Gamified spatial‑participatory model for urban social cohesion in a post‑conflict city: Bridging accessibility, inclusion, and intergroup trust through co‑design in Kabul

Post‑conflict cities exhibit profound socio‑spatial fractures, institutional weakness, and eroded public trust. Conventional planning repeatedly fails to address ethnic segregation, accessibility disparities, and social fragmentation. The aim of this study is to propose and empirically validate an integrated model, the Gamified Spatial-Participatory Model (GSPM), that combines spatial justice theory, participatory co-design, and conflict-sensitive gamification to foster social cohesion. Using Kabul, Afghanistan, as a paradigmatic case, a sequential mixed‑methods design was employed. Quantitative spatial diagnostics mapped severe accessibility deficits, while qualitative inquiry identified deep trust deficits and cultural barriers; these jointly informed gamified co‑design workshops as the intervention. Pilot results provide strong preliminary evidence of GSPM efficacy: 90% of participants reported substantially increased engagement; gamification correlated strongly with intergroup trust (r = 0.76, p < 0.01); perceived accessibility improved by 38% in intervention areas. Critically, 70% of women and 55% of ethnic minorities reported meaningfully stronger belonging. The study demonstrates that this approach shifts planning epistemology from technocratic to deeply human, operationalising spatial justice in fragile settings, and offers transferable principles for fostering inclusion in divided urban contexts.