Meidling and the game with the city

Experiencing urban development through experiment on the playing field? The game is about revealing the qualities and potentials of public space, including isolated objects and large-scale configurations as well as raising awareness for unwanted processes within a city's structure. It’s is an experiment and should seduce all to play with their city.

Imagine yourself on a busy and ordinary workday. Waking up, getting ready, leaving the flat, already with your mind on the tasks you need to do first when arriving at the office. Stop right here. Rewind. Which city are you living in? What does it actually feel like when you open the house entrance door and take your first step into the urban jungle? Do you hear birds chirping, underground wheels squeaking or bike bells ringing? People chit- chatting? And what do you see? Do you take note of the tiny niches, little random squares on houses, recurring circles on pavements, ornate window lintels, wooden doors by harvestmen? Do you see edges, that can also be used for public seating? What about looking down? Do you see some water? Is there a reflection and what can you discover within this reflection? What about looking up? Do you see the thousands of chimneys on the roofs? What’s the specific odour as you leave your building? Take note! Take note of the urban venue, of which you are an active part, like an actor in a movie. What’s described above is the mindfulness, which was the starting point of my the game development. When playing the game one will have the opportunity to grasp unexploited potentials, apparently forgotten. One will also learn about common hazards, that might endanger the quality of our public spaces. This is executed with specific and realistic examples of the district of Meidling, but can be transferred to any other city. The participants will act in the role of certain stakeholders, like a political party, a citizen or an investor, each following their own ideas. It’s just like in a real city! People of different opinions, of different lifestyles and goals, living together in a dense area with the requirement to find some sort of agreement and respect for one another in order to live together in harmony. The game will be hot and cold, loud and quiet, and in the end there will always be a different outcome! Eventually I want to strengthen the participants´ sensitivity to have them develop an active role and form their city of tomorrow. Oh, and did I mention the importance of mindfulness?