Game-Changing Cities: Toward Sustainable Transportation with Citizen Science in Bologna’s Living Lab

Climate change poses a significant threat to the well-being of humanity, territories, and resources. In the city of Bologna, Italy, environmental, societal, and digital challenges mirror those experienced globally in urban spaces such as air pollution, and intense urban mobility stemming from escalating urbanization. Addressing these issues, the H2020 I-CHANGE project,  "Individual Change of HAbits Needed for Green European transition," aims to demonstrate the potential for collective behavioral change by actively engaging civil society in innovative citizen science initiatives (Goudeseune et al., 2020; Vohland, 2021). University of Bologna established the Bologna Living Lab, involving a broad network of stakeholders based on the Quintuple Helix of Innovation (Carayannis et al., 2012), to enhance awareness of climate change impacts in urban areas and encourage behavioral shifts toward more socially and environmentally sustainable lifestyles.

Despite ongoing scholarly debates surrounding the definition of citizen science and its capacity to generate accessible and democratic knowledge, the I-CHANGE project embraces a participatory approach. The research methodology incorporates serious game techniques, traditionally applied in educational contexts, to augment citizen science activities. These serious games, blending serious objectives with playful elements, create immersive and engaging experiences, motivating participants to actively contribute to scientific endeavors. This integration marks a paradigm shift in citizen science, fostering increased public involvement in data collection, analysis, and discussion of results, ultimately enhancing the identification of climate change-related phenomena (Wiggins and Crowston, 2011; Irwin et al., 2012). 

The Bologna Living Lab adopts a two-step research approach, utilizing surveys and serious game mapping activities. The focus is on urban mobility, with "Mani in Mappa!" initiative, to investigate how mobility strategies can induce behavioral change toward sustainable and low-emission options. Collaborative serious games are utilized to promote awareness of the need for accessible, equal, and fair public transport. This comprehensive research contributes significantly to understanding the multi-level dynamics of mobility systems. It incorporates social, economic, and technological variables and holds the potential to inform and guide sustainable urban development initiatives. Bologna Living Lab and the I-CHANGE project stand for and promote innovative solutions, leveraging citizen science and serious game methodologies to address critical issues and pave the way for a more sustainable future.