Germany
07.12.2020

Online Implementation of the Simulation-Board Game “Energetic Urban Development”

Our latest addition to the CRISP simulation game family came to life: we were able to implement the board game twice in its first-ever online format. 

The game called “Energetische Stadtsanierung” was originally designed to be a face-to-face board game. It introduces interested communities or individuals into the application process for the funding program 432 by the “Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau” (KfW) for energetic urban development – for a better and more sustainable use of urban spaces. The game uses a fictitious scenario and roles of actors to ask the central questions and action steps of the application. By providing a “future steps” session, the game then supports the transfer into real projects. Our simulation game is designed to give a low-threshold approach to the process: to gain an overview of the fields of action in urban energy redevelopment and to get to know the actors that are relevant to the neighborhood and the action.

Together with our partners “Begleitforschung Energetische Stadtsanierung, “Urbanizers – Büro für Städtische Konzepte” and “KEEA – Klima- und Energieeffizienz Agentur” as well as members from 6 different municipalities in Hessen, Germany, we were able to turn this into a COVID-19 safe version: participants joined in from more than 10 different locations in Hessen, Hamburg and Berlin. The board had been carefully translated into an online platform accessible to everyone and via a conferencing platform the participants were able to play: introductions, conversations and lively discussions ensued and the game truly came to life. After the final round more than one participant stated that they were motivated to get started with the funding process and that this implementation was helpful in getting the thought process started.