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A Tale of many Cities
Start date: Sep 1, 2014, End date: Aug 31, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Until the mid 20th century, cities were generally organized into and developed around mixed-use walkable neighborhoods. For most of human history this meant a city that was entirely walkable, although with the development of mass transit the reach of the city extended outward along transit lines, allowing for the growth of new pedestrian communities such as streetcar suburbs. But with the advent of cheap automobiles and favorable government policies, attention began to shift away from cities and towards ways of growth more focused on the needs of the car. Urban planning largely centered around the use of municipal zoning ordinances to segregate residential from commercial and industrial development, and focused on the construction of low density single family detached houses as the preferred housing option for the growing middle class. The physical separation of where people lived from where they worked, shopped and frequently spend their recreational time, together with low housing density, which often drastically reduced population density relative to historical norms, made automobiles indispensable for efficient transportation and contributed to the emergence of a culture of automobile dependency. Through this project we aim to weigh in with the students vision of how to better the difficulties presented by urban settings of today and how to properly adress the multitude of challenges encountered in order to put these visions into practical use. By letting each partner be responsible for a particular section of the city we further enhance the needs and skills called for in order to make an intercultural teamwork feasible and provide our students with the invaluable lesson that for a project of this magnitude we all have to pull together regardless of cultural and national differencies. On a broader scale cooperation between international partners enriches the education system, both for the teachers and for the pupils. Sharing ideas and experience increases the children’s knowledge in order to develop an understanding of the world. Participating in this partnership will broaden pupils’ educational experience and encourage them to interact with their peers across Europe more confidently. With the expanding use of ICT in our schools it is also hoped that pupils will get the opportunity (by participating in the partnership) to enhance their language skills and acquire a vast knowledge of the different cultures spread out across Europe today. Furthermore, the aim to develop links with other schools in Europe, will lead to an exchange of (teaching) materials and ideas.

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