The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations (UN) Member States in 2015, defines global sustainable development priorities and aspirations for 2030 and seeks to mobilize global efforts around a set of common objectives and targets [1]. There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that represent an urgent call to action by all countries (developed and developing) for a global partnership. Goal number 11 refers to “Sustainable Cities and Communities” and aims to build sustainable cities and societies around the world. Guarantee access for everyone to adequate, safe and affordable housing. Increase the capacity for integrated and sustainable planning and management of human settlements. Reduce the adverse environmental impact of cities by paying special attention to air quality and waste management.

The SDG 11 was the starting point for carrying out game-based learning with Sustainable City Management students in the Applied Mathematics 2 subject. Each group of 3 students had to build a digitally sustainable city or community using the MIRO platform [2], a collaborative workspace. Each group was assigned a region in MIRO, to build the sustainable city, by dividing the region into parts using roads, paths or parks, to separate them. In each part, elements (images) that are part of the city and that will be determined in resolving the proposed challenges were placed. The student follows a game script with 7 challenges that allow him to find the number of sustainable buildings, bicycles for traveling within the city, green parks, green schools, sustainable markets, as well as forms of energy and capture of sustainable water.

One of the challenges is:
“A study carried out by the UN observed an 86% improvement in the performance of students placed in sustainable environments [3]. This is because sustainability is not just about the efficiency of a building, but about its influence on the user (students, teachers, etc.). Schools are examples of the importance of sustainability in educational environments. By adopting sustainable strategies, the school becomes a place of respect for the environment. In the city where you are building green schools play a very important role in the sustainable development of the entire community, so you need to build several spaces of this type. How many? To do this, solve the following challenge.”

Throughout the game, the student is faced with challenges and group activities, increasing intrinsic motivation [4], making learning activities more attractive and engaging and promoting more effective learning.

Mathematics teaching has suffered from a lack of interest and motivation among students, which is why the teacher must study and apply methods that facilitate the learning of mathematics. The proposal presented consisted of incorporating game-based learning that brought benefits to students, as it offered the opportunity to work on various mathematics syllabuses, in urban planning or mitigation, in the preservation of natural resources, in the integration of strategies and solutions with a view to ensuring the sustainability and resilience of the urban environment, fundamental skills in the course they take on sustainable city management. However, this study alone is not enough to awaken interest and motivation in mathematics, but it is an experience in which students learn, acquire skills and can use their knowledge in their daily lives, playing their role in society.

Keywords: Sustainability, Sustainable Cities and Communities, game-based learning, Mathematics, higher education.