Project

The City that We Want/A Cidade que a Gente Quer

In this project, learners construct computational models of how they would like to improve their communities. The basic premise is that students will perform a critical inquiry into the life, culture, and functioning of their cities, and create new models of how they would like some aspect to be. They can either address something they perceive as problematic (waste recycling, transportation, energy generation and consumption, employment, crime), or propose a model for a grand new idea to provide some elements desired but not previously possible or conceived (interactive public entertainment and art spaces for community, dynamic customizable clean transportation, instant playgrounds, responsive environments). They work in a variety of computational and traditional media. We are augmenting computational tools for learning, and building new support technologies for distance support and collaboration. The project also serves as a concrete model for alternative-learning environments and for teacher development.