Sustainable Cities of the Future
Unit 6 Project
Human Geography Challenge: Many of the world’s megacities are becoming overpopulated. Squatter cities and slums
are environmentally unsafe places for millions of humans with little to no services. These quickly growing urban centers
often produce lots of pollution and physical waste. You and your Urban Renewal Firm, SUS: Sustainable Urban Solutions,
have been hired to research, design, and build a sustainable city of the future in a developing country. However the
model must accurately demonstrate and explain concepts of urban design and development from AP Human
Geography. The SUS team that persuades the most migrants (me and 2 other judges) to settle and work in their city
wins.
Purpose: In order to understand several of the topics related to improving, updating and redesigning cites so that they
are sustainable, from demographic, economic and environmental perspectives, you will research, plan, design and build
a city based on several AP Human Geography concepts. This will give you a chance to demonstrate your understanding
of these new ideas and terms in a creative and, hopefully, fun way.
Grade: IA Grade 30% of unit grade. See rubric for how it will be graded.
Due Dates:
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Friday, March 15th for final model
Monday/Tuesday March 18 & 19th for Presentation to class explaining your model
Objectives:
1. Collaborate with group to research new trends in urban planning
2. Design a model of a city that reflects the ideas of sustainability, urban renewal, and urban design
3. Apply creativity and problem-solving skills to build a physical model of your city.
Requirements:
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Describe the site and situation of your city
Identify the internal model you are using (concentric zone, Hoyt-Sector, etc.) or create your own
Create a presentation that explains your model to the class.
The model must
a. Have at least 1 structure that represents a Skyscraper/Building UNIQUE to your urban landscape. Name
this famous structure
b. Roads
c. Public Transportation system (can be futuristic like a high speed monorail, subway, train, streetcars, etc)
d. A park
e. 3 cultural features (museum, theaters, concert halls, sports stadiums, church/mosque etc.)
f. An example of culture in the landscape
g. 3 examples of Walkability - Pedestrian walkways, bike/jogging paths, greenbelts, public places
h. At least 3 Different types of housing (single-family, mixed-income, apartments, high-rise condos etc.)
i. At least 3 examples of Economic Activity (Does your city have a CBD? Is it headquarters to any major
corporation? Offices buildings? Retail stores/shopping, etc)
j. 2 examples Sustainable infrastructure – how does your city get its energy, get rid of trash, gas/EV
stations, sewage/water,
k. Demonstrate its site and situation (rivers, lakes, oceans
Sustainable Cities of the Future
Unit 6 Project
Resources for Research: Articles
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10 Examples of Urban Design ideas
Sustainable Cities
Green Spaces and Transportation
Ideas for improving urban areas
What is Urban Planning
High Density Housing
Medium Density Housing
Inclusionary Zoning
Improving Walkability
Resources for Research: Videos
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Crash Course Human Geography Urban Planning
Sinn: Topic 6.7 Infrastructure
Sinn: Topic 6.8 Sustainability
Sinn: Topic 6.6 Density and Land Use
Sinn Topic 6.11 Challenges to Sustainability
Textbook Pages:
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Infrastructure 488-489
Urban Renewal 492-493
Controlling Traffic and Congestion – 494-495
Central Business District 464-465
Possible materials for building:
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Cardboard tubes
Cardboard boxes
Construction paper
Empty and rinsed soda bottles
Popsicle sticks
Straws
String
Toothpicks
Foil
Sustainable Cities of the Future
Unit 6 Project
AP Human Geography Topics/Concept that you will need to demonstrate in your model.
Potential Research Questions
1. How can a city mix high,
medium, and low density
housing?
2. How is culture reflected in
the urban landscape?
3. What is infilling? How could
your city reflect this process?
4. How can you reflect any of
these ideas in your model?
1. Why is infrastructure
important to cities?
2. How have different cities
built new infrastructure?
3. How can we build
sustainable infrastructure?
4. How is infrastructure
reflected in your model?
Consider these:
 Energy sources?
 Public Transportation?
 Cell phone towers
 Internet
 Bridges
 Ports
 Roads (grid pattern or
curvy)
1. What is mixed-land use
zoning?
2. What is mixed-income
housing?
3. How can cities improve
walkability?
4. How can cities encourage
public transportation?
5. What are some smart
growth policies (New
Urbanism, greenbelts)
6. How will your model reflect
any of these concepts?
Notes/Ideas:
Sustainable Cities of the Future
Unit 6 Project
1. How can cities become
sustainable?
2. What are urban growth
boundaries?
3. How can your city combat
climate change?
1.
Deadlines and Check-Ins
Days 1-2: Research and Planning:
 Begin by researching sustainable city concepts and examples. Look into cities known for
their sustainable practices such as Copenhagen, Singapore, or Curitiba.
 Identify key components of a sustainable city, such as renewable energy, efficient
transportation, green spaces, waste management, and sustainable architecture.
 Record your information in the notes section above
Day 2/3: Define Your City's Characteristics:
 Decide on the location of your city (Country and Region)
 What urban model will your city reflect?
 Define/describe site factors like climate, water resources, a good harbor…and situation
factors like: proximity to fertile soils/arable land, nearness to global trade routes, near a
major university, etc.?
 Determine the main industries and economic activities of your city. Will it be based on
technology, industry, tourism, or a combination?
 Do you have a famous sports team?
 Do you have dominant religion? How is it reflected in the landscape?
 Do you have a specific cultural group represented in your city? How? Where? Why?
 Think about the cultural and social aspects of your city. What kind of community do you
want to create?
Day 3/4: Sketch & Design Your Model:
 Gather materials such as cardboard, foam board, or recycled materials to build your city
model.
 Sketch a layout of your city, including its infrastructure, commercial& residential buildings,
public places, transportation systems.
 Consider the spatial arrangement of these according to your City Model. Where and why
would you locate industrial, commercial, and residential spaces?
Sustainable Cities of the Future
Unit 6 Project
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Incorporate sustainable features into your city design. For example, include solar panels on
rooftops, green spaces like parks and gardens, bike lanes, and efficient public transportation
systems.
Day 4-6: Build Your Model:
 Start constructing your city model based on your design. Cut out buildings and other
structures from cardboard or foam board, and use glue to assemble them.
 Add details such as roads, bridges, trees, and water bodies using paint, markers, or other
materials.
Days 7-8: Highlight Sustainable Practices and Create 5 slide PowerPoint Presentation that will
persuade people to move to your city
 Clearly label and showcase the sustainable features of your city model.
 Explain how each element contributes to sustainability and environmental conservation.
 Create a PERSUASIVE poster or presentations to accompany your model, providing
additional details about the sustainable initiatives in your city that would be pull factors for
migration.