Our shared future: sustainable cities

This project kit brings together secondary school pupils from different European countries to explore how cities can become more sustainable.

A young woman sits alone at a table, gazing at a globe.

Artem Podrez / Pexels

Pupils will investigate environmental, social and economic aspects of urban life and share ideas for improving their communities. Through collaboration, they will design and present a vision of their sustainable city of the future. The project promotes critical thinking, creativity and intercultural learning.

Objectives

pupils will work in international teams to research, design and present a model for a sustainable city

pupils will develop their reading, writing, data collection and critical thinking skills while exploring the environmental, social and economic aspects of urban life

pupils will use digital tools to communicate, create shared content and present their ideas clearly to others

each group will produce at least three outputs (e.g. digital poster, video, report) and complete peer-assessment forms

Introduction of partners

Each partner school will create a short digital presentation (e.g. video, slideshow) introducing their school, pupils, location and local sustainability challenges, that will be uploaded to a shared TwinBoard and discussed in an online forum. Pupils can post questions and comments to get to know each other. Teachers will support them by adding suggested prompts (e.g. ‘What do you like most about your city?’).

Orientation

At the start of the project, pupils will take part in a shared online poll on TwinSpace to assess their current knowledge of sustainability and identify the topics they are most curious about. This activity encourages pupils to reflect on what they already know, what they hope to learn and how their own city experiences relate to broader sustainability challenges.

To support this process, a supplementary TwinBoard can be used where pupils post short reflections, questions or observations, creating a visual overview of their collective understanding. This phase activates prior knowledge and prepares pupils for collaborative learning by helping them discover shared interests and get ready for the research and co-design activities that follow.

Communication

Pupils will communicate with one another through the TwinSpace forum and online meetings using the BigBlueButton. In addition to written discussions, occasional live video calls will give international teams the chance to meet, share progress and discuss ideas in real time. To support meaningful and inclusive communication, teachers may offer ‘sentence starters’ or ‘key phrases’ to help pupils express their thoughts clearly and confidently.

Collaboration

Pupils will be divided into international teams. Each team will compare the sustainability features of their cities, share photos and data, co-design a model for their ‘Sustainable city of the future’ using digital tools and create a final group presentation to showcase their ideas. Tasks will have flexible deadlines so that schools can adapt them to their timetables.

Activity 1: City snapshot – co-creating the urban reality

Pupils work in international teams made up of two to four pupils from each country. Instead of each pupil gathering their own separate data, the team works collaboratively to research and compare aspects of their cities in real time. The team decides on which specific aspects of the city (e.g. public transport, green spaces, recycling, energy) to explore and gathers the data through group discussions.

For example, the team might:

divide tasks like conducting interviews, taking photos and researching statistics, but share and discuss the findings regularly during group meetings

use the TwinSpace to upload and edit content in real time

work together to synthesise the data, deciding which aspects to highlight and how to represent them visually

The team then co-builds the presentation using online tools like Canva or Google Slides. Pupils provide ongoing feedback on each other's work, helping create a cohesive final product that reflects everyone's input. All presentations are uploaded to the TwinSpace.

Activity 2: Co-designing a future city

Teams now move from comparing to creating. Based on the issues identified in Activity 1, pupils co-design a model of a ‘Sustainable city of the future’. They can choose any format: a digital drawing, a Minecraft model, a video walkthrough, a 3D design or an illustrated map.

Each member brings their ideas to a brainstorming session using digital tools like Miro or Jamboard. Pupils discuss and propose ideas for every part of the city, deciding the design of transport networks, housing, energy solutions, green spaces, and more.

Pupils contribute equally to every aspect of the city design, sharing ideas and revising each other's work in a collaborative, iterative process. For instance, one pupil might suggest an idea for sustainable transport and the others can expand on it by adding features related to energy efficiency, public spaces or accessibility.

Weekly check-ins, in the form of written or video messages, are used to provide feedback on what has been completed and to ensure that team members' ideas are integrated into the design process and that project elements evolve through collaboration.

Activity 3: ‘Show and inspire’

Each team prepares a short video, a slideshow or a virtual exhibition of their sustainable city. Pupils explain their design choices and how their city meets real-world sustainability goals. Presentations are uploaded to the TwinSpace and shared during the final ‘Sustainable city fair’. Pupils visit each others’ projects, leave comments and vote for their favourite ideas (e.g. ‘most creative solution’, ‘most realistic plan’).

Evaluation & Assessment

Evaluation is ongoing/integrated, learner-centred and closely linked to the collaborative process. From the start of the project, pupils are encouraged to reflect on their work and give constructive feedback to one another. Peer feedback is guided by simple prompts such as ‘I like how you...’ or ‘Have you thought about...?’, helping pupils engage thoughtfully with each other’s contributions. This can be further supported by structured peer-assessment forms, which focus on criteria such as creativity and collaboration, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. Self-assessment is also a key part of the process, with pupils completing checklists to reflect on their participation, communication and teamwork.

Teachers will also assess the collaborative work using a clear and simple rubric, with indicative criteria including creativity, teamwork, clarity, sustainability ideas and acquisition of basic skills.

At the end of the project, pupils complete an online survey to share what they have learned and which aspects of the project they found most enjoyable or challenging. Finally, each pupil is invited to write or record a personal reflection describing what they have learned, how the project has influenced their thinking and how they might apply their new knowledge or skills locally.

Follow up

Once the project is complete, the final outcomes can be shared on the schools’ website and social media. Pupils may also organise a display at school, present their ideas to younger classes or hold a small local event to raise awareness of sustainability issues.

Some of the project’s most innovative or practical ideas can be shared with local authorities or community organisations. Interested partners can plan a second phase, for example implementing small local sustainability actions and sharing the impact.

Additional information

Age from:

12
Age to:

18
Difficulty:

Intermediate

Advanced
Education type:

School Education
Target audience:

Teacher

Student Teacher
Target audience ISCED:

Lower secondary education (ISCED 2)

Upper secondary education (ISCED 3)

Our shared future: sustainable cities

Additional information

Topics

School subjects

Key competences