cityplanner.ca
Discussing big picture urban/city planning and design issues.
Jun 25, 2010
Today while waiting for the bus, four very happy and well-dressed (albeit casually) people in their 30's ran up to me. Two were holding colourful recorders (i.e., the instruments), one was holding a kazoo and one was holding a list. They explained that they were involved in an amazing race type of event for Corporate Challenge (local businesses compete against each other in a variety of games for points)...
They asked if they could busk for me, since one of their scavenger hunt items was to raise $2 for charity. I asked which charity, and they said it was up to me. I said I’d like to donate my $2 to the Bissell Centre, which helps local families and individuals who are poor and/or homeless.
To the laughter of the other folks standing at the bus stop, they began to serenade me with a rendition of ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’, then took a picture of me giving them $2, before thanking me and running off to find their next clue.
Scavenger hunts appeal to a certain audience and provide a great way to see your city. Traditional scavenger hunts involve obtaining a collection of items, usually within a day or short amount of time, and whoever gets the most items (or most hard-to-find items) wins.
Alternately, the low cost of digital cameras and memory makes it possible to organize photo scavenger hunts. Instead of collecting a physical item, teams can collect a picture of that item instead. In Edmonton, a photo scavenger hunt was part of the Edmonton Community Challenge, which I had a small hand in through the Next Gen Committee. Participating community leagues (neighbourhood associations) were asked to collect photos of everything from group members standing in front of different libraries to teammates getting high-fives from the City Councillors.
Another option for cities is to stretch out a scavenger hunt and support the tourism industry at the same time. Relatives in Vancouver have had a great time taking part in the yearly Vancouver Tourism Challenge, which challenges participants to visit a number of attractions, and solve clues or answer questions about the places they visit to get a stamp. Collecting enough stamps would earn them a privilege pass with additional admissions, bonuses, and savings.
Such programs can be used to encourage locals to make certain choices, for example supporting unique local restaurants, as in the case of Edmonton's Original Fare VIP Card program.
Scavenger hunts can help citizens to get to know their city, to put eyes on the street, and to help people meet new friends in their community. They help to create better ambassadors out of your local people, as they will know their way around better, and will get better at pointing out top attractions to people and giving directions. It's a great way to learn about your city while having lots of fun, and not necessarily spending a lot of money.
They asked if they could busk for me, since one of their scavenger hunt items was to raise $2 for charity. I asked which charity, and they said it was up to me. I said I’d like to donate my $2 to the Bissell Centre, which helps local families and individuals who are poor and/or homeless.
To the laughter of the other folks standing at the bus stop, they began to serenade me with a rendition of ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’, then took a picture of me giving them $2, before thanking me and running off to find their next clue.
Scavenger hunts appeal to a certain audience and provide a great way to see your city. Traditional scavenger hunts involve obtaining a collection of items, usually within a day or short amount of time, and whoever gets the most items (or most hard-to-find items) wins.
Alternately, the low cost of digital cameras and memory makes it possible to organize photo scavenger hunts. Instead of collecting a physical item, teams can collect a picture of that item instead. In Edmonton, a photo scavenger hunt was part of the Edmonton Community Challenge, which I had a small hand in through the Next Gen Committee. Participating community leagues (neighbourhood associations) were asked to collect photos of everything from group members standing in front of different libraries to teammates getting high-fives from the City Councillors.
Another option for cities is to stretch out a scavenger hunt and support the tourism industry at the same time. Relatives in Vancouver have had a great time taking part in the yearly Vancouver Tourism Challenge, which challenges participants to visit a number of attractions, and solve clues or answer questions about the places they visit to get a stamp. Collecting enough stamps would earn them a privilege pass with additional admissions, bonuses, and savings.
Such programs can be used to encourage locals to make certain choices, for example supporting unique local restaurants, as in the case of Edmonton's Original Fare VIP Card program.
Scavenger hunts can help citizens to get to know their city, to put eyes on the street, and to help people meet new friends in their community. They help to create better ambassadors out of your local people, as they will know their way around better, and will get better at pointing out top attractions to people and giving directions. It's a great way to learn about your city while having lots of fun, and not necessarily spending a lot of money.
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Contact Myron Belej, MCIP, AICP at myron@cityplanner.ca to:
- invite Myron to speak at a conference or event
- feature a version of this article in another publication
- inquire about Myron's consulting or coaching services
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Learn more about 'How to Hire Myron'.
Contact Myron Belej, MCIP, AICP at myron@cityplanner.ca to:
- invite Myron to speak at a conference or event
- feature a version of this article in another publication
- inquire about Myron's consulting or coaching services
- request more information
Learn more about 'How to Hire Myron'.