The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is now in Minecraft helping to remake Croydon

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been immortalized in block form as part of a Minecraft Education Challenge to redesign Croydon.

A partnership between City Hall, Microsoft’s Minecraft Education and C40 Cities, the 2023 Design Future London Schools Challenge invites students to redesign Croydon city center as a “greener, safer and more prosperous place for all”.

Khan appears in-game as a non-player character to initiate the challenge.

The participating teams must produce a two-minute video of their Croydon creation, explaining their vision. All details available here.

Khan chairs C40 Cities, a global network of city mayors dedicated to tackling the climate crisis with science-based goals.

“Creating a greener, fairer and more prosperous London for generations to come is one of my top priorities. Fulfilling my missions to tackle air pollution and achieve net-zero carbon by 2030 are a big part of that, so I’m really excited to have help from the Voices of Tomorrow,” said Khan.

“It was an honor to be rendered in blocks and to join the Minecraft family to start the Design Future London Schools Challenge for young Londoners. London Minecraft World is a fun and engaging way for young Londoners to think critically about the built environment, collaborate with friends and colleagues, and be creative in showcasing their vision for the future of the capital.

“I can’t wait to see the brilliant ideas that come out of this challenge and I wish all participating young Londoners the best of luck with their entries.”

Croydon is London’s southernmost borough with sights such as the former Nestlé Tower and the arts center Fairfield Halls. It even has 327 listed buildings from before the Domesday records in 1086.

Minecraft has collaborated on a number of educational initiatives. Last year this included a partnership with The National Trust to recreate real castle ruins and another with BBC Earth on a Frozen Planet.