Putting people and play at the heart of future cities around the world.
Playable City Sandbox
Meet the new Playable City Sandbox commissions! Six teams have been awarded £45k to build an urban prototype which will be showcased in Bristol (UK) in July 2023.
Cities
Melbourne
Melbourne
Playable City Melbourne puts people and play at the heart of the Future City Population estimate: 4.269 million (as of 2014) About the City Melbourne is… [Read More]
Austin
Austin
Playable City Austin puts people and play at the heart of the Future City of Austin Population estimate: 947,890 (2016) (as of 2016) About the City… [Read More]
Seoul
Seoul
Over three days in downtown Seoul, Playable City will host a suite of specially created Urban Games during the Seoul Architecture Biennale.
Oxford
Oxford
The Smart Oxford Playable City Commission is a brand new commission, challenging creatives from around the world to produce an idea that puts people and play at the heart of the city of Oxford.
Tokyo
Tokyo
Launched in 2015 to develop new ideas and engage Japanese creatives in imagining the future of Tokyo.
Latest
Meet the New Playable City Sandbox Commissions
We are thrilled to announce six new Playable City prototypes, funded via MyWorld. After spending the last few years reflecting and gaining feedback on a… [Read More]
Article: What does it mean to play in the city?
A reflection piece by Furaha Asani on how Playable City became a global network of creative producers and how the enforced pause of the pandemic… [Read More]
Launching Playable City Sandbox
12 August 2022 update: Playable City Sandbox applications have now closed. Ten years ago Watershed began Playable City, seeking to put people and play at… [Read More]
Past projects
Stop, Smile, Stroll
“Stop, Smile, Stroll” will transform a pedestrian crossing into a 30-second game.
Hello Lamp Post
Hello Lamp Post invites people to strike up conversations with familiar street furniture using the text message function of their mobile phones.
Urbanimals
A playful pack of wild beasts appeared in unexpected places across the city of Bristol, waiting for people to play with them.