Ítalo Sousa de Sena is an Assistant Professor in Digital Landscape Design at University College Dublin's School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy. He joined UCD in 2023 as a postdoctoral researcher for the Horizon 2020 project HeritACT and was promoted to Teaching Fellow in September 2024, then to Assistant Professor in January 2025. He also serves as Programme Director for the BSc Landscape Architecture program starting March 2025. His academic journey includes a Geography degree from Federal University of São João Del-Rei (2013), a Master's in Analysis and Modeling of Environmental Systems from Federal University of Minas Gerais (2015), and a PhD in Geography from the same institution (2019). Dr. de Sena specializes in geographical virtual environments and immersive landscape visualization, with particular expertise in applying Minecraft as a tool for landscape visualization and participatory urban planning. His research bridges GIS, remote sensing, environmental analysis, geotourism, and geoconservation, focusing on how digital tools can facilitate public participation in climate action and urban planning. He developed GeoMinasCraft, a geogame that recreates the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ouro Preto, Brazil within Minecraft to study landscape perception. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on playful participatory planning systems, heritage reactivation strategies, and geovisualization frameworks. The research shows consistent application of digital tools for community engagement, particularly in using Minecraft's spatial mechanics to facilitate public participation. His work with the HeritACT project demonstrates practical applications of these methodologies across multiple European contexts including Eleusis, Milan, and Ballina. Co-awarded funding by Research Ireland for Craft-my-Street project Contributor to Horizon 2020 projects HeritACT and SCORE Postdoctoral research at Masaryk University (2021-2022) External researcher at Geoprocessing Laboratory (UFMG) and Geogames Lab (Iowa State University) At UCD, Dr. de Sena teaches Landscape Studio courses and coordinates the Fieldwork module. His teaching integrates his research expertise in digital landscape design with practical applications in urban planning. His work represents a significant contribution to the emerging field of serious geogames and their application in sustainable planning practices, particularly in engaging diverse stakeholders including children and communities in the planning process.