Use of Minecraft in spatial planning (an example of a former sugar factory in Pruszcz Gdański)

Minecraft is a sandbox video game that provides an excellent tool for supporting social participation in spatial planning. Minecraft is used as a tool under the Block-by-Block initiative to invite people who otherwise would not participate in spatial planning with the use of classical forms of social participation. The main goal is to examine how possible social participation based on the Block-by-Block idea of using the Minecraft game can be in Polish realities. This was based on the example of a former sugar factory in Pruszcz Gdański. Young people and children showed considerable skills in constructing architectural objects and in spatial development on the premises of the former sugar factory in Pruszcz Gdański. In addition, the workshop participants were open to learning about and getting acquainted with the principles of correct spatial planning. Therefore, the advantage of Minecraft lies in involving young people in the processes of spatial changes, as well as in acting as a tool used to educate future users of given space. The limitation lies in the necessity to build a virtual environment, which is very labour-intensive.