Block by Block

Block by Block is a charity set up in 2016 by Mojang and Microsoft to support the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)’s work with public space and Minecraft. The purpose of Block by Block is to raise funds for the improvement of public spaces worldwide, with a focus on poor communities in developing countries.

The goal of the charity is to upgrade 300 public spaces (places and areas that are open and accessible to all citizens, no matter if they are male or female, where they come from, their race or how much income they have.) by 2016. Examples of public spaces include places such as parks, squares, and plazas, streets and roads that provide for pedestrian access and commercial places, such as markets.

Public Space
Public spaces are vital ingredients of successful cities, providing the backbone to urban life. They are the cultural, social, political, economic and environmental spaces of cities. They are the first thing that shows that a place has gone from a chaotic and unplanned settlement to a well-established town or city. But the value of public space is often overlooked, particularly in developing countries.

Projects

 * Place de la Paix, Les Cayes, Haiti
 * Les Cayes waterfront, Haiti
 * Kiritpur, Nepal
 * Lotus Garden, Mumbai, India
 * Kigali, Rwanda
 * Silanga sports field, Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya
 * Jeevanjee Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya
 * Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

History
The Block by Block method was developed in 2012, initially with the help of Byggtjanst, a Swedish company which had tested the use of Minecraft for youth participation in the redesign of low-cost housing areas with good results. After initial tests in Kenya and Nepal, the Block by Block method is now used all over the world. Currently the Programme is working in 35 countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe. Mojang and Microsoft are key supporters of the Programme through Block by Block.

Method
After that,
 * 1) Based on images, plans, Google Maps and other available materials, a base Minecraft model of the public space is produced by UN-Habitat.
 * 2) UN-Habitat arranges for a Minecraft expert to provide Minecraft training and support.
 * 3) Community participation workshops are held with youth, project staff and partners in order to:
 * Train participants in the basics of Minecraft modelling
 * Facilitate a dialogue on issues regarding the public space
 * Produce Minecraft models incorporating the proposed design ideas
 * Collate the ideas that are included in the models
 * 1) The participants are briefed and divided into groups of 2-4 people, with one computer provided for each group.
 * 2) The participants are given sufficient time to develop their ideas in Minecraft. Depending on the level of prior IT and Minecraft knowledge, two to four days is recommended.
 * 3) The participants present their Minecraft models to stakeholders – including urban professionals, policy makers, government officials and UN-Habitat staff. The designs are discussed through a deliberation process and final designs agreed among stakeholders.
 * 4) The Minecraft proposals are used to feed into professional design work and budget processes.