Minecraft competition could be the smart solution for building new cities

Designs for a new smart city for Maroochydore in Queensland are being built brick by brick, but no mortar is necessary.

Queensland-based group The-Core is inviting anyone and everyone to use the popular videogame Minecraft to design a combination retail, residential, public open space, for a 60 hectare space recently earmarked for development by the Sunshine Coast Council.

“What we’re looking for is to engage the youth and get them involved,’’ he says.

“What better way than to get the kids involved and not just from around our area, but from around the world.

“Kids can come up with anything and everything, they’re not restricted in their thought.’’

The-Core’s purpose is to “create opportunity using technologies and creative imagination by identifying social hot trends” and using these trends “to creative innovative ideas to engage the community and inspire creativity”.

It is offering over $10,000 worth of prizes for the best designs with both an under-13 year category and an over-13 category.

Cofounder Craig Josic says they’re really excited to have people from all around the world taking part in the competition.

The competition has been open for three weeks and its promotional video has amassed over 30,000 hits on YouTube.

“The unfortunate thing about Minecraft is I don’t think it gets enough, I don’t think parents give it enough credit as an educational tool,’’ Josic says.

“It gives kids great spatial awareness and helps them deal with things like design limitations.

“Gamers have incredible imaginations and I’ve seen my own sons create incredible worlds through playing a lot of Minecraft.”

The council is consulting the community on what they would like to see built on the 60ha space.

The ultimate goal is for the council to accept one of the designs from the competition, but Josic says it’s too early to tell whether this is likely to happen.

You can view the community’s progress over at its Minecraft Server.

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