This project is an opportunity for you to explore in depth what would be your ideal community. This is not simply to be a fantasy place of residence, but rather a hypothetical urban environment founded and based on real life situation and evidence. The focus is on the sociological aspects of this community but also must encompass other factors, such as government services, business, infrastructure, industry, planning.

Part 1: Individual Ecological Footprint Analysis report – 10 points

From the different ecological footprint calculations (Best foot forward, Lead International, Redefining Progress, and other ones you may find online), comment on the following:

http://www.bestfootforward.com, 

http://www.rprogress.org/, 

http://www.esb.utexas.edu/drnrm/EcoFtPrnt/Calculate.htm

http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/environment/webstuff/footprint.html

Description of your ideal community: 30 points

3.  Discuss problems with realizing your ideal community and why these are problems.

4.  Undertake a comparison with where you grew up. What are differences and similarities?

5.  Undertake a comparison with where you imagine yourself later settling down – this is a hypothetical case but you will need to identify a real place(s) of existence.

6.  What are you going to do to realize your ideal community?

Oral presentation – 10 points

More detail for question 2:

Provide the following descriptors:

-          Population: 

-          types of people – what kind of diversity in terms of age, race and ethnicity, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, social class

-          distribution

-          number of people

-          density

-          birth/death rates e.g. renewal of population

-          non-human animals

-          types of work population is engaged in

-          wealth distribution

-          Types of government and/or private and/or non-profit services: 

-          Healthcare:  what types of services available, allopathic, homeopathic

-          Education:  what types of schools from pre-school to university

-          Transportation:  public (what kinds), roads, types of vehicles, primary mode used

-          Safety:  keepers of public order with/without weapons

-          Waste collection and disposal

-          Public utilities:  water (source), energy (source), telecommunications

-          How are government services paid for

-          Physical structures: 

-          Types of residential housing

-          Recreation areas

-          Green spaces

-          Office buildings

-          Shopping districts

-          High density and low density

-          How grouped together

-          Types of industry & retail business

-          Locally owned and/or multinational corporations

-          High tech, assembly line/factory work, traditional trades, farming etc…

-          Multi-industry or single industry

-          Financial exchange:  money, barter, or combination

-          Geography

-          Water ways

-          Land area

-          Climate:  seasons, rainfall, sunshine

-          Vegetation

-          Food requirements – what resources are needed, i.e. where is food going to come from (refer to ecological footprint)

-          Energy needs – what resources are needed, i.e. where is energy going to be derived (refer to ecological footprint)

-          Leisure activities and areas:  types of activities, accessibility, cost, high tech or low tech, within community or outside and requiring travel

You will need to consider how does your community pertain to sustainable development, e.g. is your community self-sustainable, what is it dependent on in terms of outside of your area. 

Remember to use your imagination – don’t simply follow what you are familiar with. 

Provide the following descriptors:

-          Population: 

-          types of people – what kind of diversity in terms of age, race and ethnicity, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, social class

-          distribution

-          number of people

-          density

-          birth/death rates e.g. renewal of population

-          non-human animals

-          types of work population is engaged in

-          wealth distribution

-          Types of government and/or private and/or non-profit services: 

-          Healthcare:  what types of services available, allopathic, homeopathic

-          Education:  what types of schools from pre-school to university

-          Transportation:  public (what kinds), roads, types of vehicles, primary mode used

-          Safety:  keepers of public order with/without weapons

-          Waste collection and disposal

-          Public utilities:  water (source), energy (source), telecommunications

-          How are government services paid for

-          Physical structures: 

-          Types of residential housing

-          Recreation areas

-          Green spaces

-          Office buildings

-          Shopping districts

-          High density and low density

-          How grouped together

-          Types of industry & retail business

-          Locally owned and/or multinational corporations

-          High tech, assembly line/factory work, traditional trades, farming etc…

-          Multi-industry or single industry

-          Financial exchange:  money, barter, or combination

-          Geography

-          Water ways

-          Land area

-          Climate:  seasons, rainfall, sunshine

-          Vegetation

-          Food requirements – what resources are needed, i.e. where is food going to come from (refer to ecological footprint)

-          Energy needs – what resources are needed, i.e. where is energy going to be derived (refer to ecological footprint)

-          Leisure activities and areas:  types of activities, accessibility, cost, high tech or low tech, within community or outside and requiring travel

You will need to consider how does your community pertain to sustainable development, i.e. is your community self-sustainable, what is it dependent on in terms of outside of your area. 

Remember to use your imagination – don’t simply follow what you are familiar with.