Young Smart Cities CASE-STUDY (Learning Situation) on:
GREENING PUBLIC SPACES IN YOUR CITY
Associated with the Young Smart Cities theme of Greening Public Spaces.
KNOWLEDGE PILLS relevant to this SMART theme are:
- Greening Public Spaces
- Urban Farming Strengthens Resilience
- Greening Urban Spaces’ Impact on Health
Question for Learning Situation:
”In your opinion, what is the solution for the future of greening public spaces in your city?”
Learning situation:
The local authority in which you live has received a funding grant of 2 million EUR from the European Commission for greening the public space of the city with the aim to improve air quality, reduce urban heat and enhance the overall well-being of residents and visitors. As part of the investigation stage, the local authority is inviting the public to submit ideas on greening priorities and solutions.
Task:
As a team, you must design a proposal for greening an area of your local community. Your proposal should include the following:
- Identification of all of the stakeholders involved in both developing the green area and impacted by the change of now using the space for greening the city.
- Provide a map of your city/town highlighting which specific area you have selected to convert/where your activity will take place
- Give a clear outline of how you propose to re-design the area to include more green space (identify which restructuring you plan to execute including which plants you propose to use and explain why this is a good strategy
- Explanation of how stakeholders will be impacted by the greening of this area of your community. Who will benefit? How will they benefit? Who will experience challenges or need to change their habits? How will this impact them?
- Clearly evaluate your proposal by explaining benefits and disadvantages and possible ways to mitigate (lessen) the disadvantages.
- You should also include a budget: make sure you can explain exactly how the 2 million euro grant will be spent and how it could also be an investment (i.e. generate revenue in the future).
- Present how you propose the new green space will be maintained over time and by whom
- Conclude by linking the local solution proposed to the Question of the Learning Situation
You may present your proposal in any format: a video, presentation or written paper.
Proposals will be judged on the following criteria:
- detailed analysis of the impact on stakeholders
- documentation of the planning and research undertaken during the investigation phase
- strong use and explanation of budget
- creativity in the design process
- integration of feedback from external sources (peers, teachers, business owners, other)