How to Design and Engineer Your Own City

Crash Course Kids

This engaging educational video introduces students to the complex world of urban planning through the lens of the engineering design process. Host Sabrina Cruz challenges viewers to graduate from smaller engineering projects like treehouses to a massive undertaking: designing an entire city. The video breaks down this seemingly overwhelming task into manageable steps, guiding students to define the problem by identifying human needs such as safety, health, sustainability, and fun, while also respecting the natural environment. The content covers key aspects of city design, including selecting a geographical location (mountains, coast, desert) and understanding how that choice impacts resources like water. It explores the necessity of zoning for neighborhoods and the strategic placement of essential infrastructure like schools, hospitals, grocery stores, and airports. Additionally, it highlights the importance of transportation systems, encouraging students to think about how residents will move around via buses, subways, bike paths, and sidewalks. Ideally suited for upper elementary and middle school classrooms, this video serves as a perfect launchpad for cross-curricular projects combining science, geography, and civics. It transforms abstract concepts of civil engineering into a concrete creative challenge. Teachers can use this resource to spark discussions about local community needs, environmental stewardship, and the specific steps engineers take to solve large-scale societal problems.