Ukrainian games

Cities: Lviv, Odesa, Melitopol, Vinnytsia

Partners

British councilCenter for Urban HistoryLocal ‘players’THE people

Tram depot in Lviv

Lviv game

The first Future City Game in Ukraine was played on 25-28 of February 2009 in Lviv at the Center for Urban History of East-Central Europe (www.lvivcenter.org)

The subject for the game was ‘Regeneration of the old tram depot in Lviv”

themes

Urban regeneration through cultureAdaptation of industrial buildings to new

needsRestructuring of local economyPublic transport problems in citiesEco-balance and urban development

Lviv game venue

Lviv game_Context

Although city council is working already for some time to make a concept for development of this site, it has never involved in planning common populace of the city and local inhabitants.

The main idea before the game was to create Museum of science and municipal technology in the buildings of the tram enterprise.

Gamers at work…

Lviv game_Results

Many players mentioned in their feedback that they had come to meet and network with people with different backgrounds and different ages

In their opinion the Tram depot game was a success because in general there are few opportunities for the local government to really interact with local citizens and listen to their views, and vice versa.

Winning team

Lviv game_Results

Almost all people who were selected to play were very keen on solving their local issues

The office of tourism and recreation at the city council expressed its desire to use the game methodology as an instrument for its strategy development

Journalists not only positively represented the game but also participated in it

Presenting ideas

Lviv game_Results

One of the players decided to make an art project at this site and we start planning this event for May 2009 (it was successfully implemented)

The city council realised that majority of participants are interested in development of bicycle infrastructure, transport problems and ecology in the city (also eco-buildings)

Lviv game_what next?

Participants felt that something was unfinished after the winning faze

There is no guarantee that winning idea will find its ground in the city planning

Participants created a google group, however it did not develop into something bigger

Feeling that strong leader is needed for the project

Odesa game

27–28 of March 2009Subject: «Odesa’s hills. How they should develop?»

Game was organized by oppositional deputy from the city council

Expectations: to make problem evident however no perspectives for implementation

Partners: Civic organization «Quality of Life», NGO «Our Children»

Intercultural park in Melitopol

Melitopol game_Context

The game was initiated by the NGO "Democracy Through Culture" and the city administration of the city of Melitopol. Prior to the game, Melitopol had participated in the European Council project aimed at developing of intercultural cities.

Proposals for the regeneration of Gorky Park were subsequently submitted to the EC guests. In addition to its honey and cherry production, Melitopol boasts a truly multicultural population with a long, peaceful intermingling of more than one hundred nationalities within its confines.

themes

Problems of identity: local, national, regional global eco-balance deterioration and its impact on

southern Ukraine the consequences of post-Soviet

deindustrialization and its disastrous impact on the economy

Insufficient access to innovation through education in the city

outflow of skilled labor

City of more than 100 nationalities

Melitopol game_Context

The overall goal of the game was regeneration of Gorky Park into an intercultural park

City wants park to become the main leisure center for city residents as well as attracting tourists traveling on summer holiday to Crimea

Melitopol_Results

The selection of participants was uneven and in some cases affected how the game ran. For instance, a charismatic leader of one team generated support not by the merit of his project, but by force of personality and personal relationships

In the future, the personal friendships of participations should be taken into consideration

Melitopol park_’Fountain of Friendship’

Melitopol game_Results

There is a realistic chance that the project will receive at least partial implementation in the near future, as it is already part of a larger international project

The main obstacle to implementation is a lack of funding in the Melitopol city budget. In view of this, municipal manpower can be called upon to assist in the realization of individual project elements

Melitopol game_what next?

Developed by game ideas for city council were presented for the European Commission visitors

City council is keen to implement the project in partnership with NGO’s and European institutions

Feeling that there is no certainty with implementation and no tactics to involve citizens into the project

Melitopol_results

The Game is more effective among those clients who have, unsolicited, taken ownership of the project they wish to address by means of the Game.

Kempa island in Vinnytsia

Vinnytsia_context

Game was organized by city council’s enterprise “Institute of Urban Development”

Subject: regeneration of an island Kempa in the center of city

Organizers wanted concrete results, they invited professionals and because of this game was modified: one day event, no methodology presentation, no winners

themes

Worsening of the eco-balance in the world, wich influences regions of Ukraine

Urban regeneration, actualization of cultural and natural heritage

Deindustrialization as result of USSR dissemination, restructuring of economy

Identity problems: local, national, regional Access to innovations through education Qualified workers leave middle cities

Vinnytsia game_Head of the architecture department talking

Vinnytsia game_Results

Despite the thoroughness of approach, the game concluded with a sense of being nonetheless incomplete

Firstly, it was not clear whether to proceed with the ideas generated during the game, or continue the search for further solutions

Secondly, it is also unclear what further steps are needed in order to implement these ideas in specific project decisions

Fresh ideas generated during the game are immature enough that time is required to determine whether they can truly flourish

Vinnytsia game_Presenting ideas

Vinnytsia game_Proposals

Organizers proposed that game for professionals should be constructed in at least two stages, and the "brainstorming" portion itself should be comprised of two stages, since the first round of ideas often reflect only stereotypical paradigms

Thus the task of the first stage of the game is to give impetus to creative thinking, and expose participants to the difficulties of the search for a solution to their problem, not to expect that they will solve said problem in the first go. This is more of a training session in searching, not solving

Happy team

Vinnytsia game_Proposals

The second application of the game, perhaps leading off with the question, “what result are we looking for?”, would be significantly more intensive, and difficult

Game participants must formulate clear parameters of a specific project, following this up with one more round of idea-generation, and finally, with the preparation of well-defined, concrete project proposals suitable for presentation

Apparently this should result in a higher degree of realization of ideas generated by the game.

General conclusions

Ukrainian games were somehow new enterprise for local initiators as well as participants

Participants liked the idea of executive bodies or public officials listen to the people

Almost all games showed high creativity For participants often ideas looked

immature and therefore ‘not serious’

General conclusions

Almost during all games we have revealed a conflict between older and younger generation: education versus entertainment, innovation versus tradition, question of ownership and access

Often we have not been able to involve key stakeholders or entrepreneurs, because 2 days is difficult to reserve

General conclusions

It appeared that not everywhere game methodology or even its adaptations will have expected outcome, and this is especially evident in Post-Soviet situation

People expect that problem will be solved and if after 2 days they got only ideas without vision of implementation they may feel disappointed

We should look for the format of effective finish of the game or organizers should clearly state that what they will develop is not supposed to change the city but to help envision changes