Geography · Grade 11

Active learning ideas

Urban Planning and Sustainable Cities

Active learning works because urban planning is inherently about designing systems rather than memorizing facts. Students need to test ideas, see cause-and-effect relationships, and grapple with trade-offs in real time. These activities let them experience the messiness of balancing environmental, social, and economic needs firsthand.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.7
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.9

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Project-Based Learning
• 50 min · Small Groups

Design Challenge: Sustainable City Block

Provide materials like cardboard, markers, and toy vehicles. In small groups, students sketch and build a city block incorporating green infrastructure, transit options, and equitable housing. Groups present designs and receive peer feedback on sustainability and equity criteria.

Analyze the role of green infrastructure in promoting urban sustainability.

Facilitation Tip

During the Sustainable City Block design challenge, circulate with a checklist of sustainability criteria to guide groups without giving answers.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a city council member. A developer proposes building a large, car-dependent shopping mall on the edge of town, while another proposes a mixed-use, transit-accessible development downtown. Which do you support and why? Consider environmental, social, and economic impacts.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Green Infrastructure Experts

Assign each group one type of green infrastructure (rain gardens, permeable pavement, urban forests). Groups research benefits and examples, then teach the class through posters and demos. Follow with a class quiz on applications.

Design a sustainable transportation system for a growing city.

Facilitation Tip

For the Jigsaw activity, assign roles within expert groups to ensure all students contribute before teaching their findings to peers.

What to look for

Provide students with a short article or infographic about a specific green infrastructure project (e.g., a city's green roof initiative). Ask them to identify: 1) The problem the infrastructure is addressing, 2) The specific type of green infrastructure used, and 3) One benefit it provides to the city.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Project-Based Learning
• 40 min · Small Groups

Stakeholder Role-Play: Development Debate

Assign roles like residents, developers, and planners. Groups prepare arguments for or against a sprawl versus compact city proposal, focusing on equity and sustainability. Hold a moderated debate with voting on best plan.

Evaluate the social equity implications of different urban development models.

Facilitation Tip

In the Stakeholder Role-Play, provide a script starter for hesitant students but require everyone to speak at least once.

What to look for

Students work in small groups to sketch a basic layout for a new neighborhood. After drafting, they swap with another group. Each group provides feedback on the other's design, focusing on: Are there safe walking paths? Is public transit accessible? Are there diverse housing options? Are there green spaces?

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Project-Based Learning
• 35 min · Pairs

Case Study Carousel: Canadian Cities

Set up stations with info on cities like Vancouver and Calgary. Pairs rotate, noting successes and challenges in planning. Regroup to compare findings and propose improvements for a local Ontario city.

Analyze the role of green infrastructure in promoting urban sustainability.

Facilitation Tip

For the Case Study Carousel, set a two-minute timer per station to keep discussions focused and equitable.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a city council member. A developer proposes building a large, car-dependent shopping mall on the edge of town, while another proposes a mixed-use, transit-accessible development downtown. Which do you support and why? Consider environmental, social, and economic impacts.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching urban planning works best when students engage with authentic tools and constraints. Avoid leading with lectures; instead, let students discover principles through iterative design. Research shows that when students apply concepts immediately in hands-on tasks, they retain systems thinking better than through abstract examples. Encourage them to question assumptions, but step in when trade-offs become overwhelming for early learners.

Students will demonstrate their understanding by designing functional, sustainable urban spaces that address multiple stakeholders' needs. They will explain their choices through clear reasoning tied to environmental science, social equity, and economic feasibility. Collaboration and critical thinking will be visible in their justifications and feedback.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Sustainable City Block design challenge, students may assume sustainable cities eliminate all cars.

  Have groups present their transportation layouts and justify where cars are necessary, such as for emergency access or disability accommodations. Highlight examples where buses, bike lanes, and walkways reduce car dependency but do not remove it entirely.

• During the Jigsaw activity on green infrastructure, students may think green infrastructure is only about adding parks.

  Ask each expert group to explain at least two engineered features, like bioswales or permeable pavements, and demonstrate their function using the model materials provided. Compare these to parks to show their distinct but complementary roles.

• During the Stakeholder Role-Play, students might believe urban planning ignores social equity.

  Assign stakeholder roles that require negotiation around accessibility needs, such as a senior needing benches or a parent needing safe play areas. After the debate, ask students to revise their plans to address equity gaps they identified during the role-play.

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Methods used in this brief

• Project-Based Learning
• Jigsaw