Minecraft as a tool for urban improvement

Newsbrief: Following the success of Minecraft developer Mojang's Mina Kvarter project, by which the popular game's community is helping in the reconstruction process of their own neighborhoods, the studio has now teamed up with the United Nations in a similar scheme. The new initiative, called Block By Block, aims to involve youths in the planning process in urban areas, allowing them to build what they would like to see in their own areas in Minecraft. This new three-year partnership between Mojang and UN Habitat will look to upgrade around 300 public spaces. Mojang is the main financial sponsor on the project, and plans to work closely with the UN to help reach each target laid out. The image below shows a picture of the pilot test site in Kibera, one of Nairobi’s informal settlements, alongside a version built in Minecraft.