Blocks and Lots is a cute game about land use and urban development. Your job is to rezone the neighborhood to improve the lives of its residents—but that might be harder than you think.

There are five basic zones in the game, including manufacturing, single-family homes, and open space. Your job is to adjust them according to what homeowner Mary Jones, factory owner JT, environmentalist Tulip Groves, and a variety of other characters want around their neighborhood.

If you want to solve a conflict between residents, the game lets you play with land use policies such as creating mixed use zones or implementing rent control to help them come to a compromise.

Thanks to contributor Nick Sementelli, who first tipped us off to this! GGWash Development Director Jane Green's observation, after playing it this morning: “I find it very hard to make the homeowner happy, even with lots of parks.”

Can YOU make everyone happy in Solano Heights, and create a better place for all of its residents to live, work, and play?

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Tagged: fun, games, planning, zoning

Julie Strupp was Greater Greater Washington's Managing Editor from 2017 to 2019. Previously, she had written for DCist, Washingtonian, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, and others. You can usually find her sparring with her judo club, pedaling around the city, or hanging out on her Columbia Heights stoop.