Block by Block is a foundation in collaboration with UN-Habitat and Mojang (Minecraft creator) to use video game Minecraft as an urban planning tool, making it accessible for all city residents. The joint program of Block by Block provides a visualization tool that is easy to handle for all people, ranging from kids and youth to women and refugees. Through setting up workshops available across the world, more than 30 countries have successfully implemented dozens of projects led by local communities. The first workshop was held in Nairobi in 2013, paving the way for many more other inclusive experiments globally.
The approach considered in this program aims to empower unheard voices in our communities, letting them explore their potentials in improving their surroundings. Through a digital platform, local participants, usually left out of the conversation, are being consulted in the process of shaping the public spaces they occupy on a daily basis. The spaces that this program targets are shared spaces such as parks, waterfronts, squares, etc. Upon completion of the design proposals, participants present their projects to local stakeholders, who then choose what to utilize from each proposal. A final model is therefore assembled, based on the local community choices and preferences. The model is then sent to professionals and architects who advance the virtual work into reality.
The result is a co-created shared space, engaging people interested from all backgrounds and parts of society. This participatory approach merging two seemingly incompatible ideas, a video game and city planning, proves effective and succeeds in promoting a better urban future. A future where a sense of neighborhood ownership is ingrained among all types of residents, including the normally hard-to-reach groups.