2. Redesigning Your Community Now you are going to get a chance to build a more sustainable version of your community from scratch. You will look up information about your community in order to understand the population's needs. Your goal is to solve some of the environmental challenges your community faces. In order to accomplish this task, let's break it down into smaller steps
a Begin making a map of your new community. Use a blank sheet of paper thin enough that you can trace on a computer screen. With a ruler and pencil, make a box that measures precisely 6 inches by 6 inches. Then use the ruler and pencil to make a grid inside the box, with a line at every 1/2 inch. Make these grid lines light, because you will be drawing over them. You should end up with a grid that contains 13 vertical lines and 13 horizontal lines. Put a small dot in the center of your grid, where vertical line 7 and horizontal line 7 meet. On this grid, each box represents 1/4 square mile of your new community
b. To the right of your grid, make a legend that shows that 1 inch= 1mile Also include the following entries in this legend. You can write each of the first 11 entries in a different color or place a box of the designated color next to each one. Design a unique symbol for each of the 11 remaining features. (5 points)
Feature
Color
Feature
Symbol
River/lake/ocean
Natural area/national park
Park area
Low density housing
Medium-density housing
High-density housing
Very high-density housing
Cornmercial area
Industrial area
Agricutural area
Waste management
Road
Train tracks
Light rail/public transit
Aqueduct
Government building
Hospital
High school
Elementary/middle school
Power plant
Endangered species #1
Endangered species #2
c. Use the gov website for your city, township, or county to look up the population density of your area. Add this number to your map's legend.
d. Use the link provided on the landing site to go to Google Maps. Select a section of your community that measures 6 miles by 6 miles (36 square miles). To select your neighborhood, type in your address. You can also search the map for an area that interests you.
e. Center the area you selected, and then zoom until the scale in the bottom-right comer says 1 inch equals 1 mile. Change the map to Satellite or Earth view (bottom-left or upper-right options) to see the geography of the area.
f. Hold the map grid up to the computer screen. Line up the dot in the center with the marker for your address or with another feature of interest. Fill in the map by tracing any natural, geographical features. These features could include nvers, mountain areas, national parks, etc. These natural areas will have to be included in your community. Your tracing does not have to be exact, but you want to have a general idea of where those areas are because you cannot develop on them. Count the number of boxes you used for natural areas (you may have to estimate), and color these areas as your legend indicates. How many boxes were there for natural areas?
g. Add two endangered species that need to be protected to your map. If you know where two specific species live, reflect that. If not, decide where they will be Add a symbol for each species
h. Design your community to include everything in the legend. Use these tips for completing the map. (15 points)
Use pencil and don't color until the end, since you will likely need to erasel
Be sure to include all aspects of the legend and in the checklist that follows
You have a total of 144 boxes on your grid After your natural areas are placed on the map, it may be helpful to count how many boxes you have left (144 minus the number of boxes used for natural areas). What is that number?
Once you know how many boxes you have to work with, start adding up how many you need for each checklist item before you begin adding items to your map. You can write the number of boxes you want to use next to each checklist entry. That way, you can adjust your ideas without having to erase too much on your map. Don't draw your map until you have the right number of boxes for each category.
Some natural features may require only a portion of a box. You can estimate as you go (drawing half a feature on one box and half on another is fine).
Don't just draw a map of your current community! Think about sustainability, and redesign the community from scratch to better preserve the environment
Remember that there are trade-offs in everything. Having a lot of parks for people is great, but it destroys the natural habitats and reduces biodiversity Putting everyone in high-rise apartments frees up space, but causes traffic Think about the trade-offs as you design
Checklist
Check cach step you complete as you go
Protect the endangered species and preserve biodiversity in your community To do this, make sure there is enough natural land surrounding them rather than high population or pollution-inducing areas.
Decide how people will live in your community You can have any mix of housing options to cover that number of people Decide how to distnbute the people living in your community, and figure out the number of boxes for each category
Recall the population density of the people you need to house Answer
Recall the number of boxes you have left after the natural areas (144 minus the number of boxes used for natural areas). Divide that number by 4 (since each box 1/4 ) This is the number of boxes where people could live. Answer
Multiply the population density by the number of boxes. This will give you the number of people you need to house in your redesigned community Answer
Low-density housing consists of single-family homes with large areas of land around then (such as a large yard or very small farm not an agricultural area) You can house 200 people per bax in low-density housing. Number you need:
• Medium-density housing consists of single-family homes with small to average sized yards. You can house 500 people per bax in medium-density housing. Number you need:
High-density housing consists of apartments or condos, where numerous families live in the same building or complex. You can house 2000 people per box in high- density housing Number you need
• Very high-density housing consists of high-rise appartments or condos, where many families live in the same building. You can house 10,000 people per box in very high-density housing. Number you need
Decide how you will get food in your cornmunity. The more agriculture you have, the less air pollution there will be from shipping food but the more ground and water pollution there will be from farms. You also lose biodiversity by planting crops or raising cattle. You can choose a few options with trade-offs for the number of people in your community
You can feed 100 people per box with agricultural land if they eat local food and no animal products (vegan)
You can feed 75 people per box with agricultural land if they eat local food that includes meat
You can have people eat a combination of local and store-bought food, but shipping in food to stores will increase the air pollution due to trucking. You also need to add 1 box of commerical area for every 20,000 people not eating local food. So add up your agncultural land and multiply by the number of people it feeds. Then subtract that amount from the total population to see how many people are eating nonlocal food. Divide that number by 20,000 to see how many additional commercial boxes you need Answer
Decide how many industrial and commercial areas to have. You need a minimum of 5 boxes of each and may need more commercial areas, depending on your food decisions for the community. Realize that your community can make more money and have a higher average income with more industries but that your pollution levels will go up. Add 1 waste management site for every additional Industry box over 5. Answer
Decide how many of each of these you will need if each takes up 1 box:
• 1 hospital per 50,000 people
1 high school per 40.000 people
1 elementary/middle school per 20,000 people
1 park or natural land per 20,000 people (you decide on a traditional grass park or more natural land)
1 waste management site per 50,000 people (add 1 waste site for every additional industry box)
1 government building
Decide what kind of power your community will use. You need one option for your map.
• Traditional fossil fuels or nuclear power plants take up 2 boxes but generate a lot of pollution or waste
• Wind or solar power take up 5 boxes but generate almost no pollution.
River or tidal power takes up no boxes (place them in the river/ocean) and generate almost no pollution, but you need to have a large river or section of ocean nearby
Decide how to space everything in your community. Do people live near each other with the commercial and agricultural areas across town? Do people live interspersed with the commercial centers and industries, with a large agricultural area nearby? Do people live in high-rises next to the agricultural land that feeds them? You decide. Place the boxes on the map, move them around, and color them in/add your symbols
Double check that you've included everything from the legend and can check off every box on the checklist. Make sure every square on your grid has a purpose and that there are no blank squares. If you have a blank square, decide what to fill it with. After all of the land is designated, draw in roads, light rail systems, train tracks, and aqueducts. Be sure there are adequate water supplies for the housing areas and farms (from a river or lake, or through an aqueduct that enters your community from somewhere else).
- Take a picture of your map and include it with your assignment
Part II-B: Project Analysis and Conclusions (10 points)
1. What legislative act do you think has made the biggest impact on the world? On your community? Why? Answer in one or two paragraphs. (2 points)
2. Describe the steps you took in designing your city How did breaking it down into smaller steps make the process easier? (1 point)
3. What were the most challenging decisions you made when designing your community? Why? (1 point)
4. Evaluate the positive and negative aspects of your newly designed community Write three paragraphs, the first describing in detail at least three positive aspects, and the second describing in detail at least three negative aspects Finish by describing whether you would want to live in your city, and why or why not. (6 points)
Part II-B: Project Analysis and Conclusions
1. The legislation that has made the biggest impact on the world in terms of sustainability is the Paris Agreement. This international treaty aims to limit global warming and adapt to its effects. In my community, the Clean Air Act has made a significant impact by improving air quality and reducing pollution levels. These legislative acts have made a positive impact on the environment by promoting sustainable practices.
2. In designing my city, I followed the step-by-step process outlined in the assignment. Breaking down the design into smaller steps made the process easier to manage and allowed for a more systematic approach to creating a sustainable community. It helped me focus on one aspect at a time and ensured that I considered all necessary elements in the redesign.
3. The most challenging decisions I made when designing my community included balancing the need for housing with the preservation of natural areas, deciding on the distribution of housing densities, and determining the mix of agricultural and commercial areas. These decisions were challenging because they required trade-offs between different factors such as population density, environmental impact, and economic development.
4. Three positive aspects of my newly designed community include a focus on preserving natural areas, promoting biodiversity by protecting endangered species, and incorporating sustainable energy sources such as wind or solar power. Additionally, the city includes a mix of housing options to accommodate the population and promotes local agriculture to reduce food miles and support the local economy.
On the negative side, the high-density housing areas may lead to increased traffic congestion and limited green spaces for residents. The reliance on agriculture may result in increased ground and water pollution, and the presence of industrial areas could lead to higher pollution levels. Overall, I would want to live in my city because it prioritizes sustainability and environmental conservation, but I would also acknowledge the challenges and trade-offs involved in maintaining a balance between development and environmental protection.