Phase II: The Urban Science epistemic role playing game

After we know how urban planners learn to become urban planners, we can start to design a learning environment modeled on those practices.

In the Urban Science epistemic role playing game, students will act as urban planners charged with the task of creating a comprehensive land use plan for their neighborhood. They will conduct a site visit, meet with stakeholders via handheld GPS units, and utilize Geographic Information Systems technology to generate their plans and communicate with their stakeholder groups. Finally, students will have the opportunity to present their proposed plans to practicing planners.
The task they will be presented with will not be easy. Just as urban planners must consider the wants and needs of the residents of the city they serve, so too will the students in the Urban Science epistemic game. Through their planning efforts, they will learn that land use decisions always have consequences. By realizing how those consequences affect all parts of their city, students will begin to understand ecological issues, especially those that pertain to how human beings interact with the complex urban system that must ultimately sustain them.