As part of its visualization process, PPS often uses its Place Performance Evaluation Game. This place-oriented approach to community improvement and involvement relies on common sense and intuition along with structured PPS observation and interview techniques for a quick and productive site assessment.

By participating in this "game," participants get to know each other better and gain new insights into ways to look at downtowns, streets, and other public space environments. They also learn to view the areas within these spaces more holistically and to see their potential as meaningful "places" in communities.

Highly trained professionals and laypeople alike can conduct the evaluation-equally dramatic results are achievable by both groups. Also, the "game" is easily adaptable for use as part of a public meeting or community workshop.

The workshop takes place in the vicinity of the sites being evaluated, so that participants have easy access to them. The workshop participants are divided into groups and instructed in how to complete the Place Performance Evaluation Game, which uses a special form created by PPS for the purpose. Participants then return to the training session venue for a breakout discussion of observations from each study site visit, and both short- and long-term recommendations are presented to the larger group session.