University of Melbourne

Graduate Student, School of Culture and Communication

Thesis Title: Location-based Gaming and the Politics of Play in the City

About

My thesis examines location-based gaming and play in public space, using case studies of games that combine mobile and location-aware devices with physical locations in the city for playful interaction. It provides an account of how the concept of ‘play’ has been appropriated by the creative industries and urban policymakers to promote cities as spaces for creativity and social engagement.

I begin by discussing the relationship between play and urban space, focussing on the work of Lefebvre, de Certeau, Richard Sennett and David Harvey; as well as avant-garde movements such as the Situationist International which sought to transform everyday locales through play. I then discuss recent work around digital labour and 'creative cities', arguing that they have captured the language of play and playful behaviour for economic development and cultural and social policy agendas. With play becoming increasingly absorbed into the strategies of cities as a way of promoting their public culture, my thesis explores the extent to which playful behaviour - and in particular location-based games - retain the 'radical' aims of play and its role in city life.

I have worked as a sessional tutor and lecturer in the School of Culture and Communication and Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at Melbourne University. I have also contributed to the online opinion websites The Drum and Game On, and am currently an editor of the online postgraduate journal Platform: Journal of Media and Communication.

Contact Information