In Les Mureaux, young people are crafting their ideal town center
As part of the consultation process for the redevelopment of the town center of Les Mureaux – the train station area – Res publica conceived, organized, and led a workshop for local youth using the video game Minecraft.
This project is part of the "Action Cœur de Ville" program and aims to revitalize the center of Les Mureaux. It involves defining a renewed commercial offering , new, greener , and a restructured transportation hub . The project also includes the demolition and reconstruction of new housing .
The town chose to conduct a consultation process to inform residents about the project and gather their needs and expectations for the future of the town center. In this context, a workshop specifically for young people was organized. Around twenty girls and boys, aged 8 to 16 , participated in the workshop. All of them already had a basic understanding of the video game . An adult, deeply involved in the consultation process, also wanted to participate in the workshop.
To engage young people, a segment of the population often overlooked in participatory processes, we used the video game Minecraft to allow them to envision the neighborhood to be reimagined and to more easily express their expectations . After a brief presentation of the project and its challenges, the participants were immersed in a virtual world (" the map ") modeling the neighborhood targeted by the project in 3D. Divided into three teams, the participants were then " teleported " to the city center to " craft " it—that is, to build or deconstruct elements —in response to questions posed by the project owner. The workshop concluded with a group sharing of the experience .
Created in 2009, Minecraft is one of the most popular video games in the world, with over 200 million copies sold . The game doesn't offer a fixed storyline or set of rules; it provides players with an open environment where they can invent their own uses . The Minecraft universe is composed of cubic blocks representing materials or natural elements (dirt, stone, wood, water, vegetation, etc.) that can be extracted, moved, and recombined to build all sorts of structures. The game thus functions like a vast " digital Lego set ," with almost limitless possibilities : building, destroying, decorating, farming, raising animals...
Minecraft, a tool particularly suited to facilitating dialogue about urban planning projects with young people
The video game Minecraft lends itself well to the dialogue of urban projects , which may seem complex and abstract at first glance, especially to young populations.
A useful tool for taking ownership of the urban project
Unlike traditional urban planning, Minecraft, with its three-dimensional graphical interface , makes a project more accessible to a non-specialist audience by allowing them to virtually immerse in a space. Indeed, through the game, it's possible to faithfully recreate any public space (streets, neighborhoods, cities, etc.). Players can virtually wander through a location, just as they would in real life, and recognize their everyday surroundings . Signs—and all sorts of instructions—can be placed within the game to provide explanations or clarifications to participants (texts, project plans, illustrations, etc.).
Thanks to the various tools and objects available , the game allows for the exploration of a wide range of themes related to urban development : greening, housing, commerce, mobility, street furniture, and more. Everything can be built in Minecraft , from buildings and plantings to benches, fountains, games, animals, and so on. Players can thus give free rein to their imagination within a framework defined beforehand by the organizers .
Preparatory work for creating the "map" is necessary to accurately reproduce the project area. During this phase, various contextual elements can also be added to ensure a clear understanding of the project and the workshop , notably through the implementation of instructions (virtual signs, project area boundaries, etc.). All these elements are fully customizable and adaptable according to the type of project desired and the imposed instructions.
A tool that is very popular with young people, but also suitable for intergenerational discussions.
Minecraft has the advantage of appealing to a wide age range . The game is very popular with young people, with an average user age of 24 (nearly half of the game's users are between 15 and 21). However, a significant proportion of players (15%) are over 30. Thus, the game has the potential to bring together , for a single collaborative event, two generations with different life experiences who don't naturally have the habit of meeting. The game can also facilitate dialogue between more distant generations, thanks to the mutual support made possible by the formation of groups tasked with specific aspects. For example, during the workshop organized in Les Mureaux, an adult in their sixties was present among a group of young people aged 8 to 15, who were able to help them better understand how the video game works.
An accessible and inclusive tool
For younger audiences, the (and collaborative) nature of Minecraft, which departs from the school setting they are used to, is a real asset in fostering dialogue on urban planning topics. It is easier to capture their attention , engage them actively, and encourage exchanges and debates among them. Group cohesion develops more naturally through teamwork.
Minecraft allows children and teenagers, intimidated by public speaking or hesitant about the value of their contribution, to express themselves differently . Rather than having to formulate their ideas orally, the game allows them to represent them directly by designing spaces or constructing buildings .
By facilitating and liberating the expression of young people experiencing their first collaborative workshop, Minecraft strengthens their self-confidence and gives them real legitimacy in the consultation process.
More than a tool, an introduction to consultation.
Beyond its playful aspect, Minecraft allows young people to immerse themselves in a concrete project through a familiar and user-friendly . Although the concept of consultation is generally unfamiliar to children, dialogue is facilitated through their actions within the game . They thus intuitively discover what it means to "participate" in a consultation and how their choices can contribute ideas for improvements in a shared space, a space in which they feel involved . They become active participants . In this way, this type of workshop serves as a gateway to the practice of participatory democracy .
A workshop that fits perfectly into the consultation process
This workshop allowed young people to take ownership of the project and be integrated into the consultation process, just like adults. Through this activity, they discovered the principle of consultation and the importance of participating in building the future of their city , while feeling free to express themselves in a fun and educational environment.
Proposals for a greener city, where life is good.
The young participants demonstrated a strong awareness of ecological transition objectives . Indeed, greening the town center emerged almost unanimously as the most important aspect of the future redevelopment: in the project plan, numerous rooftops were greened by the participants, they planted an abundance of flowers and trees in the streets, and proposed the creation of a new park in the town center . In existing green spaces, it is worth noting that the young people suggested integrating several biodiversity , notably through the creation of a farm and a beehive . The participants also expressed a desire to redesign the space to be more open, allowing more room for vegetation and providing the residents of Les Mureaux with more space: several buildings were demolished (or at least their upper floors) and terraces were added to create more outdoor areas.
Finally, young people demonstrated a commitment to creating welcoming spaces , particularly in parks, by building picnic tables, chairs, and benches . They also envisioned, of course, several play areas . Some participants even suggested installing a football pitch in front of the train station or chess sets .
These contributions show that young people have identified the same important issues as adults regarding greening spaces and creating welcoming areas, with a greater emphasis on biodiversity and play spaces.
However, expectations regarding shops differ between young people and adults. While adults stressed the need for local shops and meeting places such as cafes or traditional restaurants , most young people would like to see large chain stores fast-food outlets in their town center .
It was really cool to see the town center of Les Mureaux in the Minecraft universe; the result was both realistic and playful. Thank you for this innovative and fun form of consultation that allowed for the participation of young residents.
Conclusion
This workshop allowed young people to fully participate in the consultation process , thanks to a tailored approach . Through video games, young people seem better able to engage with the urban project , express themselves , and develop a taste for teamwork . They give free rein to their imagination and are not confined to a formal dialogue space. They step outside a framework that might remind them of school —where they are often assessed—which could hinder their expression.
The video game Minecraft proved particularly well -suited to consultations on the transformation of a city center, but its malleable nature makes it applicable to other public policies as well. The possibilities offered by Minecraft, and indeed by video games in general, in consultation are therefore just waiting to be explored!
