March Madness is a time for brackets, rivalries, and Cinderella stories. But why limit it to just basketball? Take for example the brilliant 2013 Urbanist Toolkit Bracket from Atlantic Cities. What makes up a great city and who are you rooting for — BRT or Streetcars? Food Trucks or Pop-up Parks? Parking Maximums or Congestion Pricing? Click here to go vote in the sweet sixteen.
Want something even wonkier? Try this classic Traffic Simulation Game. Seems simple at first but change up those variables and see what happens!
For the climate change obsessed child in your life, there’s Meltdown, the first board game that melts. Grist sums it up best: It’s like Monopoly, except the world is ending. The game’s aim is to move the polar bear family from the permanent ice floes to safety on the mainland before it all melts. Cute and sad has a certain niche appeal and the game’s cooperative play is family friendly too.
Lastly, we have Cart Life a retail simulation video game where you can try your hand at different characters operating different street-side businesses. Do you get a permit or risk the fine? (SDOT Hint: Get the permit!) How do you best keep your customers happy? Most of us will never live the life of a street vendor but thanks to Cart Life, we can make believe, and maybe gain a new appreciation for those who do rise to the challenge every day.
