games

Pandemic Board Game

Friday Fun: CityLab Picks the Best Games of 2020

In the year of stay-at-home orders, people turned to old and new games to stay sane and stay connected.

January 1, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Video Games

Town Building Game Offers Moments of Pandemic Zen

Townscraper, a new "casual town building" game earned good reviews among early adopters this summer.

November 30, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

San Francisco Monopoly

The Benefits of Gaming to Planning Education

"Popular games that invite players to take on the role of developer or city planner are a familiar part of the cultural landscape," according to this article.

October 26, 2019 - Land Lines

Planning Consensus Game

New Planning Games Focuses on Consensus Building

A new game called Imaginable Guidelines invites participants to imagine, explore, discuss, and share their vision for the future.

March 7, 2019 - CityLab

CTA Purple Line train

Fans of Transit and/or Chicago: We Have a Card Game for You

The card game LOOP was made by people who obviously put in some serious time hanging from straps on the L.

December 8, 2018 - CityLab

Game

Sunday Fun: New Video Game Explains Land Use Politics

We're not sure if planners will find this game, since it's so close to real life, but maybe it will make a good recommendation for friends and family members?

November 11, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

Pokemon

A Few Ideas for Planning and Governance in the Digital Age

The Guardian samples prominent examples of digital natives bringing new expectations for the use of technology to the public sector.

April 11, 2017 - The Guardian

Pokémon Go

Time to Try Pokémon Go: Augmented Reality Connecting People to Places

Planners across the globe have been exploring opportunities to use augmented reality to enhance the way the public engages with the city. Over the last few days Pokémon Go took off, and now people are wandering across cities to catch Pokémon.

July 13, 2016 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

SimCity 2000

Lessons for Urban Planning in 2016—From SimCity 2000

A tech writer had a chance to revisit SimCity 2000 after years away from the game for contemporary lessons in planning.

June 25, 2016 - Inverse

SimCity 2013

The Not-So-Great Lessons of SimCity

A game encountered as a youth has brought many adults to the ranks of professional planning. What, then, is the legacy of the lessons offered by SimCity and its brethren?

February 25, 2016 - City Observatory

Oakland skyline and San Francisco Bay

Have We Got a Game for You: 'Bay Area Regional Planner'

Some people like to leave their work at the office. But maybe you're the kind of planner who likes to turn the largest challenges of the profession into a game to be enjoyed in your free time.

December 9, 2015 - Curbed SF

Fisherman's Wharf

Tips for Planners to Design Memorable Tourism Experiences

Tourists' expectations when they travel are becoming increasingly sophisticated, seeking stimulating and meaningful experiences. The new book Gamification in Tourism shares how cities are designing memorable experiences.

October 12, 2015 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Google maps screengrab of the United States

Friday Funday: New Google Maps Game Tests Your Geography Knowledge

If you're obsessed with trivia and maps, prepare to lose some hours.

July 4, 2014 - CityLab

Mini Metro

Friday Fun: Build Your Own 'Mini Metro'

It's been available since September 2013, but news of the "Mini Metro' subway layout game recently hit the web. Finally, a test for all those armchair enthusiasts who think they can make the trains run on time.

March 7, 2014 - Dinosaur Polo Club

My Future City is Houston?

The BMW Guggenheim Lab has released an online urban planning game called "Urbanology," which asks a serious of questions to determine the type of city you think is the future.

August 22, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Friday Funny: The Ultimate SimCity

Behold Magnasanti, the ultimate city built using the SimCity game with no cheats, with a population of 9 million residents.

April 16, 2010 - YouTube

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.