Kiez ActionBound

EXPLORATION & KNOWLEDGE SHARING

KiezActionBound helps to discover a neighbourhood with gamification. It’s based on the Actionbound app, a tool for creating educational games such as digital treasure hunts, mobile adventures, and interactive guides.

Short summary of the practice

The practice is the digital Kieztraum treasure hunt with the app actionbound. Here you can expect a treasure hunt through Berlin-Wedding, which will take you to the favorite places of the residents. The hunt will not just show you the places, but collects ideas and opinions of the players, while they walk in the physical space. The hunt will be rewarded with points and can be “played” against other players.

neighbourhood research, citizen science, city discovering, digital tool, education practice, gamification, neighbourhood, treasure hunt, urban learning

Goal of the practice

Discover new places in the city through a game.

Target group

The actions bund was addressed to the general public, with a specific focus on the local citizens around the QM area Pankstraße in Berlin.

Number of participants: Unlimited

Age of participants: Children, Youth and Adults, 11+

Materials

Internet access
Phone

Method settings

KiezActionBound was design for Berlin, however, Actionbound app can be used in any city.

Duration

Could be some minutes or hours according on how long you want to play the hunt

Preparation

Without much preparation.

Step by step guide

The Kieztraum Actionbound was developed based on the findings and experiences of the Kieztraum project. Recognizing the limitations on physical interaction during the Covid pandemic, there was a growing need to re-establish a connection between citizens and their neighbourhoods and gather ideas for positive changes within the community.

The Actionbound, as a mobile and digital tool, provided the perfect opportunity to engage people during their walks and leisure time while ensuring an entertaining experience.The primary objective of the Kieztraum Actionbound was to guide participants to explore and discover the top 5 favorite spots of their neighbours within the neighbourhood. These favorite places were previously collected through community mapping events held prior to the pandemic. By incorporating interactive elements, the Actionbound encouraged participants to answer questions and complete tasks in order to progress through the quest. The questions prompted them to reflect on their surroundings, comment on the traffic situation, share their ideas for potential improvements, and even submit videos showcasing other aspects they appreciated in the neighbourhood.

The data collected through the Actionbound served as a valuable resource for co-creating action plans with local residents. By engaging citizens in this interactive and participatory process, the project aimed to harness the collective wisdom and creativity of the community to initiate positive changes.

The input provided by participants through their responses, comments, and videos helped shape the action plans and guide the implementation of initiatives to enhance the neighbourhood.

Through the Kieztraum Actionbound, citizens were able to actively contribute to the development of their own community while enjoying an engaging and entertaining experience during their walks.

The digital platform facilitated the collection of valuable data and ideas, fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment among participants. By leveraging the power of technology and community engagement, the Kieztraum project successfully reconnected citizens with their neighbourhood, transforming their ideas and aspirations into tangible action plans for a vibrant and improved local environment. At the same time the “player” has to answer questions to get the next clue and continue the quest. Beside questions, they receive as well tasks, like commenting on the traffic situation, explaining what they would like to change at a spot or submitting a video of what else they like. The data is collected in the action bound and is used to co-create action plans with locals.

Expected output

Collection of Data: The Actionbound serves as a platform for gathering valuable data from participants. This data can include responses to questions, comments on specific locations, and even videos or multimedia submissions. These inputs provide insights into the perceptions, ideas, and concerns of the community regarding their neighbourhood.

Identification of Top Favorite Spots: Through the Actionbound, participants are guided to explore and discover the top 5 favorite spots of their neighbours within the neighbourhood. This information helps identify key areas of interest and significance within the community, which can be further analyzed.

Enhanced Understanding of Community Needs and Aspirations: The interactive elements of the Actionbound, such as questions and tasks, allow participants to reflect on their surroundings and express their opinions. This leads to an improved understanding of the community’s needs, aspirations, and desires for positive changes within their neighbourhood.

Co-Creation of Action Plans: The data and insights collected through the Actionbound serve as a foundation for co-creating action plans with local residents. The information provided by participants helps inform the development of initiatives, projects, or interventions aimed at improving the neighbourhood. The input received during the Actionbound process ensures that the action plans are aligned with the community’s desires and reflect their priorities.

Engagement and Empowerment of Participants: The Actionbound engages participants in an interactive and participatory process. By actively involving them in exploring their neighbourhood, answering questions, and completing tasks, the Actionbound fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment among participants. They become active contributors to the improvement of their community and feel a greater connection to their neighbourhood.

Tangible Improvements in the Neighbourhood: The ultimate goal of the Kieztraum Actionbound is to initiate positive changes within the neighbourhood. By leveraging the data, insights, and ideas generated through the Actionbound, action plans can be implemented to address the community’s needs and aspirations. These tangible improvements may include enhancements to public spaces, transportation, community services, or other aspects identified as priorities by the participants.

DOs, DONTs and ethical considerations of the method

DOs of the method:

Be aware before posting that will be not cliché or discriminant

DONTs of the method:

Avoid sharing sensitive, sexual or racist content.

Change the method brings to the communities

During the pandemic the Actionbound offered the locals entertainment and something to do, while at the same time ideas and perspectives on the neighbourhood had been collected by the Kieztraum project team. The input became part of the process to co-design local activities and action plans after the lock-down. The Actionbound is still online and played and in this way documents changes and new perspectives on the area.

Adaptation/Application of the method

Everyone can create theirown a city treasure hunt using Actioinbound app. Learn how consulting these Actionbond video tutorials

The Actionbobund Teacher’s and Educational Licenses have been specially developed for pedagogical use. They’ll make it easy for teachers/educators/facilitatoros to get started. Teachers can use these licenses without any limitation in terms of the number of participants or the Bounds created. Students can also create their own Bounds using your Teacher’s License– so it’s simple for teachers to protect student’s privacy.

Credit, References, and Resources

Link to the KiezActionBound app – https://de.actionbound.com/bound/crn?setlang

Actioinbound original app – https://en.actionbound.com/?setlang

Actionbound resources – https://en.actionbound.com/resources

Collaborative Decision-Making