Key Terminology

• • • • • • Sustainable

We use the word sustainable or sustainability all the time but what does it really mean? Use the useful link below to define the word sustainable.

Useful Link

• • • • • • Penn State Definition: Sustainable

Activity One - Sustainable Stool

The sustainable stool below is a pictorial reference to remind us of the different elements that need to be considered when viewing sustainability.

• • 1. Draw a diagram representing the sustainable stool and then explain why it is important to consider the three key areas when discussing sustainability.

    2. Read the article below from The Guardian about American infrastructure. Write in the padlet below the key problems that can occur when the infrastructure does not consider where people live.

Useful Resource

The Guardian - Roads to Nowhere

Activity Two - Sustainable Projects

Last lesson you invested why your chosen city had seen a growth in people and the impact it was having. You are now going to try and solve two of the key problems raised in that city to try and make it more sustainable. Before you do that though we are going to investigate how a range of cities are tackling key problems within their boundaries.

• • • • Collect a piece of A3 paper and a set of coloured pens from the cupboard.

      • Read the five articles below and write a summary of each project on the paper.

      • Try and colour code each project e.g. write the social ones in one colour, the economic in another and the environmental ones in a different colour.

Useful Resources

Fast Company - 10 cities that are leading the way in sustainability

The Energy Collective - Urban Sustainability Projects From Around the World that Inspires

The City Lab - 5 Sustainable infrastructure Projects Other Cities May Want to Copy

The Guardian - For me this is paradise

arcGIS - Electricity and Heat of Buildings

Activity Three - Example - Curitiba, Brazil

Now we have looked briefly at a range of different cities we are going to look at one in more depth. Curitiba, Brazil has long been hailed has a beacon of hope for cities aiming to be more sustainable. You are going to look at what the key problems were in Curitiba and how the city has worked to solve them. The solutions may not seem particularly inventive or inspiring but the key thing is that they are appropriate for this city. The appropriate form of change is something that you will need to consider for your own city.

• • • Watch the youtube clip below and make notes on the problems and solutions created to make Curitiba more sustainable.

Activity Four - Futures - Extension

We are not going to watch the youtube clip below in class as it is too long but if you would like to find out how the world could look in 2050 if we are more sustainable please view at home.