Why URBAN PLAY?

Urban planning is more than individual buildings – it is about the living interplay of urban building blocks. URBAN PLAY makes these complex interactions tangible for prospective students and first-year students: through comparing, deciding, and discussing.

Urban planning shapes the framework for how we live together: Where do housing and workplaces emerge? How do we get from A to B? Where do we relax, where do we shop?

Unlike architecture, which designs individual buildings, urban planning thinks in broader contexts: neighbourhoods, city districts, entire regions. In doing so, various – often contradictory – goals must be reconciled:

• → Compact City: Short distances, low land consumption, good public transport connections
• → Climate Adaptation: Green spaces for infiltration, shading, and fresh air
• → Social Mix: Affordable housing alongside premium housing, different generations
• → Mixed Use: Vibrant neighbourhoods instead of mono-functional zones

URBAN PLAY makes these trade-off processes tangible through play: Which urban building blocks fit together? Where do synergies emerge, where do conflicts arise?

The 24 urban building blocks were selected according to the following criteria:

• 01 Architectural Quality: All projects are distinguished by high architectural quality and have been published in renowned professional journals.
• 02 Representativeness: Each of the six categories showcases typical and innovative solutions for its respective use. The four cards per category represent different variants: from the detached single-family house to the townhouse, from the kindergarten to the university.
• 03 Comparability: The projects feature different density values to enable interesting comparisons in the game.

The first edition was developed in the winter semester 2024/25 together with students. New projects are added each year.