Whether a building is “friendly” might seem entirely subjective. Designing Sustainable Neighbourhoods, a key stage 2 study pack from Derbyshire, enables children to see that this and many related questions can be explored in an unbiased way. Stuffed with photographs, drawings and bright work-cards, the pack allows citizens of the future to help shape the world they’ll inhabit. They look at access, variety of land use and at how safety affects everyone. Above all, they learn to “read” a neighbourhood, so that barriers and landmarks become legible signs of civilised life. Designing Sustainable Neighbourhoods is free to all primary schools in Derbyshire. It can be ordered (pound;14 incl pamp;p) by other schools from Chesterfield Urban Studies Centre, Market Hall, Market Square, Chesterfield S40 1AR.

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