Headline: Riga‘s Youth Shaping Sustainable City Futures with ‘Minecraft‘ and ‘MC-YOU’ Project
Riga’s youngsters are getting a unique chance to influence their city’s development through the ‘MC-YOU’ project, an initiative that combines education, creativity, and sustainable urban planning. Over 70 children from ten Riga’s educational institutions have already participated in workshops organized by the City Development Department and the Education, Culture, and Sports Department, all within the framework of the Erasmus+ project ‘Elastīgas pilsētas ar Minecraft: novatorisks jaunatnes vadīts politikas process ilgtspējīgai Eiropai’ (MC-YOU).
The project seeks to empower young minds to contribute to Riga’s urban planning, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility towards their city. By working in groups and engaging in discussions, students learn about various themes crucial to sustainable urban development, such as urban planning, sustainability, resilience, inclusivity, city financing, and 15-minute cities.
These topics align with the project’s priorities and are designed to be beneficial for the participating children as they envision and recreate different Riga locations using the ‘Minecraft Education’ platform. Currently, the youngsters are familiarizing themselves with these public spaces, researching their history, and preparing for their creative visions.
In January, each team will engage in ‘agoras’ – public debate sessions – with various stakeholders, including local authorities, residents, and professionals. This process aims to help the children understand the aspirations and constraints of Riga’s development.
By March, each of the 16 teams will present their original vision for these Riga sites, integrating all the input they’ve received. In April, both a jury and the general public will vote anonymously on each proposal.
Mārtiņš Eņģelis, an expert from the City Development Department, shares, "In this project, we want children to feel that their ideas and needs matter. Usually, children are distant consultants or their participation is limited to creating simple ‘Minecraft’ versions of locations or producing unusable visions. With MC-YOU, we aim to equip children with the understanding that they have the right to be part of Riga’s development, but they must also consider local needs, sustainable principles, and urban development guidelines."
The project runs for two years, from November 2023 to November 2025, with a total cost of €48,675 in Riga, of which 10% is co-financed by the local municipality. Led by the European network Out of the Box International (Poland), the project also involves partners from Faro (Portugal), Sandanski (Bulgaria), INA EUROPE (France), CESIE Palermo (Italy), the Baltic Cities Union (UBC), and SIA LINK DMT SRL, Modena (Italy).
Through MC-YOU, Riga is nurturing a new generation of urban planners and engaged citizens, fostering a sustainable and inclusive future for their city.
