Gamifying
Sustainable
Mobility
Research, Education, and International Impact
A research-led project exploring behaviour change for climate-resilient cities
Research Team & Partners
Research Leads
Dr Alessia Grassi
School of Design University of Leeds
Principal investigator; conceptualisation, supervision, funding, design-led integration
Prof Mauro Vallati
School of Computing and Engineering University of Huddersfield
Co-investigator; computing, AI, serious games, methodological oversight
Dr Qi Zhang
Business School University of Leeds
Lead author; literature review, research design, analysis, writing
Cross-sector expert participants
Ten cross-sector experts from transport, urban planning, government, technology, and academia contributed insights through in-depth interviews, informing the qualitative findings of the study
Support
The research team acknowledges the support of the Research Hub for Decarbonised Adaptable and Resilient Transport Infrastructures (DARe) funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the UK Department for Transport (EP/Y024257/1).
Student hackathon session
What we set out to do
“This study assesses gamification’s efficacy, benefits, and practical limitations in urban environments.” [1]
To investigate how gamification can foster behavioural change toward sustainable mobility, and where its limits lie. Across a systematic literature review and an exploratory qualitative study, the project examined whether gamified approaches can:
- encourage walking, cycling, and public transport use
- raise awareness and shift attitudes
- support policy, planning, and education
- remain effective beyond short-term incentives
Game mechanism concepts with dice navigation
Why this project matters
“Policies alone cannot play a major role if there is not a significant behavioural change that supports and implements them.” [2]
Urban transport is a major contributor to climate change, yet policy and technology alone are insufficient without citizen societal change. Gamification offers a practical, human-centred lever to motivate, test, and accelerate sustainable mobility adoption.
This research positions sustainable mobility as a cornerstone of climate action in cities and explores gamification not as a gimmick, but as a structured design approach capable of engaging citizens, students, planners, and decision-makers.
Alessia Grassi thanking Huddersfield student for their participation to the Hackathon final presentation
Student Challenge
University of Huddersfield students were challenged to:
- explore game mechanics (points, challenges, social comparison, narratives)
- critically assess ethical, inclusivity, and data-privacy implications
Student Presentations
Marina District of Singapore - primeimages / iStock / Getty Images
Outputs & Dissemination
What was delivered
- Peer-reviewed research publications
- Preliminary results presented by the team at an international academic conference in Singapore
- Videos and visual documentation of student work
Downloadable Research
Gamifying Urban Change
Willingness to Pay as Key to Citizen-Centred Approaches
Dr Alessia Grassi – University of Leeds, School of Design & Prof Mauro Vallati – University of Huddersfield, School of Computer Science
Gamification and Sustainability: A Review of Approaches for Urban Mobility and Climate Change Resilience
Zhang, Q., Grassi, A., & Vallati, M. (2026) Sustainable Futures
An Exploratory Investigation of the Use of Gamification for Sustainable Mobility
Grassi, A., & Vallati, M. (2025) mobil.TUM Conference Singapore
Download available soon
Reach and Impact
- Research engaged global academic and professional audiences
- Students contributed to international sustainability discourse
- The project extended beyond the classroom and institution
Discussing the student challenge
Key Findings
Gamification is effective for initiating sustainable mobility behaviour change, but not sufficient on its own to maintain long-term habits. To improve its lasting impact, future systems should consider:
• data privacy and governance (approaches rely on large amount of data from users)
• cheating and system integrity (gamified systems are vulnerable to misuse)
• use of AI to tailor experiences
• inclusivity for diverse populations and geographical regions
Seminar at mobil.TUM Conference Singapore 2025
Critical Reflection
This team has delivered internationally recognised, evidence-based design research that mobilises people, systems, and institutions, providing a strong foundation for future funding and partnership opportunities.
What we learned
- Incentives alone are insufficient
- Digital approaches risk exclusion
- Behaviour change requires long-term thinking and trust
Why this matters
- The project generated learning, not just outputs
- It strengthens future research and practice
[1] From Grassi, A., Zhang, Q., Vallati, M., 2026, An Exploratory Investigation of the Use of Gamification for Sustainable Mobility. mobil.TUM proceedings. [2] From Zhang, Q., Grassi, A. and Vallati, M., 2026. Gamification and sustainability: A review of approaches for urban mobility and climate change resilience. Sustainable Futures, 11, p.101589.
Alessia Grassi, University of Leeds with Mauro Vallati, University of Huddersfield at mobil.TUM Conference Singapore 2025
