Children to design new national park in Minecraft

The Danish government recreated the whole country in

Minecraft as an educational tool

Schoolchildren in Adelaide, Australia, have been invited to

design a national park in Minecraft which could then be built

in reality.

Students aged from nine to 12 have been asked to create their

designs in the blocky 3D world.

The results could then be incorporated in upgrades to existing

national parks around Adelaide.

The government has set aside nearly $10.4m Australian

dollars (£5.4m) for the redesigns.

It was keen to find a new way to engage young people in its

processes.

"This competition is part of a community engagement project

asking people of all ages what sort of facilities would

encourage them to spend more time in national parks," reads

the Natural Resources, Adelaide website which announced the

prize.

"The State government has set aside $10.4m for park

projects, so some of the ideas your class create might end up

being used."

The only rule is that "whatever you design needs to be able to

be created in the real world", it added.

"The park features need to complement the natural

environment, taking into account the animals and plants that

live there."

Ideas could include trails for bushwalking, mountain biking or

horse riding, barbecue and picnic areas - or something

completely different," it suggested.

Redesigning slums

There is a growing trend towards creating ever more

ambitious designs in Minecraft.

The Danish government has mapped the entire country in the

game, as part of an educational project.

And in 2012 Mojang, the creators of Minecraft, teamed up with

the UN to help them design city spaces in developing

countries.

They recreated public spaces in the game and then shared it

with community groups, where participants could redesign

them.

The project has spawned new ideas for green space in Kiberia,

the largest slum in Nairobi and the tool was also used to

design a new waterfront in Les Cayes, Haiti's third largest

city.

The Adelaide competition closes on 12 June and the winner

will be announced a month later.

Winners will get a government-funded trip to the Belair

National Park.

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