Your city: is it humane, is it sustainable?

The ethical dimensions of urban geography are sometimes ignored.

For the purpose of this paper, imagine that your chief purpose is to increase levels of human fulfillment, justice, and happiness in your city, rather than strengthen job markets or increase monetary gains.  You may imagine that you are a mayor, city council member, planning commission member or a community activist, or just an interested resident.

Describe what makes your city a humane (a good quality of life), sustainable, and a pleasant place to live? How does your city function? What changes in your city and/or the Bay Area would you propose to improve the quality of life in your city? How would you increase the levels of human fulfillment, justice, and happiness in your city?

(If you do not want to choose the city where you live, you may choose another city and explain why you chose it.) Your paper should be approximately 3 pages long.

Instructions, format and submission of your paper:

 This is not a research paper. Use your own knowledge and opinions about your city or neighborhood. Refer to the posted readings and your textbook while writing your paper:

• • New Urbanism, Smart Growth.
  • LEED, the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, green building certification program.
• Rubenstein, Chapter 13, Urban Patterns

• The format is essay. The paper should be in paragraph format, not a bullet listing.

• Use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word choice.