We Are Martinsville (WAM)

Mona El Khafif, Kathy Wibberly, Elgin Cleckley, Tho Nguyen, Marcus Divers

OAI: oai:igi-global.com:279271 • DOI: 10.4018/IJEPR.20211001.oa4

Rural communities in Virginia have experienced a decline caused by national economic trends. Formerly vibrant towns with rich histories and cultures increasingly suffer from a shrinking population and a lack of new investment, directly impacting the quality of life and services like education or healthcare. The loss of identity is a hindrance to innovative planning strategies and entrepreneurship. This paper reflects on an ongoing serious game effort developed by the University of Virginia and piloted in Martinsville, VA. That city's once-vibrant community faces challenges like unemployment, opioid addiction, and obesity. We Are Martinsville (WAM) recognizes Martinsville's rich ties to its history and cultural assets, offering a digital tool in support of a creative placemaking strategy. WAM fosters community engagement while simultaneously increasing outdoor activities and allowing stakeholders to generate place-based game content. This paper describes the findings of the pilot project.

Urban & Regional Development Science and Engineering Civil Engineering