A virtual Cotton Club rises, with an open-source engine

Second Life, the virtual world many professors use for experiential learning, is no longer big enough for one University of Arizona professor.

Bryan Carter, an assistant professor of Africana studies, has been using the virtual world to teach students about the Harlem Renaissance since 2005. But as technology has advanced, Mr. Carter has been looking to evolve his virtual city as well. Now the virtual-life company Utherverse is building a new digital replica of Harlem during the 1920s, based on a street grid Mr. Carter has provided. The company is relying on the Unity engine, a cross-platform game engine that employs open graphics standards.

It’s “a huge step up” from Second Life, Mr. Carter said in an e-mail....