1 - Cities of the Future
In this unit the students will explore what is happening to the world’s cities by examining how global interactions affects demographic change. They will examine the causes, consequences and management of several common urban issues including the development of informal housing, pollution, congestion, density dependent diseases, energy, food and water supply. They will discuss the concepts of power and disparities in relation to these issues.
Image One - Noun Project
Key Concept
Global Interactions - Do increased levels of global interactions make cities less sustainable? Can global interactions ever be positive for cities?
Related Concepts
Power - Who holds the power to make changes to cities? Sustainability - Can cities become more sustainable in terms of the waste, energy, infrastructure development, etc?
Global Context
Globalisation and Sustainability - As global populations continue to increase and more people migrate how can we make our living environment more sustainable?
Statement of Inquiry
Increasing global interactions concentrate more power in cities which can cause unsustainable growth, and increase disparities.
Inquiry Questions
Factual Questions: Remembering facts and topics
What is a migrant?
Where are migrants distributed?
What is currently the largest city on Earth?
What is informal housing?
What are the three 'pillars' of sustainability?
What is a 'smart city'?
Conceptual Questions: Analysing big ideas
How does migration cause disparities between places?
Why do people move to cities?
What positive possibilities are presented by megacities?
Who has the power to improve the slums?
Who has the power to make cities more sustainable?
How will the cities of the future be more sustainable than the cities of now?
Debatable Questions: Evaluating perspectives and developing theories
Why do people like to blame poverty for the high crime rates in Brazil's cities?
Can the movement of people be modelled effectively?
What will life be like in future megacities?
Is there ever a sensible solution to informal dwellings?
Can a city ever be truly sustainable?
What will the cities of the future need to flourish and thrive?
