Mayors Elected and a New Challenge Unveiled: The Battle of the Parks

The votes are in, and Upland’s first temporary mayors have officially taken office! A huge congratulations to all our newly elected leaders:

• San Francisco — Recourier
• Chicago — Goodwill
• Los Angeles — ElijahJudah
• Queens — Beulemann
• Rio de Janeiro — Wagon_Master

This marks a significant milestone in Upland’s ongoing experiment to explore the future of in-game governance, community collaboration, and the possibilities for shared spaces like parks.

And now, we’re thrilled to announce the next step in this journey: The Battle of the Parks.

What is the Battle of the Parks?

The Battle of the Parks is a friendly competition among the five cities listed above. Each city will receive one of Upland’s first temporary parks, becoming a testing ground for creative designs, community engagement, and the mayors’ leadership skills.

The mayors, working closely with residents whose home addresses are set in their respective cities, will choose which park will serve as their city’s entry into the contest.

How Will It Be Judged?

The Upland team will judge the parks based on two important criteria:

• Total unique activity — measured by the number of different players who stake structures within the park, no matter which city those players call home. The more unique participants a park attracts, the better!
• Aesthetic appeal — how visually stunning, cohesive, and creatively themed the park is overall.

This means it’s not just about local residents. Mayors will need to inspire players from across the entire Upland metaverse to come stake their structures and contribute to their city’s park project.

Building the Ultimate Park

Our newly elected Mayors aren’t just here for the title, they’re here to leave their mark. It’s time for the City Park Challenge, where each Mayor must work with their community to pick one park in their city to showcase and transform into the ultimate urban oasis.

Once chosen, Mayors need to send the park details, including the property address and park name, to SquallMuzza from the Community Team by Friday at 9 AM PT on in-game chat.

We’ll share more details and the next steps for Mayors once all park selections have been submitted, reviewed, and confirmed by the Upland team.

Here’s what mayors and their communities should keep in mind:

• Keep it manageable: Parks should ideally be no larger than 2x2 city blocks.
• New structures incoming: New park-specific structures will be released, giving players fresh tools and decorations to bring their vision to life.
• Collaboration is key: Mayors are encouraged to rally as many community members as possible, new players, returning players, or even players from other cities, to help build and decorate their parks.
• Theme matters: Parks should center around a clear theme, creating captivating and beautiful scenes for all to enjoy.

Get Ready

We’re incredibly excited to see how each city’s vision comes to life. Stay tuned for further details on the Battle of the Parks.

Let the Battle of the Parks begin!