Describes an interdisciplinary program which uses simulation to investigate social, cultural, economic, and political dimensions of environmental change. Summarizes the underlying process, outlines topics and activities for each of the four phases of the program, and presents one sample activity for each unit. (DC)

This technical paper was written with undergraduate geography students and instructors in mind. Its primary objective is to introduce readers to the first of urban simulations and to provide materials for utilizing simulation models. Contents are interdisciplinary oriented and contain seven chapters showing how simulation techniques may be…

Published materials that have proven useful in the design of the Institute For The Future's first urban simulation model are listed. References include publications dealing with (1) simulations and games, (2) urban and regional models, (3) educational gaming, (4) research and planning applications, (5) methodological perspectives, and (6)…

This publication contains papers read at the Conference on Urban Geography for Secondary School Teachers in Hong Kong, 1973, and experimental teaching materials on urban studies based on some of the ideas of the American High School Geography Project. The following papers are included: (1) "Teaching Urbanization" provides general…

Presents rationale and procedure for a role playing simulation, used in a first-year political science course. Notes that the game's purpose is to make real the problems urban policymakers face. Sees active student participation as a sign of the game's success. Includes course syllabus. (CH)

Summary descriptions of selected urban simulations and games that have been developed outside the Institute For The Future are presented. The operating characteristics and potential applications of each model are described. These include (1) the history of development, (2) model and player requirements, (3) a description of the environment being…

It is time that sociology made use of the increasingly popular teaching device of linking computer simulation and gaming. It is needed because in teaching courses in urban sociology, human ecology, and urban planning, we have found that: a) most class exercises present the community as a statis phenomenon; b) there is no quick and easy way to…

Reviews recent literature on urban politics and urban policy. Focuses on issues faced by cities of the 1990s: city planning, growth, politics, problems of housing, homelessness, cost of government, racial, and ethnic conflicts. Suggests that field trips and computer simulations can be used in college courses in urban studies. (CH)