Healthy Urban Living

The general aim of the Healthy Urban Living (HUL) research program is to help cities become places that encourage healthy living. The HUL research program works across three, linked pillars, focused on health challenges, healthy lifestyles and healthy environments. One of the research topics HUL focuses on is how serious games and game practices can be harnessed for promoting a healthy lifestyle. Playing video games is an enormous popular activity because of the appealing characteristics and experience such as immersion, interactivity, fantasy and challenge. Hence, harnessing these appealing gaming characteristics for other purposes such as health promotion seems a very promising strategy. Our research focus on the evaluation of serious games regarding effects on health behaviors. Another focus is on how serious games and virtual environments can be used for conducting experiments. For example, in the DEPICT (DEsigning and Policy Implementation for encouraging Cycling and walking Trips) project we will use a simulation game in which the build environment will be manipulated to evaluate how this influences people’s walking and cycling behavior.  

More information about serious games for a healthy lifestyle: m.simons@uu.nl

More information about DEPICT: M.J.Dijst@uu.nl

More information on HUL website