City Of Grand Rapids Urges Residents To Play Board Game

While I'm sure that we'd all like to be a part of the city Planning Committee, it just doesn't work into most people's schedule.

Suzanne Shultz of the Grand Rapids city planning committee has developed a game called "The Quality of LIFE"

City officials are hoping that residents will pick up the game at the city planning department (located at 1120 Monroe Ave. NW), and play it to help them figure out the future of Michigan Ave.

The “Quality of LIFE” encourages people to go through 4 different exercises to help them think about how they and others use Michigan Street.

The game, is played on a map of Michigan Street between the Grand River and Plymouth Road NE, includes dice, markers, stickers and game pieces. While playing the games, people are asked to assume an alter ego – a medical professional, a nursing student, a senior citizen going to a doctor’s appointment, a wheelchair-user visiting a friend, a bicyclist – and consider different perspectives on making their way through the Michigan Street corridor.

The game involves questions that city hopes will spark discussions about land use, and stickers and markers that players can use to suggest where certain buildings and public infrastructure should be placed. If you pick up a game and play it, you are asked to return the game, along with a record of your conversations by March 2.

The feedback will hopefully help the city with a long-term planning process that's being funded mostly by a $459,224 federal grant. Neighborhood meetings and focus groups are being planned later this year.