Future Cities
In this unit the students will explore what is happening to the world’s cities by examining how global interactions affect demographic change. They will examine the causes, consequences and management of several common urban issues including slums, pollution, congestion, density dependent diseases, energy, food and water supply, and discuss the concepts of power and disparities in relation to these issues. Finally, they will construct a model of a utopian future city as part of a research project into sustainable futures.
Image One - Eutopian City
Taken From: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/azharisofyan/utopian-cities/
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? Disparities - What disparities are created in cities due to migration? Can the disparities be reduced? Sustainability - Can cities become more sustainable in terms of the waste, energy, infrastructure etc?
Global Context
Globalisation and Sustainability - As global populations continue to increase 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 happening to the world’s cities?
What factors does a city need to be sustainable?
What are the different urban land use models?
What are the different models of migration?
What are the push and pull factors?
Conceptual Questions: Analysing big ideas
How sustainable are modern cities? (environmental, social and economic sustainability)
Debatable Questions: Evaluating perspectives and developing theories
How should we build the cities of the future?
