SIC is a modified version of the Gaining from Land Use Transection (GLUT) game, which was designed by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The game’s adaptability and flexibility make it suitable for various contexts and settings, and it can be customized to meet specific needs and objectives to promote sustainable urban development and enhance personal and team development.

I had the honor of introducing SIC to my students at Khayyam University in Mashhad, Iran, in 2019. Since then, my colleagues and I have been working to extend the reach of SIC beyond academia to ordinary people by modifying the rules and using social facilitating skills based on the socioeconomic structures of Iranian urban areas. We played the game with three different groups, including young girls (between 15-22) in low-income neighborhoods, activists in the innovation ecosystem of Mashhad, and urban practitioners and experts in the private sector.

The positive feedback we received from these groups encouraged us to embark on a significant project to perform SIC for experts and managers of Tehran municipality. The game was supported by the Renovation and Administrative Transformation Center and was performed in the form of 22 events during the winter of 2022 by participants who work in different sections of the municipality, including social, economic, administrative, services, planning, and traffic offices.

The feedback we received from the participants of SIC indicates that the game’s benefits extend beyond enhancing knowledge of planning and promoting dialogue. The game helped them develop essential soft skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, decision-making, problem-solving, communication, and leadership. These skills are crucial for personal development and are essential for success in both personal and professional life.

In addition to enhancing individual soft skills, SIC also promotes collective learning and team building. The game requires participants to work together in teams to identify and solve urban problems, fostering teamwork and enhancing the effectiveness of group problem-solving. Furthermore, the game allows participants to learn from each other’s perspectives and experiences, which enriches their understanding of urban issues and helps them develop a holistic view of the challenges and opportunities of sustainable urban development.

The benefits of SIC go beyond personal and team development. The game could provide a platform for better understanding of stakeholder engagement and public participation in urban planning. The participatory approach of the game enables diverse stakeholders to come together, share their views, and collaborate towards a shared vision for sustainable urban development. The game also encourages active engagement with the community and promotes citizen participation in decision-making processes, which is critical for building trust and social cohesion.