One Year Later: What has Cards Against Urbanity Taught Planners?

Reflection on the education provided by the irreverent game called Cards Against Urbanity has led the game's creators to create a new, less snarky version of the game.

2 minute read

October 21, 2015, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

GreaterPlaces and DoTankDC / Cards Against Urbanity

Rachel Kaufman describes Cards Against Urbanity: "a (sanctioned) spinoff of the insanely popular Cards Against Humanity, which itself is a sort of unauthorized spinoff of the game Apples to Apples. The game works like this: One person plays a card that poses a question or fill-in-the-blank, like 'The Mayor got in trouble for crowdsourcing ________'. Each other player plays a card that they think represents the 'best' answer, like 'The poor door,' 'NIMBYs,' or 'A stress ball shaped like Richard Florida.'"

The game has proven popular enough (indeed, the news post announcing the creation of the game was the sixth most popular news story on Planetizen in 2014), that "the team behind the card game is launching a new, more serious stack of cards. Call it, if you wish, Cards For Urbanity," according to Kaufman.

"Imagine, Do Tank and Greater Places say, a Pinterest board of urban planning — but in real life. Each card will have a single concept or buzzword on it — a woonerf or a protected bike lane or sneckdown — along with an illustration and a definition. The cards are remixable and rearrangable, of course, and the team thinks everyone can use these."

Kaufman provides a lot more about the thinking behind a less snarky version of the game, especially its potential to benefit planning processes around the country. The news about the new card game comes at the one-year anniversary of the Cards Against Urbanity game.

Read the full story: How a Not-Entirely-Polite Card Game Is Changing Urban Planning

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 in Next City

Humor Urban Development United States Gamification Cards Against Urbanity Tactical Urbanism Civic Technology View More

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

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