By Steve Dinneen
Have you ever wondered what London’s long-standing mayor Sadiq Khan would look like with a perfectly square head? Now you know for sure after he was brought to life as a character in the video game Minecraft.
With his grey hair, the faintest hint of 5 o’clock shadow and those kind, slightly sleepy eyes, you can just about make out the features of the mayor in his new avatar, albeit those features are spread disconcertingly across a flat plane.
Also dragged into the Minecraft universe is night tzar Amy Lame, recognisable from her red lipstick and cat-eye glasses, although there is a hint of The League of Gentlemen’s local shopkeeper to her new digital avatar.
These and other figures in the London planning community have been digitised to promote the mayor’s 2023 Design Future London Schools Challenge, which will take place in a Minecraft version of Croydon town centre.
Young Londoners will “use their creative design skills to create sustainable changes” to the south London area, with students tasked with producing a two minute video of their Minecraft creations that explains their vision for a greener Croydon.
Other real life people made into Minecraft characters include Lucinda Turner, interim assistant director of planning at the Greater London Authority, whose avatar has absurdly large blue eyes and a smile made up of just seven pixels. Jules Pipe, deputy mayor for planning, regeneration and skills, meanwhile, has to settle for a plain pink cube for a head.
“Creating a greener, fairer and more prosperous London for generations to come is a key priority of mine,” says Khan. “Achieving my missions of tackling air pollution and reaching net zero carbon by 2030 are a huge part of this, so I’m thrilled to be getting help from the voices of tomorrow.
“It was an honour to be rendered in blocks and join the Minecraft family to launch the Design Future London Schools Challenge to young Londoners. The London Minecraft World is a fun and engaging way for young Londoners to think critically about the built environment, collaborate with friends and peers, and be creative in showcasing their vision for the capital’s future.”
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