Project: Modeling Urban Growth

Introduction and Context

Introduction

When we talk about Geography, we think of maps, mountains, and rivers, cities and countries. However, this discipline addresses much more than that. It investigates the relationship between society and space, including the study of human activities and their consequences on the environment. Urbanization is one of these aspects: the growth of cities.

Urbanization is a striking phenomenon of modern society, often a result of industrialization. It can significantly transform landscapes and affect the economy, culture, and quality of life. With urbanization, there has been a drastic shift from rural to urban society, bringing new challenges and complexities.

Urbanization can be studied from various perspectives - geographical, historical, sociological, economic, and environmental. In Geography, we observe patterns of urbanization, the reasons for the growth or decline of cities, the influence of geographical location, and the environment on urban development, and its impacts on the environment.

Contextualization

Over time, cities have grown larger and larger. Some have become megacities with millions of inhabitants. However, this growth does not always occur in a planned way, leading to problems such as traffic congestion, lack of adequate housing, air and water pollution, among others.

Cities are spaces where the most varied activities take place - residential, commercial, industrial, cultural, recreational, etc. The growth of cities can intensify social inequality, with areas of wealth and poverty side by side. It can also lead to the loss of natural areas and environmental degradation.

At the same time, cities can also be seen as sources of innovation and progress. They attract people seeking opportunities for work, study, entertainment, and a better life. Studying cities and their growth is essential to understanding contemporary society and finding solutions to urban challenges.

Some resources to delve deeper into the topic:

1. Book: "The City: Its Networks and Its Flows" by Milton Santos.
2. Video: The online course "Human Geography: the study of cities" on YouTube, from the channel Geografando com Nanda.¹
3. Online articles: The series of articles on urbanization on the Geography website of UOL Education.²
4. Documentary: "Urbanized", available on Netflix.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: "Modeling Urban Growth"

Project Objective:

This project aims to analyze the different phases and characteristics of urban growth. Students will investigate urbanization cases in different parts of the world, create a three-dimensional model of a growing city, write a research report, and present their findings.

Detailed Project Description:

Students will work in groups of 3 to 5. The project should be completed in approximately three weeks, considering approximately twelve hours of work per student. Each group will select one city in Brazil and one city in the world to study urban growth and evolution.

To understand urban growth, students must:

1. Research the formation and evolution of the two cities, identifying events that have impacted their growth, such as immigration, industrialization, infrastructure construction, public policies, etc.
2. Investigate geographical, historical, economic, and sociological aspects of urbanization.
3. Analyze the consequences of urban growth, such as population density, urban mobility, spatial distribution of activities, changes in the landscape, environmental impacts, and social inequality.
4. Design the future growth of cities, based on current data and trends.

Materials required:

1. Materials for research - Access to the Internet, library, books, magazines, and newspapers.
2. Materials for model construction - Cardboard, colored paper, colored pens, glue, scissors, ruler, etc.

Step-by-Step:

1. Group formation and initial organization (1 hour): Each group organizes itself and selects the cities that will be studied.
2. Research and data collection (5 hours): Students conduct in-depth research on the history, geography, economy, and demographics of the chosen cities.
3. Analysis of collected data (3 hours): Students identify patterns, significant events, challenges, and opportunities related to urban growth.
4. Model planning (1 hour): The groups plan how they will represent the various phases of urban growth in the three-dimensional model.
5. Model construction (2 hours): Using the available materials, students create a three-dimensional model representing the growth and evolution of the chosen cities.
6. Report preparation (4 hours) and presentation (2 hours): Students write a research report and prepare a presentation to show their findings and the model created.

Project Delivery and Written Document:

Students must submit the three-dimensional model along with the research report, which must include:

1. Introduction: Describe the purpose of the research, the cities chosen and their importance, and the methodology used to collect and analyze the data.
2. Development: Present the history of urbanization in the chosen cities, discussing the main events, challenges faced, changes in human interaction with nature, the change from rural to urban settings, the factors that influenced these changes, and the impacts resulting from urban growth.
3. Conclusion: Summarize the main findings, discuss lessons learned, and predict the future growth of the chosen cities.
4. Bibliography: Cite the sources of information used.

The presentation, which will be made to the class, should tell the story of the growth of the cities, showing the three-dimensional model as a visual aid, and discussing the research findings.

The success of the project will depend on teamwork, the quality of the research, the three-dimensional model, the research report, and the presentation.