Our Work

Participatory planning and Minecraft build social cohesion between refugee and host communities in Kalobeyei, Kenya.

Using Minecraft to design benches, lighting, toilets, and playgrounds, workshop participants reclaim an inner city park that had been blighted by crime.

A catalyst for changing how city officials and the community viewed public space, Jeevanjee Gardens established the Block by Block Methodology used today.

Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat and Megawra-Built Environment Collective to restore a cultural and community landmark in Al-Khalifa, Cairo, Egypt.

The Mukuru area of Nairobi has long endured pollution, poor sanitation, and insufficient green spaces. Block by Block helped facilitate much-needed change.

In a project that rekindled community pride, 40 participants teamed up to design a recreational area along a beach that had been taken over by traders.

A Block Block Workshop explores accessibility and empowers students with physical disabilities to connect with their physical space at school.

Block by Block Workshops in Ghana promote collaboration, help working mothers, and support early child development in a busy public marketplace.

Block by Block Workshops in Uganda transform a pedestrian area, elevate women and girls, and emphasize safety and accessibility for all.

Block by Block empowers young girls in Mozambique to redesign public spaces—and rapidly pivots to help rebuilding efforts after the devastating Cyclone Idai.

Rehabilitating a large park Niamey, Niger creates new agricultural land and a playground for kids, with improved safety from day to night.

Our COVID-19 project helped Kisumu decongest its busy markets, raise awareness on COVID-19 safety, and nurture community through public art.

This focused campaign respectfully communicated with a government-wary community about the life-threatening virus and the importance of practicing good hygiene.

A waste heap is reimagined as a market with space for vendors, a playground, and a cafe in a city living with the effects of rapid urbanization and civil war.

Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat and local organizations to co-design pedestrian-friendly streets that improve mobility and safety in Dakar, Senegal.

Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat to revitalize Lemara Public Park using a "lighter, quicker, cheaper" approach that better serves low-income residents.

Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat to empower students to redesign their school rooftop at the Kibera School for Girls.

Syrian refugees and Lebanese residents come together in a collaborative design workshop to reimagine a vacant public space in the Borj Hammoud area of Beirut.

Block by Block Workshops in the Gaza Strip empower women and youth to support post-conflict reconstruction by creating three inclusive community gardens.

Palestinian youth build confidence, collaboration, and problem-solving skills in a workshop to transform a neglected space into a neighborhood playground.

Young UAE residents use Minecraft to help design the future of their city and earn their home a Child-Friendly City designation from UNICEF.

Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat Jordan and the Department of Palestinian Affairs to transform a deteriorating park into a safe, accessible play space.

Block by Block Workshops in East Java improve safety, reduce dependence on foreign experts, and accelerate a plan to turn unused land into public parks.

Youth, elderly, people with disabilities, and women and girls are populations whose voices are too often ignored. In Hanoi, we engaged girls who travel miles to school every day through dangerous, poorly lit areas to design safer streets.

Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat and the City of Surakarta, Indonesia to redevelop an overlooked riverbank into a vibrant park accessible to all. 

Nepalese youth use Minecraft to visualize ideas and restore socializing and sunbathing to an ancient body of water threatened by urbanization.

A Block by Block Workshop helps fast-track public recreational space ideas that had been stalled by lack of finances and political support in Khulna, Bangladesh’s industrial hub.

Students team up to reimagine a historic public square using Minecraft, inspiring local officials to make a commitment to safe, green, accessible public spaces.

Block by Block Workshops transform a dilapidated playground into a bright, well-used public space, empowering the community to improve their living conditions.

When rapid development in the Jianghan district reduced access to public open spaces, residents used Minecraft to propose designs for a welcoming park on the lake.

Block by Block Workshops empower women and children to design a safe, kid-friendly playground in densely populated Dhaka.

This project aimed to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on children in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Hanoi by helping the community create and maintain mobile playgrounds.

Block by Block Workshops in Turkey empower youth to design their own summer camp, incorporating imaginative ideas for recreation and accessibility.

As the pandemic threatened Bhopal, India’s congested informal settlements, we helped with handwashing kiosks, masks, and access to safe socialization spaces.

Our COVID-19 projects in Dhaka and Khulna provided livelihood support and healthy measures for market vendors temporarily relocated due to the pandemic.

Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat to create an inclusive reading space designed to serve all community members, especially people with disabilities.

Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat and HealthBridge Vietnam to transform 375 square meters of road into an accessible community space.

Too many video games are about war and fighting. Minecraft is constructive, not destructive, and can help communities heal. In Kosovo, residents came together to turn a deserted market into an appealing public space with gardens, a playground, and the country’s first skatepark.

Our COVID relief projects in Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Vietnam, Niger, Kenya, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh address a range of issues at the community level.

Community members of all ages create designs for sports facilities, gardens, and lighting in a poorly maintained park in the Villa El Salvador neighborhood.

Block by Block has empowered people from all walks of life to improve living conditions and revitalize public space in some of Haiti’s most impoverished areas.

Women in Lima, Peru reimagined and rebuilt public spaces, passageways, parks, and more, creating independence and empowerment for themselves and their children.

Block by Block Workshops in São Paulo engage local schoolkids and artists in transforming a crumbling staircase into a playful mini-park.

Our São Paulo COVID-19 project helped children and families during the pandemic by distributing kits to help stimulate cognitive and emotional development.

This project raised awareness on COVID-19 safety through urban art and mask distribution while addressing the vulnerabilities of LGBTIQ+ community members.

Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat to transform flood-prone creek banks into two vibrant parks serving over 24,000 residents in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

A design competition to reimagine Mexico City's Plaza Tlaxcoaque attracts 7,000 kids, revealing the power of Minecraft for critical thinking and urban design.

Anaheim schoolchildren use Minecraft to model their ideas for transforming a neglected riverbank space and discover new career possibilities in the process.