Want to engage kids in your summer city planning projects? 12-year-old Roman Borys gives some pointers on how to host a Minecraft lounge in your downtown.
"Last summer in Winnipeg, me, my mother, a couple of my friends, and the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ put together a Minecraft lounge. Now some of you have probably already read a blog last year that my mom wrote about this same Minecraft lounge. Her blog also included a piece about Pokémon GO, so this is the same thing from a different point of view (and no Pokémon GO)."
Roman goes through the steps he took to create the lounge, along with what he learned from the process.
"This experience helped a lot of kids (and adults) learn a little bit more about our downtown and how to make it a better place. It was very fun for everyone and I especially liked working with all the different groups of people. Everyone was very cooperative (with the few exceptions of people who were spawning polar bears in the middle of the street), so we could easily build very big things like the sky metro which would have taken a much longer time had there not been so many people."
One of the seven Downtown Winnipeg Minecraft Lounges. This one was in Chinatown. © Roman Borys, 2016, used with permission.
Our Minecraft model of Memorial Boulevard at Portage Avenue. © Roman Borys, 2016, used with permission.
FULL STORY: Downtown Winnipeg Minecraft Lounge
The High Cost of Sprawl
Low density sprawl stretches the tax dollars of every resident. That fact could be used to support plans for more infill density, according to this article set in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Infill Development Still a Tricky Proposition
Impact fess, also known as growth fees, are creating controversy in the Canadian city of Winnpeg, even as the city prepares new infill development guidelines to quell development controversies in older neighborhoods.
Real World Lessons From the Virtual World of Minecraft
The popular game Minecraft offers deep lessons what building in the virtual world means in the real world.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.
Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service