The Urbanization Game

The Urbanization Game Urban Sprawl and Its Effects

For this game you will need…. • Large sheet of blank paper • Lined paper • Pencil/Eraser • Ruler • Coloring pencils (optional)

Early Settlements Early settlements were often agricultural settlements, these were areas of low population densityand often dispersed to allow space for farmers to farm their crops.

Round 1 • Draw: • 1 River 2-3cm wide and runs from edge to edge • 2 bridges • 4 main roads (single line) • 8 houses (approx 1-2cm, foundation of a house must touch a road, number each house)

Round 2 • Select 1 house which will be yours and shade it in • Draw: • 1 church • 1 cemetery • 2 stores • 1 pub/restauraunt

Resource Based Settlements Sometimes isolated rural settlements would occur which formed out of resource-based settlements, these are often referred as mining, fishing, and forestry towns.

Round 3 • Draw a mine on an isolated part of your map • Place 4 houses in close proximity to the mine

Service Based Settlement Some people settled in isolated areas because they can earn a living by providing services to residents and to travelers passing through. Often these settlements would be scattered along major roads.

Round 4 • Draw 2 pairs of house/store on your map, it must be connected to a road

Population Growth Around 1750 and onward, population began to grow at an ever-increasing rate. What were some of the reasons? • Food production/distribution • Improvements in public health (soap, sewage lines, etc.) • Conquest of disease (medicine, vaccines, etc.)

Round 5 • Draw 6 more houses • 1 more church • 1 more road • 1 more pub/restaurant • 1 more river bridge • 1 more store

Villages As agricultural productivity improved over time and food surpluses became larger, people no longer needed to produce their own food. People started to become specialist in their field, such as weaving, making metal objects, milling, baking. Since these specialists were offering goods and services to others, it made sense for them to live close together.

Round 6 • Draw 2 services and 4 houses on one location of your map and 1 service and 2 houses on another location

Towns As villages began to grow, they started to form towns and cities. The goods and services produced in these towns and cities were exchanged for food products in the countryside.

Round 7 • Place your hand with fingers spread out on your map and make a rough dotted-line around the area that your hand covers. Label this land “Agricultural Use Only”. Erase and re-locate any houses/businesses in that area. • Add 10 more houses to your map

Industries In order for these cities to grow even larger and increase their economic base, they needed basic industries. A greater population base and improvements in transportation allowed cities to build factories and manufacturing plants to produce goods, some of which were sold locally while others were shipped and sold to other communities.

Round 8 • Add a railroad from one edge of the map to another • Add 3 factories or manufacturing plants on your map • Add 5 houses • Add 3 tenants • Add 2 estates • Add 1 office building

Feed The Need As cities continue to expand, there becomes a growing need for services and entertainment. Some cities even become tourist hotspots so that they can bring in more outside money. Both physical and human features can draw in tourists (ie. Niagra Falls, Wonderland, CN Tower)

Round 9 • Draw: • 2 tourist attractions • Another road • 8 more houses • 2 theatres • 2 tenants • 1 government building

Questions • List and describe 2 reasons that towns and cities grow. • What were some of the difficulties you faced in placing your buildings on your map. How might this relate to the real world? • Define “urban sprawl” and explain how it relates to your map. • What pushed people into your city, what pulled people into your city? • If you could control the development of a future town or city, what laws would you put into place to make it a better place to live?

The Urbanization Game