This week we will continue talking about urban communities and cities. We will discuss the key characters that make a place a city. We will also focus on the issue of representation and decision-making in the cities.
Learning Goals:
By the end of this week, you will be able to:
Define the key characteristics that make a place a city
Understand how the physical characteristics of a city create unique social relationships
Examine how the design of cities creates opportunities for intimacy, anonymity, and new forms of social interaction
Articulate the types of decisions that are made on the local level
Describe the unique opportunities and challenges that urban governments face given the role that cities play in the larger political economy
Recognize how powerful individuals and interests may shape urban policy making
Explain the concept of the right to the city
Understand the relationship between public space access and representation in urban environments
7 principles for building better cities | Peter Calthorpe
More than half of the world’s population already lives in cities, and another 2.5 billion people are projected to move to urban areas by 2050. The way we build new cities will be at the heart of so much that matters, from climate change to economic vitality to our very well-being and sense of connectedness. Peter Calthorpe is already at work planning the cities of the future and advocating for community design that’s focused on human interaction. He shares seven universal principles for solving sprawl and building smarter, more sustainable cities.
Understanding Our City Government (New York City)
Are you curious about how the city government works in New York City? Join us as we discuss what the city government does, how the decisions made impact us, who the decision makers are, and how we can get involved. This video is in English, and English subtitles are available by clicking the “CC” button. Thank you to the New York City Council and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development for sponsoring this Key to the City video. Resources: – Find your City Council Member: https://council.nyc.gov/districts – Learn more at: https://www.nyic.org/
So You Want to Get Involved in Local Government. Now What?
Young people are becoming more interested in activism, but knowing how to create real change can be difficult and overwhelming. Where are we even supposed to start? Enter: Now What? Hosted by Tessa Claire Hersh (she/her), each episode of Now What? explores a different social or political cause through conversations with youth activists and provides concrete ways to make a difference in their communities. In this episode, activist Evan Malbrough shares steps on how to get involved with local government in your own community.
