LN1005 Freshman English Name:

Unit 5-1 --- Urban Development (R1)

I. Warm-up
(A) Brainstorming
1. What makes a city livable? Name 3-5 quali es of a livable city and explain why.

2. Is your hometown (city) livable? Give 3 reasons.

Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
(B) Video Time: The world’s best city to live in
h ps://www.weforum.org/videos/vienna-is-the-world-s-world-s-most-liveable-city
Pre-listening
1. Guess three of the world’s best ci es to live in. Name 2 things that make them livable.

While-listening
1. What is the world’s best city to live in? What does it have to make it the most livable?

2. Choose one of the most livable ci es. Do research to nd 3 things that make it livable.

II. To build a livable city

(A) The Kerala model (p. 60-61)
Step 1: [10 mins individual] Listen to the conversa on about how a journalist talks about
a city she visited. Take notes by jo ng down at least 5 descrip ons.
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 Step 2: Pair discussion: Share what you have heard.
Step 3: Analyze the script. Read the scripts. Analyze how the speaker describes a city with
details and examples. Underlines and number them.

(Transcript) I = Interviewer, J = Journalist (p. 60)

I: I know you like exo c places. Have you been to the Indian subcon nent?
J: Yes, I was in India just recently. I: Were you?
J: Yes, in Kerala in the southwest. Actually, I had intended to go on to visit other parts of
India, but Kerala was so fascina ng that I stayed there.
I: Were you on vaca on?
J: Well, it was meant to be a vaca on, but actually it turned into kind of a work trip.
I: Oh dear.
J: Oh, no. I don’t regret changing my plans. I became so interested in the place that I started
to write an ar cle about it for the newspaper I work for.
I: Really? Is it a travel ar cle?
J: Not really. It’s more sociological, I guess. I’m trying to show what a remarkable place
Kerala is in the developing world. You see, it’s a small state with a big popula on. The
average income is only about $300 a year, and usually that would mean people having a
fairly poor quality of life. But in fact, Kerala is a kind of model of social development. The
popula on is highly literate and well-educated, and they seem reasonably well o —
compared to other parts of India, anyway. People in Kerala are healthy, and they live almost
as long as Americans or Europeans. Infant mortality is also very low. And women, who’ve
always tradi onally been the head of the household, con nue to be very ac ve—and equal
—members of society.
I: That’s interes ng. I remember going to Kerala with my wife in the 1990s. My memories of
it are just as a very tranquil and beau ful place, with lovely beaches and lagoons.
J: Well, of course, those are the parts that tourists like to spend me visi ng. But “tranquil”
is not necessarily the adjec ve I would use. Trivandrum, the main city, is absolutely hec c. I
stopped there to visit an Indian journalist I know. According to her, people in Trivandrum are
poli cally ac ve and very well-informed about the country. They never stop deba ng, and
there are o en strikes or parades of demonstrators. Some medical students started
protes ng when I was there. They went on protes ng for four days.
I: Well, that doesn’t sound great.
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 J: No, but it is. It’s a sign of a successful society. The thing is that the whole system seems to
work. That’s because, rst, Keralites are naturally tolerant people. You nd Hindus, Muslims,
and Chris ans all living peacefully alongside each other, and you could also include
foreigners in that mix—they’re treated no di erently than anyone else. And secondly, the
government has invested a lot in health and educa on, and con nues to invest a lot. The
land is also incredibly fer le and well-organized. Small farmers cul vate every inch of the
land and none is wasted, which I regret to say isn’t always the case in some developing
countries.
I: Well, it sounds like it’ll be an interes ng ar cle. Remember to send me a copy when it’s
published.
J: Of course I will.

(B) Green Plan of Singapore

1. See-Think-Wonder

See Singapore is trying hard to build a sustainable future by le ng residents do

more environmental protec on things.
Think I think they really love the Earth and really want our planet to become be er .By
doing so,the government publish many policies to achieve their goal.
Wonder I wonder it the policy is really actual for the residents to achieve and the people
would really do all the things.

2. Does what they do in the green plan of Singapore sound like a mission impossible for.
you? Name 2 things.
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 Add more green lands and use more public transporta on.Because I know Singapore
is a high development city,so their city development is vey good.I don’t think they
have more space to add more green lands,And I think use more transporta on is also
impossible because it’s crowded.It’s not a good experience.

(C) More examples of urban development (NYC, Copenhagen, Paris and Goteborg)
Goal: Organize info, explain & interpret.
Choose from one of the countries below to study & report:
1. Paris' Grand Plan to Become Europe's Greenest City h ps://youtu.be/3kZ3rWHs9wU
2. Is Copenhagen the World's Most Sustainable City? h ps://youtu.be/pUbHGI-kHsU
3. New York City's Green Revolu on h ps://youtu.be/B 75Wi87tg
4. The World's Most Sustainable Des na on - h ps://www.goteborg.com/en/guides/the-
worlds-most-sustainable-des na on
Ques on: What did they do/ have they done to make their city sustainable?

III. Problems of Urban Development

(A) Brainstorming
1. Name 3 poten al drawbacks of urban development.
Traf c congestion increased

Environment pollution

Urban decay
(B) Read, Write and Discussion
Ar cle: What Are the Pros & Cons of Urban Development?
Usually, the goal of urban development is to create thriving centralized areas that
provide employment opportuni es and housing while reducing commu ng needs.
Urban development also yields access to local entertainment and a sense of
community. On the other hand, the centraliza on caused by urban development may
increase tra c conges on and noise, lead to higher crime rates and force poorer
residents out of their homes. And when it fails, urban development may result in
urban decay, a phenomenon whereby a por on of a city falls into disrepair.
Urban Economics
Developing urban areas o en results in an in ux of new businesses and
increased patronage of exis ng establishments. Businesses follow popula on growth,
especially in urban areas. For example, if a company builds or renovates a structure
that houses a large number of employees, this may encourage new restaurants to
move into the area to feed the company’s employees. The success of those restaurants
then encourages other types of businesses, such as dry cleaners, an automo ve repair
shop, a grocery and a drug store to consider moving to this loca on. As a result, the
city’s economy grows.
Transporta on Considera ons
On one hand, placing many businesses in one loca on creates a pedestrian
environment and reduces the need for cars. Compared to rural areas and suburbs,
where distance o en inhibits walking from one loca on to the next, urban
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 development posi ons business in close proximity to each other. However, ci es like
New York are famous for bumper-to-bumper tra c since too many people crowded in
small urban areas creates tra c conges on. Public transporta on plays a major role in
the success of many urban development areas.
Building Restora on
Restoring crumbling or abandoned buildings and adding new structures can
breathe life into what was once a dead and empty area. Abandoned buildings provide
environments for criminal ac vity, such as drug use. If crime is not su ciently
contained, consumers will not visit these urban areas, and business owners will close
up shop and move to safer areas in the suburbs. This exodus is a driving factor behind
urban decay.
Residen al Housing
In some instances, urban development disenfranchises tenants from their
homes. These are o en low-income residents forced to move to another loca on as a
result of in a ng prices or shu ered apartment buildings. Many displaced tenants nd
that the new loca on does not provide the convenient transporta on they once
enjoyed. On the other hand, some urban development programs include rebuilding
exis ng low-income housing and incorpora ng it with mid-income housing. Of course,
urban areas are prime loca ons for housing and are generally more expensive than
housing in a rural or suburban areas.
Quality of Life
The quality of life provided by urban development varies from person to person.
For instance, some urban dwellers enjoy the excitement of city life as well as living in
close proximity to stores, museums and bars. They may also enjoy the variety of
people they regularly come in contact with. However, other residents may equate city
living with noise, crime and chaos
While-reading
☺ Underline the pros and cons with markers of 2 di erent colors when reading.
☺ Name 3 pros and cons of Urban Development that sound the most convincing to you
in this ar cle.
Pros Provide more work opportuni es.

City’s economy will grow.

Public transporta on would grow fast.

Cons Abandoned buildings provide environment for criminal protec on.

In -come residents may lose their homes.

The housing price would be more expensive.

☺ Do you think there are more advantages or disadvantages of urban development?
Take a side and give 2-3 arguments to support your side.
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 Pro I think there are more advantages of urban development. Because I
or believe that many things will existent due to urban development. For
Con example, public transporta on, commercial districts, and businesses
ac vi es around the commercial districts.It's all because of urban
development, the popula on increases, and these things emerge. My life
become more convenient.Although urban development leads to some
pollu on, people will try to nd ways to solve it.They won't let their livable
ci es become less livable.

(C) A controversial issue

1. Listen to a conversa on about a debate of a city. Then nish Part 3 of p. 64.
Person His/ Her viewpoints
First woman (1)
(Pro or con)
(2)
First man (1)
(Pro or con) (2)

Second man
(Pro or con)
Second woman
(Pro or con)

2. Development proposal:
Conversion of a public library and public swimming pool into a new shopping
mall and private gym. The main argument for closure of library and swimming
pool is that they do not get used very o en.

Goals: Persuade by reasoning

Procedures:
1. Read the proposal and brainstorm ideas.
2. Pair up. One of you should support the proposal, the other should oppose it.
3. Using at least 3 expressions for deba ng issues where appropriate.
4. Prac ce deba ng.
5. Audio-record your debate (a conversa on) of 1-2 minutes
6. Upload it on google drive.
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EXPREESSIONS of DEBATING ISSUES (Life 5 p.64)
Making points
- First, ... and secondly, More importantly, ...
- The thing/point/fact is that ...
- I think …/ I don't think
- For me, ... is just one factor.
Responding to a point
- Well, that depends.
- I understand/appreciate that ..., but…
- Actually, I'm not too bothered by/about…
- I'm more concerned that/ about…
- Sorry, but I (don't) think that's …
- That's a very good point.
- Yes, you're right.
- Absolutely.
- I agree completely.
- I don't think most of you have really thought about /considered…
- ... doesn't make any sense to me.