Description / Prompt:
Propose urban design ideas that balance human needs and ecological health.

• Include renewable energy, public transport, green infrastructure, or waste management solutions.

• Example inspiration: Your city block design → how can it be sustainable?

Description / Prompt:
Analyze how urbanization affects ecosystems, water cycles, air quality, and biodiversity.

• Suggest ways a city can reduce its environmental impact.

• Example inspiration: Design Your Own Sustainable City Block → add green spaces, energy, and water management.

Description / Prompt:
Explore how cities function as systems. Identify emergent properties such as culture, social interactions, or ecological patterns.

• Post examples from real cities (from your research or the case studies).

• Explain why these properties cannot be understood by looking at one part of the city alone.

• Example inspiration: Case Study Speed Dating → note unique city features.

1. Urban Systems & Emergent Properties

   • Understanding how cities function as systems.

   • Recognizing emergent properties such as culture, social interaction, and ecological balance.

   • Example from activity: Case Study Speed Dating → students identify unique features of different cities.

2. Human-Environment Interactions in Cities

   • Impacts of urbanization on ecosystems, water cycles, air quality, and biodiversity.

   • Example from activity: Design Your Own Sustainable City Block → planning green spaces, managing waste, energy, and water.

3. Sustainable Urban Planning

   • Principles of sustainable urban development (energy, transport, green infrastructure).

   • Balancing human needs with ecological health.

   • Example: Students propose renewable energy, public transport, and waste recycling systems in their city blocks.

4. Urban Challenges and Solutions

   • Identifying common urban problems (pollution, congestion, social inequality).

   • Exploring innovative solutions (green roofs, electric transport, urban farms).

   • Example: Both activities → students compare challenges in real cities and propose solutions in their designs.

5. Global & Local Perspectives

   • Recognizing differences in urban planning between developed and developing countries.

   • Considering cultural, economic, and environmental contexts.

   • Example: Case Study Speed Dating → students analyze cities globally, note similarities and differences.

6. Collaboration, Communication & Critical Thinking

   • Synthesizing information and presenting it visually and textually.

   • Engaging with peers to discuss ideas and evaluate designs.

   • Example: Reacting to peers’ posts, discussing sustainability trade-offs.

Description / Prompt:
Identify common urban problems (pollution, congestion, social inequality) and propose innovative solutions.

• Examples: green roofs, electric transport, urban farms, or water recycling.

• Compare your ideas with real cities from the case studies.

Description / Prompt:
Compare urban planning in different countries. Consider:

• Cultural, economic, and environmental factors

• Differences between developed and developing countries

• Example inspiration: Case Study Speed Dating → note patterns across cities.

Description / Prompt:

• React to peers’ posts with constructive feedback.

• Discuss trade-offs in urban planning decisions.

• Summarize key insights visually or textually.