Smart Growth: The Activities

GRADE LEVEL:

Middle School

Subject Areas

Social Studies
Mathematics

THE ACTIVITIES
BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS

Description: Students will create their own smart growth blueprint for a city or town.

GO DIRECTLY TO:

Goals and Objectives
Procedure and Teaching Suggestions
Student Activity
Extension

Skill Areas	Drafting — drawing a two-dimensional city street, building, other elements plan Calculation
Vocabulary	Blueprint Built environment plan Gridlock Impact Fees Induced Travel Infrastructure Mixed-use zoning Municipal Services New Urbanism Public Transportation Smart Growth Sprawl Street plan Subsidized housing
Class Time	Independent project One class period to present

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Materials and Equipment

Graph paper
Rulers
Regular and colored pencils
Computers and Internet connection for students
Laptop and projection equipment (if performing the introductory activity with the whole class)

Students will learn:

the principles of smart growth design and development of a city or large suburban area
how to design and draft a blueprint for a smart growth city
how to calculate a scale of measurement

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PROCEDURE AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

This introductory activity can be done as a class or as an individual assignment.

Introduce the Sierra Club Web site and discuss the information that is presented.

Click onto the Transportation Issues link and help students begin to understand what components are included in good smart growth urban and suburban models.

Click to The Livable Communities Link and discuss additional aspects of smart growth planning and development

Return to the first Web page and go to the National Geographic — "The New Suburb" site: There is also a link to a related National Geographic magazine feature, "Urban Sprawl," that presents excellent background material for students.

Direct the students to click the Explore a "New Urbanist" Neighborhood and take the virtual tour of a smart growth neighborhood. Discuss how each piece of the ideal neighborhood supports smart growth.

Direct students' attention back to the image of the street grid ("The New Suburb" page) that lays out the position of each smart growth component (buildings, landscape, open space, parking, mass transportation centers, etc.) This is the format in which students will design their own city or suburb.

Family Tell students that they will be designing their own smart growth city, town or suburb, using the information and 2-D grid format they have just seen and learned about on the virtual tour. This is their opportunity to create a master plan that "does it right."

Give students the following parameters for the project:

Draw a sketch of the plan they are considering. Use this as a think sheet, sketching, making notes, etc. Calculate the scale you will be using to represent actual distance (instruct students on how to draw to scale, using an inch or half inch to represent a actual distance)
Transfer ideas to a formal, already to scale grid. Try to use at least an 18 x 20 piece of paper. Insert all smart growth components, using symbols for trees, cars, etc. (instruct students on how to design a key of symbols with icons and colors)
Encourage colorful and exciting plans
Help students display their plans around the classroom and conduct a "Smart Growth Fair" where students present and explain their plans.

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STUDENT ACTIVITY

If students are performing this activity separately, make copies of the following instructions and pass them out.

Go to the Sierra Club Web site and read the information presented.

Click onto the Transportation Issues link and read about what components are included in good smart growth urban and suburban models.

Click to The Livable Communities Link and read about additional aspects of smart growth planning and development

Sense of place means a connectedness, feeling a connection. Even if you don't live in the community, that you can walk through it and feel that you belong — That there’s something familiar there. It may be the architecture. It may be green space. It simply might be the culture or the people. And I think that sense of place is very important because that is what provides a blueprint for what we should be doing for the future .

—Anne Roise
Economic Development Department, City of Savannah, Georgia
Paving the American Dream

Click the Explore a "New Urbanist" Neighborhood and take the virtual tour of a smart growth neighborhood. Review how each piece of the ideal neighborhood supports smart growth.

Return to the image of the street grid ("The New Suburb" page) that lays out the position of each smart growth component (buildings, landscape, open space, parking, mass transportation centers, etc.) This is the format in which you will design your own city or suburb.

You will be designing their own smart growth city, town or suburb, using the information and 2-D grid format you have just seen and learned about on the virtual tour. This is their opportunity to create a master plan that "does it right."

Use the following parameters for your project:

Draw a sketch of the plan they are considering. Use this as a think sheet, sketching, making notes, etc. Calculate the scale you will be using to represent actual distance (instruct students on how to draw to scale, using an inch or half inch to represent a actual distance)
Transfer ideas to a formal, already to scale grid. Try to use at least an 18 x 20 piece of paper. Insert all smart growth components, using symbols for trees, cars, etc. (instruct students on how to design a key of symbols with icons and colors)
Encourage colorful and exciting plans. Display your plan in the classroom and participate in a "Smart Growth Fair" by presenting and explaining your brilliant plan along with your classmates.

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EXTENSION

Work with your school librarian, and display smart growth plans in the school's library. Assemble a resource corner (books, periodicals, photos, etc.) around the display for other grades to explore.

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MAJOR FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT PROVIDED BY