Amman, Jordan, 5 April 2026 – 400 school students in Amman, Jordan, will have the chance to use the Minecraft Education platform to redesign part of their city in an exciting new competition announced today by the Jameel C40 Urban Planning Climate Labs.
Delivered by the Jameel C40 Urban Planning Climate Labs, in collaboration with the Greater Amman Municipality, C40 Cities, Community Jameel, Minecraft Education, the Queen Rania Center for Education Technology and Jordan’s Ministry of Education, the Jameel C40 x Minecraft Education – Schools Reinventing Amman challenge aims to build capacity for game-based learning in sustainable urban development, with the potential to scale the approach across schools in Jordan.
The competition focuses on the Southern Gate neighbourhood, a pilot site of the Jameel C40 Urban Planning Climate Lab in Amman and a strategic area within the city’s development framework. Students will work in teams to redesign public spaces using the Minecraft Education platform to support a climate-resilient, inclusive, and food-secure future. Teams will submit presentations of their ideas in the Minecraft world to tackle local challenges, including urban farming, targeting zero food waste, and ensuring access to healthy food for everyone.
The ten-week challenge will bridge learning and real-world urban planning. Selected proposals will be shared with the Greater Amman Municipality to help inform the city’s wider urban planning process, and the challenge will culminate in an awards ceremony and workshop later in the year, bringing students and city leaders together to explore how ideas by the youth can be integrated into ongoing planning efforts.
Nader Diab, Head of Programmes at Community Jameel, said: “Supporting young people to understand and shape the future of their cities is essential to building inclusive and climate-resilient communities. Through this collaboration, we are pleased to help connect education and creativity to address real urban challenges starting in Amman, and create meaningful opportunities for youth to inform how cities can adapt to a changing climate.”
Dr Yousef Al Shawarbeh, Mayor of Amman, speaking at the launch of the challenge, said: “Amman is the city of seven hills, a city that grows every day with dreams and ideas. I am pleased to invite you to take part in a unique challenge: the Schools Reinventing Cities competition, in collaboration with C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, using the Minecraft Education platform. This is an opportunity to design your own version of Amman within the world of Minecraft and to turn your ideas into a digital model that reflects a vision for a more sustainable and innovative city.”
Hélène Chartier, Director of Urban Planning and Design at C40 Cities, said: “Through Schools Reinventing Cities, we bring students closer to city planning processes, empowering the next generation to think critically about their city and design the green, thriving, and inclusive neighbourhoods they want to live in. This initiative in Amman shows how digital innovation and game-based learning can bridge the gap between young people and real-world urban planning.”
The Jameel C40 Urban Planning Climate Labs provide hands-on support to help cities embed climate action directly into real urban planning strategies. Established by C40 and Community Jameel in 2024, the labs pilot this approach in Amman and Chennai, India, developing practical methods that other cities can adapt.