Resources for Activity 4: Neighborhood Design

Overview:
In this activity, students explore the current design of their neighborhood, critically evaluate a variety of development options, and formulate ideas for guiding further change or growth in their neighborhood.

Student Pages:
Different Development Options - Transit-Oriented Development
Different Development Options - Pedestrian and Bicycle-Oriented Development
Different Development Options - Mixed-Use Development
Different Development Options - Compact Development
Different Development Options - Conservation-Oriented Development
Different Development Options - Suburban Development
Neighborhood Design Questionnaire

Website Referenced in Activity 4:
Smart Growth Network (http://www.smartgrowth.org/about/default.asp)

Additional Resources
Green Cities: A Guide to Sustainable Development, an official document of United Nations World Environment 2005, is Harmony Foundation's latest publication. Green Cities offers a thorough overview of sustainable community development, inspiring success stories, and resources and tools for establishing priorities and taking action.

Transit-Oriented Neighborhoods This report attempts to understand who lives near transit today and who is expected to live there in 25 years, with the desired outcome of creating dialogue between those who want to ensure high-quality transit service and those who want to ensure high-quality neighborhoods.

The Orton Family Foundation provides a growing bank of case studies, tools, web resources and success stories that they hope will help inspire, inform and improve the way communities engage in land use planning.

State Specific Resources
Article on Galveston, TX development plans. Critics say the plans are dangerous because homes and hotels are being built on a ridge that some say protects the island

Earth & Sky Radio Correlations
This activity can be supplemented with related Earth & Sky radio shows that you can download for use in your classroom. Learn about the PLT and Earth & Sky Initiative.

Related Earth & Sky Shows:
- Mitchell Joachim Designs Smart Cars for Cities of the Future (2008) 
- Michael Fishman: Pedestrian Engineering Improves Designs in Public Spaces (2009)     
- Jose Gomez-Ibanez on Greater Urban Density and Less Driving  (2009)