ZWERM

Abstract

As information technology is increasingly embedded in our cities, opportunities arise to design novel applications that benefit urban communities. We describe the design and evaluation of ZWERM (Dutch for the term 'swarm'), a public game that was specifically designed for augmenting community participation in urban neighborhoods. A network of ten components has been designed, some of which had different interfaces and design approaches: from totem-like Trees for gathering around with RFID cards to playful Sparrows that react on whistle sounds. After implementing the urban game in two city neighborhoods, we investigated the impact of each of these components on their communities. Our insights are useful for the public interaction design of future urban, interactive networks that aim to positively influence community participation and social cohesion.