Serious Games for Social Innovation: Reviewing Their Impact on Citizen Participation and Spatial Justice

This study explores the possibility of applying serious games to increase citizen participation and foster spatial justice in urban decision-making processes.Drawing on theories of spatial justice, social innovation, and participatory spatial planning, it investigates how game-based approaches can smooth dialogue between citizens, experts, and other stakeholders.The focus is to bridge the gap between citizens' needs and demands and planners' goals and actions.A serious game, conducted with stakeholders, served as an experimental platform to visualize, simulate, and negotiate spatial interventions in an engaging and interactive atmosphere.The findings indicate that this approach not only strengthens citizens engagement but also fosters mutual understanding among actors with different interests.By transforming abstract planning concepts into accessible and collaborative processes, participatory games empower marginalized voices and support the pursuit of more just and sustainable urban strategies.This study concludes that gamification can be an effective and scalable tool for advancing spatial justice in socially diverse urban contexts.