City of Darwin has created a custom Darwin world within Minecraft Education, giving students the opportunity to step inside a virtual Darwin, explore the places they know and imagine how they could shape the city's future.
The initiative forms part of City of Darwin's Place and Liveability Plan 2050, a community-led roadmap to create a more connected, vibrant and liveable city.
Aligned with the Year 7 Place and Liveability curriculum, the Darwin world gives students a unique opportunity to explore what makes Darwin special, from its neighbourhoods, parks and public spaces to the way the city is designed to respond to its tropical environment.
Lord Mayor Peter Styles said the custom Darwin world offered an exciting new way for young people to connect with their city.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for students to step inside a virtual Darwin and experience the places they know in a completely new way," Mr Styles said.
"One of the most exciting parts of this project is that students aren't just learning about city planning, they're designing the city they live in.
"They can explore familiar places, test new ideas and imagine how Darwin can continue to grow and improve for future generations," he said.
Students access the Darwin world through Minecraft Education using their school Microsoft Education accounts and can explore local landmarks and public spaces while working together to solve real-world planning challenges in a safe and structured environment.
The custom Darwin world was successfully piloted at a local school, where students explored local places, assessed their liveability and then brought their ideas to life in Minecraft Education.
As part of the "Rebuild This Space" challenge, students redesigned cyclone-affected environments to improve safety, connectivity, resilience and community wellbeing.
The Darwin world already includes the new Civic Centre, Casuarina Library and a range of parks across the municipality, with more local landmarks and public spaces to be added over time.
The custom Darwin world complements City of Darwin's interactive Liveability Platform, which brings together data and community insights to showcase projects improving parks, streets and public spaces across the municipality.
Together, these initiatives support the Place and Liveability Plan 2050 by encouraging people of all ages to explore liveability principles, share ideas and contribute to Darwin's future.
Schools and educators can visit the Liveability Toolkit > Minecraft Education to access resources, download the Darwin world and learn how to get involved.
To celebrate the launch, City of Darwin will roll out a series of school design challenges soon.
The winning class will:
- present their vision directly to the Lord Mayor and Councillors;
- have their design featured on the Liveability Platform;
- receive a certificate for each student, signed by the Lord Mayor; and
- receive trees to plant at their school, creating a lasting connection to the project while contributing to a greener Darwin.
