PLAY | DESIGN | EMPOWER
PLAY | DESIGN | EMPOWER
PLAYCE Studio, Ltd.
Community Engagement That Builds Trust, Sparks Joy, and Actually Works.
We train the people who shape community—designers, planners, public leaders, and facilitators—using the proven power of playful placemaking, public participation, and inclusive engagement strategies.
What We Do
At PLAYCE Studio, we don’t design places.
We train the people who do.
We help professionals across sectors lead more meaningful, creative, and inclusive community engagement—equipping them with the tools and confidence to facilitate conversations that matter.
Our work lives at the intersection of:
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Community Engagement & Public Participation
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Stakeholder & Client Collaboration
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Playful Placemaking
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Facilitation Training & Capacity Building
Our Core Services
WHAT IS
PLAYCE integrates traditional public engagement techniques with team building and organizational development principles utilizing the power of play to build trust within a group, create consensus around an idea, and develop a strategy to move that idea forward.
The PLAYCE approach to public engagement invites stakeholders to be collaborative problem solvers from the onset of the process by becoming active participants in site analysis. Stakeholders become project champions; ideas move to consensus sooner and concepts are tried on for size early, ensuring greater future success
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WHAT IS
PLAYCE integrates traditional public engagement techniques with team building and organizational development principles utilizing the power of play to build trust within a group, create consensus around an idea, and develop a strategy to move that idea forward.
The PLAYCE approach to public engagement invites stakeholders to be collaborative problem solvers from the onset of the process by becoming active participants in site analysis. Stakeholders become project champions; ideas move to consensus sooner and concepts are tried on for size early, ensuring greater future success
PLAYCE Engagement Academy
A 12-week training program for professionals ready to lead powerful, play-based community engagement. Available live or self-paced.
Custom Trainings & Facilitation Workshops
We work with municipalities, design firms, nonprofits, and institutions to build engagement capacity through hands-on, tailored support.
Tools, Resources & Support
Insight Cards, downloadable resources, PLAYCE Mastermind calls, and a supportive network of PLAYCE Players & Alumni to keep your practice and growth going strong.
Speaking & University Partnerships
Inspire your students or audience with keynotes, guest lectures, and curriculum-aligned support for real-world, public-facing studios.
Who We Work With
We partner with:
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Planners, designers, and architects
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City departments and local governments
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Public health professionals and community-based organizations
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University faculty and students
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Consultants and engagement practitioners
If your work touches people, we’ll help you engage them with purpose and play.
Why PLAYCE?
Because public meetings aren’t working.
Because your team wants to lead with empathy and creativity—not just check a box.
Because you believe engagement should feel more human, and more effective.
We do too.
At PLAYCE Studio, we integrate traditional community engagement with team-building, facilitation, and organizational development principles—all delivered through the universal language of play.
Our methodology helps teams:
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Build trust faster and more authentically
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Generate insight and ideas from diverse stakeholders
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Co-create solutions that stick
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Move from surface-level input to meaningful shared ownership
Stakeholders become champions. Ideas move to action.
And communities feel like they truly belong in the process.
Want a taste of the PLAYCE approach?
Download Unleash the Power of Play—a free mini guide packed with practical tips and playful strategies to start transforming your community engagement efforts right away.
Hear from our Community
Real reflections from people across different paths—on what it’s like to learn, play, and grow with the PLAYCE community.
"We had full participation, active discussions, and everyone had FUN! Some of the attendees were engagement professionals and said it was the best public meeting they’ve ever attended! "
Blake Belanger
Kansas State University
“I think the revelation is that PLAYCE not only enlivens and expands engagement and interaction with the community, but it also helps redefine the entire design process and its priorities.”
Aimee Arceo
Landscape Architect
"The methodology is unlike anything encountered before, turning the studio into a dynamic, engaging learning environment. This wasn't just about teaching students; it was about immersing them in the real world, listening to the community, and actively involving them in the design process."
Conrad Kickert
University of Buffalo
"I used what I learned from PLAYCE the very next day in a team meeting—and it changed everything. People opened up, we got to the heart of the issue faster, and there was laughter instead of resistance."
Christina Weiler
Landscape Architect
"I have felt more empowered in this course than any school course that I have ever taken. There is something special about how easy the course is while at the same time being so impactful. I wish university courses felt this empowering."
Joshua Kuhowski
Student, University of Michigan
“It made me think about how engagement feels in different languages, different cultures. Sometimes words don’t translate—but play does.”
Cuiyan Mei
Landscape Architect
Your Work Deserves Engagement That Builds Something Real.
Let’s find your path forward—together.
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