Urban Planning: Plan a City
(Adapted from "Greenville")

Overview:

This activity asks students to analyze the concept of urbanization by planning the placement of some of the major urban/suburban features that make up most cities. Students must arrange the cultural features to benefit the people who live there, and maintain respect for the natural environment.

Teaching Level: 5th to 9th grades

Connection to Oregon State Content Standards:
  1. Read, interpret and make maps, charts and graphs to explain spatial relationships.
  2. Identify the physical and human (cultural) characteristics of places and regions and how they change through time.
  3. Describe the distribution and migration of human populations, ideas and products and predict future trends.
  4. Explain how humans and the physical environment impact and influence each other.

Connections to National Geography Standards:

1 How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
12 How human actions modify the physical environment?
14 How human actions modify the environment?
18  How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

Materials: Project packet

Procedures:
    1. Students are placed into planning teams of 2-3 and given one project packet.
    2. Each team should look over the materials matching feature symbols with their description and noting how many times each should appear.
    3. Planning teams create a rough draft on the small map provided. Ideas and discussion are the key here.
    4. Create a final map of the plan on the large map provided.
    5. Fill out the summary page.
    6. Answer the individual summary questions.

Grading: Group 75% that includes the final city map, placement summary sheet, the group collaboration section. Individual=25% individual summary questions.

URBAN PLANNING Student Packet

The State Planning Commission has appointed you to a planning team for the purpose of developing a master plan for what will become an urban-suburban community in your state. The Commission expects you to make recommendations for the arrangement of some of the major urban and suburban developments and to justify your reasons for this arrangement.

This is not to be a city of the distant future, but a city which could be build today using today's scientific knowledge. Your recommendations should be realistic but not necessarily traditional.

The city you will be planning will be called ____________________. The site for this new city has an area of approximately 224 square miles. The community will have both urban and suburban features with a high population density in some areas and a very low population density in others.

The teacher will organize the class into "Planning Teams". Your team will be asked to draw symbols on a map, which show the major features of an urban-suburban community. Your arrangement of the city will be determined by how you think a city should be organized for the benefit of all the people and with respect for the natural environment.

Here is your opportunity to plan a modern, beautiful community that can serve all the people efficiently. You have a difficult task, but an important responsibility.

 

LIST OF URBAN AND SUBURBAN FEATURES

Civic Center (one location)-
The administrative and commercial center of the city


Heavy Industry (2 locations)
Major industrial plants. Includes steel plants, auto factories, etc.


Light Industry (4 locations)
Small factories which support larger ones or which manufacture consumer products.


Large Shopping Malls (3 locations)
Large shopping centers which include a variety of department stores and smaller shops.


Small Business Areas (6 locations)
Small shopping and business areas usually serving individual neighborhoods.


Multiple Family Dwelling Areas (5 locations)
Areas limited to apartment houses


Single Family Dwelling Areas (8 locations)
Areas limited to private houses.


Power Plants (2 locations)
Hydroelectric or steam power.


Refuse Disposal Areas (3 locations)
Areas designated for the disposal of the city's trash.


Recreation Areas and Parks (10 locations)
Publicly owned lands for recreation purposes.


Summary Report

DIRECTIONS:

This report is a summary of the city plan developed by your planning team. Following each of the urban-suburban features listed below, write a brief statement explaining the reasons for its location as determined by the planning team.

Urban-Suburban Feature Reasons for Location
Civic Center:
Heavy Industry:
Light Industry:
Large Shopping Mall:
Small Business Areas:
Multiple Family Dwellings:
Single Family Dwellings:
Power Plants:
Refuse Disposal Areas:
Recreation Areas and Parks:

URBAN PLANNING Assessment
SCORING GUIDE

A. MAP: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
FOLLOWS THE RULES OF CARTOGRPAHY (DON'T FORGET A KEY)
INCLUDES ALL THE FEATURES THE CORRECT NUMBER OF TIMES
FEATURES ARE THE CORRECT SIZE
FEATURES ARE PLACED IN ORGANIZED MANNER VS. A RANDOM SELECTION.
PLACEMENT MEETS THE OBJECTIVE OF BEING A BENEFIT TO BOTH PEOPLE AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

B. PLACEMENT SUMMARY SHEET: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NEAT
IN INK OR TYPED
ALL FEATURES EXPLAINED
EXPLANATIONS SHOW DETAIL

C. COLLABORATION SCORING: 1 2 3 4 5

NEEDS NO PROMPTING TO INTERACT, COMMITS TO GROUP GOAL
LEADS OTHERS TO PARTICIPATE, WORKS TO INVOLVE OTHERS
IDENTIFIES STRATEGIES AND PLANS THAT WILL ACHIEVE THE GOAL
COMPLETES OWN RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS TOWARD GOAL, AND HELPS OTHER MEMBERS AS NEEDED
ASSESSES PROGRESS TOWARD THE GOAL, STAYS ON TASK UNTIL THE GOAL IS REACHED

Urban Planning
Individual Essay Questions

  1. What natural features of the site helped influence your city plan? How? Explain.
  2. What does a well-planned city look like?
  3. Would you plan roads before or after you planned other features? Why?
  4. What do you feel is the most important problem facing American cities today?
  5. What do you feel should be the most important consideration when planning cities in the future?
    6.