Middle-schoolers use video game to reimagine Hamilton's West Harbour

City planning is tricky business. Those who do it for a living must pay heed to grownup concerns like zoning, environmental regulations and the cost of building in concrete and steel.

But adult decision-makers aren't the only ones affected by changes in the urban form, nor do they hold a monopoly on smart ideas about how their neighbourhoods should take shape.

Students in a gifted class at Dalewood Middle School in Hamilton, Ont., are throwing this point into sharp (yet pixelated) relief. Using a video game called Minecraft, they've re-envisioned vacant plots of land in the city's post-industrial north end, demonstrating that urban planning can be educational and fun.

What did the process look like? Watch the slideshow below to find out.