Minecraft:Block by Block

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Block by Block is a charity set up in 2012 by Mojang 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.<ref name = "about">https://blockbyblock.org/about</ref>

Employees

Name<ref name = "about"/>	Position<ref name = "about"/>	Twitter
James Delaney	Chairman (London, United Kingdom)	Template:Tweet
Minecraft:Vu Bui	President (Stockholm, Sweden)	Template:Tweet
Celine d’Cruz	Vice President (Berlin, Germany)	Template:Tweet
Kyle Farrell	Director (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Deirdre Quarnstrom	Director (Seattle, Washington)	Template:Tweet
José Chong	Special Advisor (Nairobi, Kenya)	Template:Tweet
Joy Mutai		Template:Tweet
Cecilia Andersson
Christelle Lahoud		Template:Tweet
Carl Brandt	Special Advisor (Redmond, Washington)
Minecraft:Lydia Winters	Special Advisor (Stockholm, Sweden)	Template:Tweet
Stacy 'stacyplays' Hinojosa	Minecraft Community Ambassador (Salt Lake City, Utah)	Template:Tweet

History

The Block by Block non-profit was created in 2012, initially with the help of Byggtjanst, a Swedish company that 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, Block by Block is now used all over the world. Currently, the program is working in 35 countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Mojang and Microsoft are key supporters of the program through Block by Block.

Method

Based on images, plans, Google Maps, and other available materials, a base Minecraft model of the public space is produced by UN-Habitat.
UN-Habitat arranges for a Minecraft expert to provide Minecraft training and support.
Community participation workshops are held with youth, project staff, and partners in order to:

Train participants in the basics of Minecraft modeling
Facilitate dialogue on issues regarding the public space
Produce Minecraft models incorporating the proposed design ideas
Collate the ideas that are included in the models

After that,

The participants are briefed and divided into groups of 2-4 people, with one computer provided for each group.
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.
The participants present their Minecraft models to stakeholders – including urban professionals, policymakers, government officials, and UN-Habitat staff. The designs are discussed through a deliberation process and final designs are agreed upon among stakeholders.
The Minecraft proposals are used to feed into professional design work and budget processes.