Children in 55 countries are redesigning their cities in Minecraft

Since 2012, a U.N.-Habitat-supported foundation has been using the video game Minecraft to engage students in the urban design process, leading to the building of over 150 real structures in 55 different countries. 

As Natalie Donbeck explains in the New York Times, organizations around the world can apply to the program, and those selected receive funding and technical guidance to engage the community, run a workshop and build the final designs with budgets of up to $200,000. "Once the Minecraft designs are ready, they take turns presenting their ideas before voting on which models should be built in real life. Professional architects and urban planners then translate the Minecraft models into sketches and drawings that could be used for construction."

Donbeck adds, "The game’s open-ended design and building tools allow players to reimagine real-life spaces like abandoned riverbanks, dark alleys and dump sites, making it one of the main tools used to involve citizens, especially youth, in redesigning urban areas."

According to Games for Urban Futures foundation head James Delaney, the game also helps shift the dynamic between adult and child workshop participants. "The power dynamic between the two is flipped because the younger person instantly knows Minecraft and can be quite quick at it," Delaney explains.