Cityville: Town, City, and Urban Planning

While most students start learning to read maps in early elementary school, more in-depth instruction on how communities are actually designed and constructed are often overlooked. City planning (or urban planning) is the process of designing human settlements, from the smallest of towns to large-scale metropolitan areas. It involves a wide swath of subject areas, including engineering, architecture, economics, geography, sociology, ecology, design, law, and politics. In a nutshell, the goal of city planning is to confirm the orderly development of communities and surrounding regions.

There is archeological evidence that deliberately planned communities existed in ancient Mesopotamia and other regions, particularly in what is now Pakistan and India. Excavations of these ancient cities have revealed streets that were laid out in grid patterns, with major thoroughfares giving way to smaller alley-type streets, that were most likely residential in nature. The ancient Romans, too, were known as masterful city planners, and their designs often became models that were emulated throughout the world.

While the history of urban planning is interesting in its own right, lessons in modern city planning offer many benefits to students. Through the examination of the design of cities and towns, students learn about how communities are created and how they function. They can examine maps of a community, see how it has changed over time, and discuss why such changes occurred. What events have transpired (population fluctuation? Environmental concerns? Economic upswing or downturn?) that may have precipitated the change? In this way, students learn that communities are organic things, and that it is possible to institute social or economic change simply by modifying the design of a city or town. Students also respond well to real-life scenarios where they can examine an existing problem in a community, and suggest solutions based on planning and design. Lessons such as these also serve to strengthen the concept of civic responsibility, as students continue to learn that ordinary citizens can resolve public problems and institute change through their ideas and ongoing commitment.

This week, I’ve highlighted three resources on city planning for all grade levels. At the earliest levels, children can learn about how people live in communities, and how the city or town can be changed. Older students can be challenged with activities where they must plan communities that address various criteria, as well as taking the local politics, environmental concerns, geography, and regional history into account. Throughout the week, we’ll also be featuring several new urban planning lessons and resources daily on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so be sure to check those pages often.

What Should a Playground Look Like?
Subjects: Arts, Language arts, Social studies
Grade: PreK-1
In this lesson students design their own playgrounds that reflect their interests and allow for opportunities to share, take turns, listen, and talk. This lesson is offered by the Educator Resource Center at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum . One of the things that I really like about this lesson is that young students collaborate with their peers to brainstorm ideas, design their ideal playgrounds, and then use expressive language to share their creations with the class.

Architecture: It’s Elementary!
Subjects: Architecture, Social Studies, English Language Arts
Grade: 5
In this 10-lesson unit, students learn about the history of cities, the politics and economics of urban areas, and the elements of city planning, preservation, and the necessary infrastructures involved. They will also learn about appropriate building materials, environmental issues that affect our communities, and will design their own cities. I especially like the breadth and comprehensiveness of this unit, which covers all facets of town and city planning. Each unit focuses on a specific topic of city planning, so students get a good understanding of the complexities and options involved in the process. This lesson is a product of the American Institute of Architects and the Michigan Architecture Foundation.

Simulated Urban Planning
Subjects: Geography, Architecture, Sociology
Grade: 12
Students will explore how the villages and cities in which they live reflect the culture, human needs, values and ideals of their citizens. They will create plans for an ideal city and then reflect on how well they meet the needs and values of American society. This lesson works particularly well if the class is comprised of students who have experienced living in other cities or geographic regions, which makes a great platform for comparisons between different types of cities/towns and their design. This lesson is a product of the Ohio Department of Education, which provides lesson plans and other information for educators.