Participation and Communication Processes, hg. von Schrenk, Manfred u. a., Vienna
2025 (Proceedings of International Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning
and Information Society).'
van: 'Licht M, Albrecht K, Ashmawy MK, Scholten-Reintjes MJ, Nether U, Häusler A.
Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from Participation and Communication
Processes. Schrenk M, Popovich T, Zeile P, Elisei P, Beyer C, Ryser J, et al.,
editors. REAL CORP 2025: Urban innovation to boldly go where no cities have gone
before - medium sized cities and towns as a major arena of global urbanisation :
proceedings of 30th International Conference on Urban Planning, Regional Development
and Information Society . Vienna: CORP - Competence Center of Urban and Regional
Planning ; 2025. (Proceedings of International Conference on Urban Development,
Regional Planning and Information Society).'
conference:
end_date: 2025-04-16
location: Graz
name: 30th International Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and
Information Society
start_date: 2025-04-14
date_created: 2025-06-23T11:18:53Z
date_updated: 2026-04-01T12:54:28Z
ddc:
- '910'
department:
- _id: DEP1055
doi: 10.48494/REALCORP2025.6032
editor:
- first_name: Manfred
full_name: Schrenk, Manfred
last_name: Schrenk
- first_name: Tatiana
full_name: Popovich, Tatiana
last_name: Popovich
- first_name: Peter
full_name: Zeile, Peter
last_name: Zeile
- first_name: Pietro
full_name: Elisei, Pietro
last_name: Elisei
- first_name: Clemens
full_name: Beyer, Clemens
last_name: Beyer
- first_name: Judith
full_name: Ryser, Judith
last_name: Ryser
- first_name: Uwe
full_name: Trattnig, Uwe
last_name: Trattnig
has_accepted_license: '1'
keyword:
- citizen
- smart city
- gamification
- participation
- communication
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/392923707_Gamification_in_the_Smart_City_Insights_from_Participation_and_Communication_Processes
oa: '1'
page: 553-564
place: Vienna
publication: 'REAL CORP 2025: Urban innovation to boldly go where no cities have gone
before - medium sized cities and towns as a major arena of global urbanisation :
proceedings of 30th International Conference on Urban Planning, Regional Development
and Information Society '
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 2521-3938
isbn:
- 978-3-9504945-4-9
publication_status: published
publisher: 'CORP - Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning '
quality_controlled: '1'
series_title: Proceedings of International Conference on Urban Development, Regional
Planning and Information Society
status: public
title: 'Gamification in the Smart City: Insights from Participation and Communication
Processes'
type: conference_editor_article
user_id: '83778'
year: '2025'
...