CREDITS
Upzoned is a real-time strategy game that lets you simulate New York City's real life processes for building new housing.
THE GAME
David A. Lee
Game author and designer
Design, systems, code, data pipeline, and writing. Upzoned grew out of research and writing at the intersection of climate physics and New York City fiscal policy.
SUPPORT
Fractal Accelerator
With thanks for their support
Upzoned was built with the support of Fractal Accelerator.
BUILT ON PUBLIC DATA
- MapPLUTO / PLUTO — NYC Department of City Planning, via NYC Open Data. Every tax lot: building class, year built, lot area, built floor area, zoning district, land use.
- The New York City Charter — ULURP review periods, the budget calendar, and the review clocks the game counts in literal days.
- FY2027 Adopted Budget — NYC Office of Management and Budget, via NYC Open Data. Tax bases, expenditure and revenue totals behind the budget platform.
- City Council and Board of Elections district geography — Council districts and election districts underlying the political map.
READING BEHIND THE DESIGN
- Mancur Olson, The Rise and Decline of Nations — the concentrated-stakes model that drives every coalition in the game.
TYPEFACES
- Press Start 2P by CodeMan38 — SIL Open Font License.
- Rajdhani by Indian Type Foundry — SIL Open Font License.
Upzoned is in early access and under active development. Play the demo →