What is the Strings and Ribbons Game?
Strings and Ribbons is a consensus building game that allows participants to “play” at developing a 20-year long range vision of transportation improvements for their community. Participants are divided into groups of 5-8 players per table, in addition to a facilitator. The facilitators give each group a large scale map of the County that shows the location of all of the cities and major roads. The facilitator then passes out to each player a sum of “play money” for each player to use to “buy” transportation improvement projects. These projects can be any type of transportation improvement the player wishes to purchase, such as: new roads, roadway widenings, new bridges, new transit buses, commuter rail, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, streetscaping, etc.



Click here to see pictures of Strings & Ribbons games played So Far

Each table is provided with a supply of strings (representing bicycle and pedestrian facilities), ribbon (representing roadway facilities), stickers (representing other types of improvement projects), and an equivalent of twenty year’s of funding, divided equally among the number of players. Funds are then spent by the participants for the construction of roads and other transportation improvement projects. The facilitator acts as the banker for the table by helping the players determine the costs of each selected project. The facilitator will also assist participants locate their selected projects on the large scale map. Once a project has been purchased, the facilitator will then assist the player by gluing or taping the appropriate length of String or Ribbon for their respective project on the map.

Players frequently find they do not have enough money to complete a project on their own and therefore must negotiate with the other players in order to secure enough funding to complete a project. Lively discussions ensue as participants try to persuade other group members to contribute to their project. Throughout the game the facilitators are available to answer questions and help citizens develop their vision of the future. The Strings and Ribbons game breaks down social and economic barriers, and encourages cooperation and collaboration among its participants. The ultimate objective is for the participants to develop their version of a long range transportation plan for the next 20-years.


Advantages
The Strings and Ribbons game has several advantages over more traditional public involvement activities. First, it provides participants with a concrete and interactive method of participating in the development of the MPO’s 20-year Long Range Transportation Plan. There are no specific skills needed to play the game, thus the Strings and Ribbons game can bring forward ideas and opinions that would not typically be presented in a public forum. Secondly, the participants become aware, as the game progresses, of the simple fact that there are many transportation needs and not enough money to meet them – the very issue that their locally elected officials must grapple with. Finally, by the end of the game the individual groups have developed a graphic representation of the priorities and projects which they wish to pursue over the next 20-year timeframe.


Public Outreach Strategy for Strings and Ribbons Games
The Volusia County MPO intends to hold 40 game sessions over the next several months, wrapping up this phase of the public involvement process by fall of 2004. We are actively looking for community groups to host and/or participate in these sessions. If you, or an organization that you know of, would like for the Volusia County MPO staff to facilitate a Strings and Ribbons game, please contact Darla Zakaluzny at (386) 322-5160, ext 31.

The results will be used to expand the global list of needs, to spark creativity in the planning process, and to develop a citizen based transportation network that will be analyzed alongside projects that are submitted by each of the local governments. Strings and Ribbons games may be used to show both consistencies and inconsistencies between technical level of service analysis and public opinion. As the game sessions are held, the resulting maps will be posted on this website.