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Massive Re‐Patterning of the Urban Landscape
Author(s) -
Sanchez Jose
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
architectural design
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.128
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1554-2769
pISSN - 0003-8504
DOI - 10.1002/ad.2088
Subject(s) - programmer , architectural engineering , block (permutation group theory) , computer science , video game , urban landscape , level design , energy (signal processing) , human–computer interaction , game design , multimedia , engineering , geography , environmental planning , statistics , geometry , mathematics , programming language
Gaming is normally seen as a way to escape reality; but could its open‐source tools be used to shape the physical environment? Architect, programmer and game designer Jose Sanchez has created the Block'hood video game as an urban simulation, with users assembling city blocks to design a community. Emerging patterns are tested against ecological and energy concerns. The outcomes both increase public understanding of these issues and present the possibility of a dialogue‐based alternative to top‐down masterplanning.