Home Education (schools)

Suburban Challenge: how to build a sustainable suburb

The Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate's (ESDD) interactive schools program promotes youth initiative and environmental education while introducing concepts of sustainable suburban planning.

The Suburban Challenge: how to build a sustainable suburb program educates upper primary and secondary students on how sustainable suburbs are planned and built – and how suburbs can change to reflect different challenges, including climate change.

It is a hands on, practical approach to sustainable development that raises students’ awareness, at an age-appropriate level, of how planning is based around the environment.

The program is unique as it allows students to self discover the built environment by planning, analysing, consulting and, best of all, constructing their own sustainable suburb using 3D models.

The program runs over six weeks, meeting once a week (double lesson).

Working in teams of four, students use large custom-designed topographic maps to work through the six stages of sustainable suburb development:

 

Please note: there are two versions of the Suburban Challenge, one for upper primary (5-6) and another version for secondary schools and colleges (7-10, 11-12). Both versions of the Suburban Challenge follow the same planning process of building a suburb. The difference for secondary is in the depth of information and concepts, more advanced assignments, greater use of online technologies and the use of a aerial photography topographic overlayed map (see below).

1. Plan it – to ensure environmental sustainability, including site investigation, Green Star planning principles, map reading and community consultation
2. Explore it – by doing an environmental impact assessment and selecting land for different uses (including different housing densities)
3. Build it -  by putting in the transport and service infrastructure, open space and natural conservation areas, Territory Plan zoning and models of housing
4. Name it – using  ACTPLA suburb, street and place naming guidelines
5. Change it – to understand how sustainable suburbs change over time with demographic, technology and environmental change.
6. Present it – to share learning with peers, parents and/or others.

Aside from building their own suburb, the students say the most exciting part of the program is presenting their ideas to parents, peers and the wider community. Their enthusiasm, knowledge and engagement with the project often draws their parents into the planning debate.

The ESDD Suburban Challenge is offered free of charge to all schools in the ACT.
 
If your school would like to partner with ESDD to run the program or you would like further information, please contact Mark Metters mark.metters@act.gov.au or phone: (02) 6207 5220

 

Suburban Challenge upper primary (5-6).

Part A (primary) provides information which will position teachers with the knowledge and understandings to help deliver the unit.

It contains:

• principles of urban planning
• duel planning processes
• spatial planning
• Territory Plan
• planning process for the ACT
• FAQs
• assigning a street name suffix
• planning terminology

Part B (primary) contains the links to the ACT curriculum framework Every Chance to Learn, the unit of work model, the explicit teaching and learning processes and activities.

Resources:

Part A: ESDD Suburban Challenge introduction and resources (primary)

Part B: ESDD Suburban Challenge units of work (primary)

Lesson Plans

available soon - contact mark.metters@act.gov.au  

Aditional materials:

ESDD Suburban Challenge student planning map (primary)

ESDD Sustainable Challenge student planning 3D models

ESDD Suburban Challenge Scenario Cards (primary)

ESDD Suburban Challenge sustainable initiative models (primary)

 

Suburban Challenge secondary/college (7-10, 11-12)

Part A (secondary) provides information which will position teachers with the knowledge and understandings to help deliver the unit.

It contains:

• Planning history
• Planning theory
• Planning principles (Green Star) 
• Planning processes
• Spatial planning (Y-Plan-Spatial Plan to the new Planning Strategy)
• Territory Plan
• planning terminology
• large format maps and 3D model cut outs
• scenario cards.

Part B (secondary) contains the links to the unit of work model, the explicit teaching and learning processes and activities.

Resources:

Part A: ESDD Suburban Challenge introduction and resources (secondary)

Part B: ESDD Suburban Challenge units of work (secondary)

Aditional materials:

ESDD Suburban Challenge student planning map (secondary)

ESDD Sustainable Challenge student planning 3D models

ESDD Suburban Challenge scenario cards (secondary)

ESDD Suburban Challenge sustainable initiative models (secondary)