According to an article on ASLA's blog, The Dirt, Minecraft, the popular video game that was released in 2009, may aid in popularizing the work of landscape architects and encourage children and other community members to explore the profession. Deirdre Quarstrom, the general manager for Microsoft's Minecraft Education program, joined Lauren Schmitt, ASLA, and parks manager Pamela Galera in discussing how Minecraft might be used to engage the community in landscape architecture at the ASLA 2018 Annual Meeting, held last month in Philadelphia.

The game lets players create and explore a world made out of 3D one-meter blocks. Quarnstrom states that Minecraft could help non-professionals understand how a 2D sketch can become a reality in a landscape.

Quarnstrom hopes that, through the Block by Block program, which teaches participants how to design and develop landscapes using Minecraft, landscape architects will engage with communities and bring more interest and understanding to the profession.

To read the article in full, visit https://tinyurl.com/y8bosxe6.