After buildinAfter building each city, take a picture and answer the questions that follow.

Create a page on your weebly site for "Sustainable Cities" that includes a picture of each
model and a brief description (use the questions as a guide). Post a link to your site below:

Post link to weebly: https://noahpounds.weebly.com/semester-2.html

 
Part 1: Maximizing Personal Private Space
Using all the pieces you have been given and the grid that represents your total land space, take about 5
minutes to design an urban area that maximizes the amount of personal/private space for each citizen.

Part 1 Questions:
1. Describe the city you just designed.

We clumped all the business establishments and city buildings together tightly so we could allow more space
for private housing.

2. Quantify the percentage of open/green space in the city you have designed:
Hint count the bumps on the grid. What percentage has been left for open/green space in the city you have
created? ____________ (Show all work)
 
 
 32 x 32 = 1024. 1024 – 72 = 952. 952 / 1024 = 93.0% open/green space
 
 
 
3. Describe the most important effects that are gained from maximizing personal living space that is privately
owned and utilized:
 Citizens have more private space in their homes for recreation. This leads to greater happiness and a
decreased need to travel to meet their recreational needs.
   
Part 2: Maximizing Public Space
Using all the pieces you have been given and the grid that represents your total land space, take five minutes
to design an urban area that maximizes the amount of public space that is available for all citizens’ use.
 
 
Part 2 Questions:
 
1. Describe the city that you have designed for maximizing space.

We designed a city that maximized public space by spacing out placements of city buildings such as police
precinct houses, fire houses, libraries, and schools.
 
2. Quantify the percentage of open/green space in the city you have designed:
 
 32 x 32 = 1024. 1024 – 90 = 934. 934/1024 = 91.2%
  
 
3. Describe the effect of open/green space on each of the topics below:
 
a. Quality of life: Open/green space allows for greater quality of life as citizens have opportunities for
recreation and exercise in the green space.
 
b. Urban animal life: Open/green space allows for pets to become more viable, because you can take them for
walks in the green space. They also allow for the possibility of animals living on the green space
independently.
 
c. Weather and climate: Green and open space doesn't negatively affect the environment as much and
therefore has a net positive affect on weather and climate.
 
d. Noise: The green and open space provide a refuge from the noisy streets of the rest of the city. The reduce
noise pollution.
  
e. Air quality: Green space allows for less pollution-rife streets and more areas with O2 exhibiting plants.
They increase air quality.
 
f. Water quality: Green space allows for new possibilities for water sources. This increases water quality.
 
 
 
 
Part 3: A Sustainable City
Using all the pieces you have been given and the grid that represents your total land space, take about 15
minutes to design an urban area that maximizes the positive aspects of city life and minimizes the negative
aspects of city life. Use the following questions to help plan your city before you present your final idea
 

Part 3 Questions:
1. Describe the sustainable city you have designed.
 
Our sustainable city balances the maximization of public and private space to a happy medium. We also
moved the sewage plants far away from the housing and had plenty of green space. Lastly, we organized a
road system that easily and efficiently moves people to where they need to go.

2. What are the strengths of this layout?

Public and private space are balanced. The sewage plant is far from the houses for sanitation purposes.

3. What are the weaknesses of this layout?

We could have prioritized either public or private space more. We could have also had more green/open
space.
 
4. Consider the urban areas created by the other groups. Did everyone emphasize the same strengths and
weaknesses? Were some aspects of city life given greater priority?

No, some groups had a stronger emphasis on private or public land space. Some spent more time drawing on
facilities rather than planning using the Legos. Some focused on giant Lego presidents. They all had their
positives.
 
5. In your ideal urban area, what form of mass transportation would be most prominent? Explain how this
form of transportation fits into your city design.

Public transportation would be most prominent. Our stellar road system would easily facilitate a robust and
cheap bussing system. Busses reduce carbon footprint by essentially car-pooling.

Part 4: City Analysis

 
1. Which buildings need to be nearest to each other to minimize transportation and congestion?

Housing facilities and businesses need to be close to minimize traffic congestion.

 
2. Which buildings need to be placed apart from others due to sight, smell, noise or toxicity?
Which buildings need to be near others despite their negative attributes?

Power plants and sewage plants need to be placed far away from housing and business to reduce their
hazardous effects.
 
3. Which buildings should be buffered by open/green areas? How can adding green spaces (parks) be used to
reduce urban sprawl?

Businesses need to be buffered by open/green areas or else commercialized buildings will grow closer and
closer and higher and higher and there will be little public space to enjoy free of commercialism.

4. How can urban gardens and agriculture reduce the negative attributes of a city?
 
They can provide some of the positive attributes of rural living in the city. The allow for public open areas for
people to enjoy themselves in.

5. How do you design cities so that the people who live there have a sense of community?

You must provide government programs like libraries and park activities so that people have things to do.
 
6. How can the design of a city reduce crime, poverty, and injustice?

We can space police stations out more and regulate the density of housing. The more dense housing is, the
higher the likelihood of crime is.
 
7. What configuration of transportation pathways would be most useful?

Strong public transportation supports employment and local businesses.

 
8. How did you design your city to minimize the need for resources? Are there ways to reduce wastes or
pollutants?

More public transportation and biking related infrastructure to reduce car usage.
 
9. If nothing could be imported into a city (resources) or exported out (pollutants/waste), would you alter your
city layout in any way during planning? Remember that local control is a major part of what makes a city
“sustainable.”
 
I would allow for more green space so you could have agriculture inside the city so it could
sustain itself.  

 
Part 5: Modern Sustainable Cities
In some cities, efforts have been made to improve the quality of life for residents; certain practices have been
implemented through government programs, the city layout has been redesigned and/or public works such as
schools, parks or mass transportation have been enhanced.
Below is a list of several cities that have made strides in one area or another. Choose 3 cities to research each
particular city’s improvement projects. Discuss what is unique about each city and why it is considered
sustainable. Write the long term effects that each of these major sustainable changes will have, next to the
name of the city below:
 
1. Davis, California: Davis has prioritized accommodations for bikers and pedestrians in an effort to
incentivize biking and other green forms of transportation. They do this by increased amounts of bike
parking, designated biking and pedestrian infrastructure, publishing a bike map of Davis, and more. The
effect is that transportation in Davis is more sustainable, and emissions are reduced.

2.. Curitiba, Brazil: Curitiba has an incredible amount of green space in the city. In fact, the city is
surrounded by an enormous green belt which is populated by numerous plants and animals. The positive
effects of this are the support and sustainability in regards to the environment, as well as the wool obtained
from sheep in the green belt.
 
3. Portland, Oregon: Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) has worked to promote "green
building practices", "fix it fairs" (fairs that help Americans fix broken products instead of buying new ones),
home energy regulations, and clean energy! The result is a city that is not only green, but has a green culture.
 
4. Chattanooga, Tennessee
 
5. San Francisco, California
g each city, take a picture and answer the questions that follow. Create a page on your
weebly site for "Sustainable Cities" that includes a picture of each model and a brief
description (use the questions as a guide). Post a link to your site below:

Post link to weebly: https://noahpounds.weebly.com/semester-2.html

 
Part 1: Maximizing Personal Private Space
Using all the pieces you have been given and the grid that represents your total land space, take about 5 minutes to
design an urban area that maximizes the amount of personal/private space for each citizen.

Part 1 Questions:
1. Describe the city you just designed.

We clumped all the business establishments and city buildings together tightly so we could allow more space for
private housing.

2. Quantify the percentage of open/green space in the city you have designed:
Hint count the bumps on the grid. What percentage has been left for open/green space in the city you have created?
____________ (Show all work)
 
 
 32 x 32 = 1024. 1024 – 72 = 952. 952 / 1024 = 93.0% open/green space
 
 
 
3. Describe the most important effects that are gained from maximizing personal living space that is privately owned
and utilized:
 Citizens have more private space in their homes for recreation. This leads to greater happiness and a decreased need
to travel to meet their recreational needs.
   
Part 2: Maximizing Public Space
Using all the pieces you have been given and the grid that represents your total land space, take five minutes to
design an urban area that maximizes the amount of public space that is available for all citizens’ use.
 
 
Part 2 Questions:
 
1. Describe the city that you have designed for maximizing space.

We designed a city that maximized public space by spacing out placem4ents of city buildings such as police precinct
houses, fire houses, libraries, and schools.
 
2. Quantify the percentage of open/green space in the city you have designed:
 
 32 x 32 = 1024. 1024 – 90 = 934. 934/1024 = 91.2%
  
 
3. Describe the effect of open/green space on each of the topics below:
 
a. Quality of life: Open/green space allows for greater quality of life as citizens have opportunities for recreation and
exercise in the green space.
 
b. Urban animal life: Open/green space allows for pets to become more viable, because you can take them for walks
in the green space. They also allow for the possibility of animals living on the green space independently.
 
c. Weather and climate: Green and open space doesn't negatively affect the environment as much and therefore has a
net positive affect on weather and climate.
 
d. Noise: The green and open space provide a refuge from the noisy streets of the rest of the city. The reduce noise
pollution.
  
e. Air quality: Green space allows for less pollution-rife streets and more areas with O2 exhibiting plants. They
increase air quality.
 
f. Water quality: Green space allows for new possibilities for water sources. This increases water quality.
 
 
 
 
Part 3: A Sustainable City
Using all the pieces you have been given and the grid that represents your total land space, take about 15 minutes to
design an urban area that maximizes the positive aspects of city life and minimizes the negative aspects of city life.
Use the following questions to help plan your city before you present your final idea
 

Part 3 Questions:
1. Describe the sustainable city you have designed.
 
Our sustainable city balances the maximization of public and private space to a happy medium. We also moved the
sewage plants far away from the housing and had plenty of green space. Lastly, we organized a road system that
easily and efficiently moves people to where they need to go.

2. What are the strengths of this layout?

Public and private space are balanced. The sewage plant is far from the houses for sanitation purposes.

3. What are the weaknesses of this layout?

We could have prioritized either public or private space more. We could have also had more green/open space.
 
4. Consider the urban areas created by the other groups. Did everyone emphasize the same strengths and
weaknesses? Were some aspects of city life given greater priority?

No, some groups had a stronger emphasis on private or public land space. Some spent more time drawing on
facilities rather than planning using the Legos. Some focused on giant Lego presidents. They all had their positives.
 
5. In your ideal urban area, what form of mass transportation would be most prominent? Explain how this form of
transportation fits into your city design.

Public transportation would be most prominent. Our stellar road system would easily facilitate a robust and cheap
bussing system. Busses reduce carbon footprint by essentially car-pooling.

Part 4: City Analysis

 
1. Which buildings need to be nearest to each other to minimize transportation and congestion?

Housing facilities and businesses need to be close to minimize traffic congestion.

 
2. Which buildings need to be placed apart from others due to sight, smell, noise or toxicity?
Which buildings need to be near others despite their negative attributes?

Power plants and sewage plants need to be placed far away from housing and business to reduce their hazardous
effects.
 
3. Which buildings should be buffered by open/green areas? How can adding green spaces (parks) be used to reduce
urban sprawl?

Businesses need to be buffered by open/green areas or else commercialized buildings will grow closer and closer
and higher and higher and there will be little public space to enjoy free of commercialism.

4. How can urban gardens and agriculture reduce the negative attributes of a city?
 
They can provide some of the positive attributes of rural living in the city. The allow for public open areas for people
to enjoy themselves in.

5. How do you design cities so that the people who live there have a sense of community?

You must provide government programs like libraries and park activities so that people have things to do.
 
6. How can the design of a city reduce crime, poverty, and injustice?

We can space police stations out more and regulate the density of housing. The more dense housing is, the higher the
likelihood of crime is.
 
7. What configuration of transportation pathways would be most useful?

Strong public transportation supports employment and local businesses.

 
8. How did you design your city to minimize the need for resources? Are there ways to reduce wastes or pollutants?

More public transportation and biking related infrastructure to reduce car usage.
 
9. If nothing could be imported into a city (resources) or exported out (pollutants/waste), would you alter your city
layout in any way during planning? Remember that local control is a major part of what makes a city “sustainable.”
 
I would allow for more green space so you could have agriculture inside the city so it could
sustain itself.  
 
Part 5: Modern Sustainable Cities
In some cities, efforts have been made to improve the quality of life for residents; certain practices have been
implemented through government programs, the city layout has been redesigned and/or public works such as
schools, parks or mass transportation have been enhanced.
Below is a list of several cities that have made strides in one area or another. Choose 3 cities to research each
particular city’s improvement projects. Discuss what is unique about each city and why it is considered sustainable.
Write the long term effects that each of these major sustainable changes will have, next to the name of the city
below:
 
1. Davis, California: Davis has prioritized accommodations for bikers and pedestrians in an effort to incentivize
biking and other green forms of transportation. They do this by increased amounts of bike parking, designated
biking and pedestrian infrastructure, publishing a bike map of Davis, and more. The effect is that transportation in
Davis is more sustainable, and emissions are reduced.

2.. Curitiba, Brazil: Curitiba has an incredible amount of green space in the city. In fact, the city is surrounded by an
enormous green belt which is populated by numerous plants and animals. The positive effects of this are the support
and sustainability in regards to the environment, as well as the wool obtained from sheep in the green belt.
 
3. Portland, Oregon: Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) has worked to promote "green building
practices", "fix it fairs" (fairs that help Americans fix broken products instead of buying new ones), home energy
regulations, and clean energy! The result is a city that is not only green, but has a green culture.
 
4. Chattanooga, Tennessee
 
5. San Francisco, California