Similarity + Scale factor Project: Designing public space with Zillow

In this project, students will look at the top 10 "neediest" cities in America. They will use Zillow / Realtor.com to find an empty lot and then design a public space to the city council that will help alleviate one or more social / economic pressures in the community. Students are challenged to think about how spaces and public access to resources can help change a community. Generally, this project takes 1 week to complete.

I have done this project a few times, always astounded by students' creative thinking. I challenge students to think about funding and how feasible their proposal is. In the past, I've had students work individually and in groups. I found groups to work better to have better research and well-thought out ideas.

You can modify this project to look specifically at your own community or city instead, which may have more meaning to your students. In a future iteration, I will reach out to city council members to see if I can get the community involved as well - and I encourage you to do the same! I hope you enjoy :) I welcome any feedback.