Building Futures in Anaheim
Building Futures in Anaheim
Anaheim schoolchildren use Minecraft to model their ideas for transforming a neglected riverbank space and discover new career possibilities in the process.
Building Futures in Anaheim
Anaheim, California, USA
Project type: Waterfront
Collaborators: UN-Habitat, Anaheim Community Services, City of Anaheim
Region: North America
Tags: refugees and migrants, children and youth, competition and crowdsourcing
Background
In August 2016, UN-Habitat and the Community Services Department of the City of Anaheim launched a project to help engage youth in community workshops and public space planning. A derelict space on the riverbank next to the Santa Ana River was selected as the site of revitalization.
Building Futures, Block by Block
The Block by Block Methodology was chosen as an innovative tool to help achieve the city’s goals, and UN-Habitat provided training to Anaheim city staff. The city staff then ran their own workshop in which local school children, including kids of migrant workers, used Minecraft to visualize possibilities, including zip lines, tree houses, and a bike trail, for the space.
“It can be hard to communicate the constraints of a project. That’s why Minecraft is valuable. We can share ideas in a way that’s understandable to everyone.”
Block by Block Workshop, Anaheim, California
Minecraft Model of public space concept designed by migrant children, Anaheim, California
Block by Block Workshop, Anaheim, California
Credit: City of Anaheim
“In Anaheim we saw kids of migrant workers, who had never even considered a career outside of day labor, thinking about becoming architects as a result of their experience. You could see these 15 kids suddenly getting inspired, doing a presentation, and feeling more confident.”
Progress
The results of the workshop were presented at the 2016 MINECON at the Anaheim Convention Center at the end of September. The construction of the Santa Ana Public Space was scheduled to be finalized in 2017.
More Resources
“Landscape Games” in Landscape Architecture Magazine