How would you design your dream city? | James Rojas

Urban planning often fails because traditional meetings rely on technical jargon and exclusionary processes that alienate the public. By shifting from analytical discussion to hands-on play, communities can bypass these barriers and express their needs through physical models built from recycled objects. This "Placeit" method, pioneered by urban planner James Rojas, encourages participants to build their ideal environments, revealing that people across diverse backgrounds share common values like access to nature, social connection, and walkability. This approach transforms passive participants into active designers, as seen in the development of the Ability360 Center in Phoenix, where residents used collaborative modeling to secure critical infrastructure improvements. Ultimately, play serves as a powerful tool for fostering empathy, uncovering shared visions, and creating inclusive spaces that reflect the actual human experience of a neighborhood.