Resource Guide for An Urbanizing World

Urban population change is one of the world's most important challenges. Rapid population growth in less developed countries and the evolving complexity of demographic structures in more developed countries are part of the challenge. This activity asks students to reflect on urban issues from a global and regional perspective. The PRB Population Bulletin, "An Urbanizing World," will serve as a resource for the development of a media brief issued for a meeting of international governments to discuss urban population trends, demographic change, and urban challenges.

The United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), or the City Summit, took place in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996, to endorse the universal goals of ensuring adequate shelter for all and making human settlements safer, healthier and more livable, equitable, sustainable and productive. One hundred and seventy-one governments adopted the global call to action, the Habitat Agenda. In June 2001, the Special Session of the General Assembly, also known as Istanbul+5, reviewed and appraised the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, as well as formulated and prioritized future initiatives. For more information, visit: www.unchs.org.

Grade Level: 9–12

Time Required: 2–3 class periods

Standards Addressed: The geographically informed person knows and understands the characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on the Earth's surface; the processes, patterns, and functions of human settlements; and how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

Skills and Objectives:

• ask geographic questions about urban population trends
• organize geographic information by developing a news release about urban growth and change
• analyze geographic information about urban demographics
• answer geographic questions about the challenges less developed countries and more developed countries face in urban areas.

Vocabulary: Urban, urbanization, megacities, less developed countries, more developed countries, news release, and demographics.

Materials: Selected readings from An Urbanizing World (PDF: 519KB)

The Learning Activity

Background: Depending on the students' knowledge, you may need to provide examples of news releases, explain the purpose of holding national summits, and review vocabulary.

Introducing the Activity: Begin discussion by asking students why holding national summits about particular issues are important. Explain that governments from around the world gathered in Istanbul in 1996 to discuss the issues of human settlements and sustainable cities and agreed to work together toward achieving adequate shelter for all and properly managing urban growth. The progress since the City Summit was evaluated in June of 2001.

Executing the Activity:

• Provide students with access to PRB's Population Bulletin, "An Urbanizing World," by Martin P. Brockerhoff. Explain that this document will help students develop a media brief about urban population. The teacher can choose to have students only read specific sections before beginning the development of the media brief. Students can begin by reading the section Urban Population Trends (page 5). Once each student is assigned a group they can read more specifically about Trends in Less Developed Countries (page 9) or More Developed Countries (page 15) and Urban Challenges in Less Developed Countries (page 21) or More Developed Countries (page 29).
• Split the class into five groups. These groups will be issuing a statement from North Africa and the Near East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and Europe and North America that focuses on the issues most salient in these regions. Each student should select a different city from within his or her region.
• Describe the purpose of the media brief and have students begin brainstorming within their groups on what key points will be included in the brief.

Purpose of a Press Release

A press release is issued by an organization to get the attention of the media when a newsworthy event takes place. A journalist can use a press release as a starting point to gather more information for a news article or program on a particular subject. The press release must be a brief message, offering the journalist a reason to care about the subject and understand its significance.

Provide students with the following instructions:

• You are attending a City Summit with representatives from all over the world. The goal of the summit is to develop a plan for managing urban population change.
• You are responsible for briefing the media on urban population trends, urban demographics, and the challenges that face people in your region.
• You are asked to prepare a news release. A news release is a brief story on a newsworthy item and it is intended to provide a journalist with the necessary information to write a news article or program.

Elements to Include in a Press Release

• Headline: summarizes the intent of the release to grab the reader's attention and informs at a glance.
• Contact information: who, what, where, when and why; provide information on who you are and where you are from.
• Body: no more than two pages double-spaced; develop one to three message statements that are short and simple; begin with a short first paragraph that introduces the most important information first.
• Supplementary items: illustrations of background information and statistics to express ideas quickly and clearly; may include charts and graphs.

Once students have researched the topic, discussed the issues in small groups, and produced a short news release, the class can share their findings. Develop a list with input from all regions about the main messages concerning urban growth and change. Are there differences between people living in more developed countries and those living in less developed countries? What type of agenda can all countries develop at the Istanbul+5 Summit in 2001 to meet differing needs and establish common ground?

Extensions

1. Have students participate in a simulation of the Istanbul+5 Summit in 2001.
2. Set up a press conference in which a panel presents the issues and other students act as journalists raising questions.
3. Have groups exchange news releases and ask students to develop a news article or program based on the information in the release.