New Urbanism and Smart Growth

Active learning works for New Urbanism and Smart Growth because students need to experience the tension between car-dependent design and human-scale environments firsthand. Abstract principles like walkability and mixed-use become concrete when students map them, redesign spaces, or audit real streetscapes.

• 10th Grade
• Geography
• 3 activities
• 45 min–60 min

Learning Objectives

1. Compare and contrast the design principles of New Urbanism with those of traditional suburban development.
2. Analyze the core tenets of smart growth and evaluate their effectiveness in specific urban planning case studies.
3. Design a neighborhood plan that integrates New Urbanism principles, including walkability, mixed-use development, and transit-oriented design.
4. Critique existing urban or suburban neighborhoods based on their adherence to or deviation from New Urbanism and smart growth concepts.

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 60 min·Small Groups

Design Workshop: Redesign a Suburban Strip

Students receive an aerial image of a typical suburban commercial strip in their region, showing auto-oriented retail, large surface parking lots, and minimal pedestrian infrastructure. Using New Urbanism principles as a checklist, they redesign the site on a planning grid: adding mixed-use buildings, bike lanes, transit stops, public plazas, and varied housing types. Groups present their redesigns and explain how each change serves a New Urbanist principle.

Prepare & details

Explain what 'New Urbanism' is and how it differs from traditional suburban design.

Facilitation Tip: During the Design Workshop, circulate with a checklist of New Urbanist principles to nudge groups toward measurable outcomes like housing density or transit proximity rather than aesthetic preferences.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

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

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 55 min·Pairs

Case Study Comparison: Smart Growth in Practice

Pairs research one US city's smart growth policy (Portland's UGB, Arlington's Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, or Denver's transit TOD) using city planning documents and aerial imagery. They evaluate whether the policy has achieved its stated goals on three metrics: density increase, transit ridership, and housing affordability. Groups report findings and the class discusses which policies show the most promising results and why.

Prepare & details

Analyze the principles of smart growth and their application in urban planning.

Facilitation Tip: For the Case Study Comparison, provide students with before-and-after metrics (e.g., vehicle miles traveled, housing permits issued) to ground their analysis in data rather than impressions.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

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

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 45 min·Pairs

Walkability Audit: Applying the 15-Minute City Test

Students select a neighborhood (their own or an assigned one) and map which daily destinations (grocery store, school, park, pharmacy, transit stop) are within a 15-minute walk of a residential point. They score the neighborhood on walkability, identify gaps, and propose one specific infrastructure change that would most improve the score. Results are compiled into a class walkability map of the local area.

Prepare & details

Design a neighborhood plan incorporating New Urbanism principles.

Facilitation Tip: In the Walkability Audit, assign roles so students practice using the 15-minute city rubric consistently, such as one student counting crosswalks while another times pedestrian signals.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

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

Teaching This Topic

Teach New Urbanism by starting with students’ lived experiences of their own neighborhoods. Avoid overwhelming them with theory upfront; instead, let them discover how current design choices limit or enable daily routines. Research shows students grasp equity impacts better when they analyze real zoning maps and housing price data alongside New Urbanist case studies.

What to Expect

Successful learning shows when students can articulate how design choices shape behavior and equity, not just recite definitions. They should move from identifying features to arguing for specific design changes that align with New Urbanist goals.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Design Workshop, watch for students who equate New Urbanism with historical architectural styles like Victorian facades or brick sidewalks.

What to Teach Instead

Use the Charter of the New Urbanism as a reference during the workshop and ask groups to justify each design choice with walkability or mixed-use metrics, not aesthetics. For example, prompt them to explain how a front porch increases sidewalk use rather than calling it a 'cute' feature.

Common Misconception

During the Case Study Comparison, watch for oversimplified claims that smart growth policies always raise housing costs.

What to Teach Instead

Provide students with housing price and permit data for the case study cities, then ask them to calculate affordability ratios (e.g., median home price divided by median income) before and after smart growth policies were implemented. This grounds the discussion in evidence.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Design Workshop, provide students with a list of five design features (e.g., large front lawns, segregated commercial zones, pedestrian paths, mixed housing types, dedicated bus lanes). Ask them to identify which three are characteristic of New Urbanism and explain why in 2–3 sentences using examples from their redesign.

Discussion Prompt

During the Case Study Comparison, assign small groups to prepare a 2-minute argument about whether smart growth policies in one city addressed social equity, using data from the case study. Facilitate a whole-class debate where groups challenge each other’s evidence.

Quick Check

After the Walkability Audit, show students two aerial images of different neighborhoods. Ask them to identify key differences in design, labeling features related to walkability, density, and mixed-use. Then, ask them to classify each neighborhood as more aligned with traditional suburban design or New Urbanism, justifying their choice with specific observations.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to draft a policy memo proposing how their redesigned suburban strip could integrate affordable housing without triggering NIMBY opposition.
• For students who struggle, provide a partially completed street grid with pre-labeled land uses to reduce cognitive load during the Design Workshop.
• Deeper exploration: Assign students to interview a local planner about how New Urbanist principles could address a specific challenge in your region, then compare findings to national case studies.

Key Vocabulary

New Urbanism	An urban design movement that promotes walkable neighborhoods with a mix of housing types and businesses, aiming to reduce automobile dependence and foster community.
Smart Growth	A set of development principles that aims to create sustainable communities by concentrating growth in compact, walkable urban areas and preserving open space.
Sprawl	The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into surrounding rural land, characterized by low-density development and automobile dependency.
Mixed-Use Development	Development that blends residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment uses, where those functions are physically and functionally integrated.
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)	A type of community development that maximizes the amount of residential, business, and leisure space within walking distance of public transport.