Home Minecraft Partners With United Nations For Urban Planning

Minecraft Partners With United Nations For Urban Planning

Minecraft changed the video game industry by selling millions of downloads of an indie game. Now the free-form building game is inviting players to help redesign real-world locations around the world.

Minecraft creator Mojang announced yesterday in a blog post that it is teaming up with United Nations Habitat to upgrade 300 public spaces by 2016.  

The project, called Block by Block, enlists local youth to improve their neighborhoods. Block by Block is the international version of a previous Mojang project known as My Blocks (Mina Kvarter in Swedish), organized in conjunction with Swedish Building Services. Mojang managing director Carl Manneh wrote:

“It has proven to be a great way to visualize urban planning ideas without necessarily having architectural training. The ideas presented by the citizens lay as a ground for political decisions. Mina Kvarter has been a great success and it’s spreading into more areas in Sweden. It has also been recognized internationally as a new way to do urban development planning. Recently, the UN found out about what we are doing and we got together to talk.”

The first Block by Block site, in Nairobi, Kenya, is “already in the planning phase.” Urban planners interested in following the project will have to wait for status updates, as Mojang is still building the Block by Block website.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.