City Blueprint Slides City Blueprint
INVESTIGATING URBAN SPRAWL
Mystery City Warm-up
5 MIN
CITY A
Manhattan, New York
CITY B
Atlanta, Georgia
Which city would be easier to walk around in? Why?
Defining the Term
Urban Sprawl
"The rapid expansion of an urban area into rural land."
Expert Analysis
PAUSE AT 0:24 & 4:47
Embedded media
Observation
Watch the 1984-2022 timelapse. What happens to the green space?
Activity
Use your worksheet to sort the Positive and Negative impacts.
Why does it happen?
The Galactic Model
1. Edge Cities
Business districts outside the main city center connected by highways.
2. Single-Use Zoning
Laws that separate where we live, shop, and work.
3. Population & Land Cost
More people = more demand. Land is cheaper on the "edges" than in the CBD.
CBD
EDGE CITY
EDGE CITY
EDGE CITY
Beltway / Highway
The Planner's Toolkit
Mixed-Use Development
Combining shops and apartments in the same building to save space.
Public Transportation
Reducing car reliance with trains and buses for dense areas.
Greenbelts
Protected rings of land where building is forbidden to force "upward" growth.
Project: Timelapse Investigators
PAIRS
Atlanta isn't the only city spreading out. Your mission is to find evidence of sprawl in another major city.
1 Go to Google Earth Timelapse
2 Search: Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, or Houston
3 Observe changes from 1984 to today
Investigation Tasks
Sketch the city's growth on your worksheet.
Identify 3 potential impacts (Social, Economic, or Environmental).
Be ready to share: Did it look like Atlanta?
Field Report
"Which city did you investigate, and what was the most shocking change you saw in the timelapse?"
Submit your blueprints to the head planner.
City Blueprint Worksheet City Blueprint
Urban Sprawl Investigation
Project No. 84-22-SPRAWL
Planner:
Date:
01
Mystery City Warm-up
Compare the two satellite images on the screen (NYC vs. Atlanta). Which city looks easier to walk around in? Give two reasons for your choice based on what you see.
02
Impact Sorting (Video Analysis)
Pause at 4:47
As you watch the video, sort the impacts of urban sprawl. Write brief notes for each impact Justin mentions in the correct category.
Social (People)
Positive (+)
Negative (-)
Economic (Money)
Positive (+)
Negative (-)
Environmental (Earth)
Positive (+)
Negative (-)
03
Timelapse Investigators
Google Earth Timelapse
Target City (e.g., Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas):
Sketch of Growth (1984 vs Today)
OUTLINE THE CITY EXPANSION
Use one color for the 1984 boundary and another for the 2022 boundary.
3 Predicted Impacts
Predict specific consequences for your chosen city.
1
2
3
Evidence Check:
Did this city's growth look similar to Atlanta's? What was the biggest difference?
Final Planner's Reflection
Which Smart Growth strategy (Mixed-Use, Public Transit, or Greenbelts) would you recommend most for your investigated city? Explain your choice.
City Blueprint Teacher Guide Teacher Resource
City Blueprint Guide
Urban Sprawl: Growth, Impacts, & Planning
6-8 Social Studies
Time: 50 Minutes
Learning Objectives
Define Urban Sprawl and identify its visual evidence.
Categorize social, economic, and environmental impacts of sprawl.
Evaluate Smart Growth strategies for modern urban planning.
Key Vocabulary
Urban Sprawl Galactic Model Edge Cities Zoning Laws Mixed-Use Greenbelt
Lesson Flow
05
Mins
Warm-up: Mystery City
Display Slide 2. Have students compare NYC (high density/vertical) and Atlanta (low density/horizontal). Discussion point: "If you didn't have a car, which city would you choose to live in?"
15
Mins
Video & Sorting
Watch the Urban Sprawl video. Pause at the following moments for student work:
0:24: Pause for the 1984-2022 timelapse. Ask: "What happened to the green?"4:47: Pause to allow students to fill in the Impact Sorting section on their worksheet.
20
Mins
Activity: Timelapse Investigators
Students use Google Earth Timelapse to find sprawl evidence in other cities. Pro-Tip: Direct fast-finishers to search for cities outside the US (e.g., Lagos, Nigeria or Shanghai, China) to compare international sprawl patterns.
10
Mins
Closure: Reflection
Final share-out. Collect worksheets for assessment of their sketch accuracy and strategy recommendation.
Worksheet Answer Key
Social Impacts
Pos: Affordable homes, intergenerational wealth, quiet lifestyle.Neg: Isolation, car dependence, long commutes.
Economic Impacts
Pos: Distributed jobs, diverse economy (edge cities).Neg: High infrastructure costs, downtown decline.
Environmental Impacts
Pos: More recreational space (parks).Neg: Loss of rural land/habitat, air pollution (global warming).
Preparation Checklist
Print 1 Worksheet per student
Check internet connection for Google Earth
Load video & test audio levels
