STUDENT
Julia Bohlen
PROFESSOR
Jose Sanchez
The research and minigame seek to confront issues of urban waste management facing the City of Detroit, especially the role of consumer behavior. The minigame simulates multiple "paths" for waste disposal and circularity, which reveal and expose the challenges and opportunities that must be confronted in the endeavor to achieve a truly circular economy of waste. The minigame seeks to highlight the challenges and tradeoffs associated with various disposal facilities, including cost, environmental impact, convenience, and others.
The research behind the game also sheds light on the unique adversities Detroit faces in terms of waste management, including declining urban infrastructure, a shrinking tax base from which to support waste management infrastructure, and the vast quantities of waste imports from other countries.