This is a series of provocations designed to provide resources for students to inquire into the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. For more, click here.
I am astonished by some of the figures associated with this global goal. Right now, 3.5 billion people live in cities, which is half of our global population. By 2050, that figure is expected to reach 6.5 billion, which would be 2/3 of our population. It is clearly a pressing need to consider how we can design our urban spaces in more sustainable ways.
This week’s provocations are meant to help students consider what it means for a city to be sustainable.
Resource #1: Bicycle Rush Hour via The Kid Should See This
Resource #2: What is Public Life? by Gehl Institute
Resource #3: A Taste of Vienna by Film Spektakel
Resource #4: Gentrification by Word of the Day
Resource #5: “The Little House” by Virginia Lee Burton
Resource #6: The Promise by Nicola Davies
Provocation Questions:
- What makes a city pleasant to live in?
- What makes a city pleasant to move around in?
- What do you notice about cities that are pleasant to walk or ride bikes around?
- What does it mean for something to be be sustainable?
- What is the connection between a pleasant city and a sustainable one?
featured image: DeathToTheStockPhoto