Designing a sustainable city
Inspiration for the tool
Participants of the Innovation Factory from Poland
Rationale: Why is this needed?
We want students to learn about and reflect on the role of various professions in designing and redesigning cities, taking into account global changes and future challenges.
Objectives
By the end of the activity, participants will be able to:
- understand the role of various professions in implementing the concept of sustainable development and exploring innovative future careers.
Resources needed:
- A4 sheet of paper for each student / group of students,
- Equipment to play a video.
Activities:
- Introduction
The facilitator introduces students to the topic of sustainable cities, explaining that in the future, urban development will be based on innovations and modern technologies that minimize the negative impact on the environment.
A sustainable city is designed to be environmentally friendly, fair and economically stable, not just for today but for the long haul.
- Exercise: Sustainable city
The facilitator hands out a sheet of paper to each student and asks them to divide it into 5 sections
- Transport
- Energy
- Green spaces
- Food production
- Waste
Students will take notes of the ideas for these 5 topics while watching the following videos (they are in English, but you can enable subtitles or choose a similar video in your language):
- Discussion
The facilitator asks students:
- What innovations were presented in the videos?
The class discusses examples from all five areas. The facilitator should guide the debate so that the group can discuss as many examples as possible, sharing what they identified and reflected on and promote their reflection by using questions such as:
- What cities were presented to showcase innovative solutions?
- Do you know similar examples in our country?
- How do you imagine the city of the future? What innovations will be key to creating environmentally friendly cities?
- Exercise: Designing a sustainable city
The facilitator divides students into five groups. Each group is tasked with developing innovative ideas for their district, city, or village, focusing on one of the following five areas:
- Transport: Eco-friendly transportation, bike lanes, public transport.
- Energy: Renewable energy sources, energy efficiency.
- Green spaces: Parks, green roofs, recreational areas.
- Food production: Local farming, urban gardens, vertical farms.
- Waste: Recycling, waste reduction, circular economy.
Each group can also work on all topics if.
Encourage students to brainstorm future professions that will be essential for implementing their projects. These professions should be innovative, creative, and address climate challenges and sustainable development.
Each group presents their ideas for a sustainable city and the future professions they have designed. They explain how these professions will contribute to building a sustainable and innovative city.
Reflections/Consolidation of learning
Summarize the lesson by recalling the key takeaways from the exercises and presentations.
Ask the students:
- Can you imagine yourselves working in any of the professions or industries discussed today? If so, which one?