Minds On

Four kinds of land-use impact

Children are enjoying activities outside.

There are four kinds of impacts that are considered when land use is changed: social, economic, political, and environmental impact.

Press the following tabs to explore the kinds of impacts.

A social impact is any effect on the people in the area. An example might be a new housing development that creates more available housing for people to live in a new area.

An economic impact is the financial impact or cost. For example, a new bus stop may help bring more people to an area and help a local coffee shop.

A political impact is the effect on the relationships with other countries and the cause of changes in policies or government. An example might be if a country decides to create a new tax on goods that are imported from another country.

An environmental impact is the damage or change to the environment. For example, a new highway may change the amount of noise and air pollution in a nearby neighbourhood.

As you explore the range of land-use issues in the next sections, notice what impacts are being considered.

Brainstorm

Land-use

Brainstorm a list of reasons that people might argue over land.

Complete the following Brainstorming Land-Use activity in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. You can also use another method of your choice.

A bulldozer moving sand around in a construction site.

Four people holding up protest signs to encourage people to go green and reduce the use of plastic.

Press ‘Example’ to reveal some possible answers.

Example

For example, one group might want to cut down an area of trees to build new houses, but another group might want to preserve the forest. This may cause an argument over the land.

Press the 'Activity' button to access the Brainstorming Land-Use activity.

Activity

Action

Land-use issues

There are many nations and communities that exist across Turtle Island.

Turtle Island is the name many First Nations people and communities use to refer to lands known as North America today. In many First Nations creation stories, there are references to a human world that is flooded by water. The turtle, in various version stories, is an integral part to providing land and life to first humans.

Many Indigenous communities believe that humans, fish, and animals are all equal and that the land and the water have a spirit that needs to be protected. Land in this sense cannot be owned, and instead land is shared. Indigenous territories are constantly evolving in both Canadian legal context and on the basis of kinship ties and relationship between Indigenous communities.

Developing land for settlement is rarely without competition and conflict. Land can be used for agriculture, industry, housing, transportation, recreation, and green spaces. When land issues arise, there are usually several different perspectives involved.

Task 1: Case Study – Caledonia

In the next section of the learning activity, you will be investigating a long-standing land rights issue between the Six Nations Peoples within the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the government of Canada. This conflict has arisen due to a new residential development being built on an unresolved Haudenosaunee Confederacy land claim.

Begin by reading the following article. Next, complete the following Caledonia Land-Use Perspectives graphic organizer. Finally, you will choose one of three question to answer using what you have learned.

Press ‘TVO.org’ to access “Broken Promises, Unceded Land: The History Behind The Land Back Lane Protest.”
TVO.org Opens in a new window

Using the information from the article you previously accessed, as well as information you gather through independent research, complete the following Caledonia Land-Use Perspectives graphic organizer. You can also use another method of your choice.

Press ‘Hint’ to explore two ideas to consider.

Hint

Think about why each of the groups wants the land and what is important to each group.

Caledonia Land-Use Perspectives
Haudenosaunee Perspectives
Housing Developer’s Perspectives
Government Perspectives

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Caledonia Land-Use Perspectives.

Activity

Check your answers using the following Caledonia Land-Use Perspectives – Answer Key. Some of the ideas in your graphic organizer may be different.

Press the 'Activity' button to access the Caledonia Land-Use Perspectives – Answer Key.

Activity

Further thinking

Now that you have a better understanding of the Caledonia Land-Use Conflict, respond to one of the following questions. Complete the following Questioning the Caledonia Land-Use Conflict Further activity in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. You can also use another method of your choice.

How can all groups involved in this land-use conflict ensure their perspectives are heard?

Press ‘Hint’ to access a point to consider.

Hint

Think about what each group needs to do to make themselves heard.

Are some groups better at making their perspectives heard and known? Why do you think this happens?

Press ‘Hint’ to explore the following statements to think about.

Hint

Think about which group is the most involved in the land. Consider how the government isn’t being held responsible.

What criteria should the government follow when trying to help moderate land disputes that are similar to this one?

Press ‘Hint’ to consider the following questions.

Hint

How do you think land disputes should be handled? What information should the government and involved groups consider?

Press the 'Activity' button to access the Questioning the Caledonia Land-Use Conflict Further.

Activity

Task 2: Land reclamation

An airplane coming in to land at a small island airport.

What is land reclamation?

Land reclamation is the process of creating new land by raising the elevation of oceans, seas, riverbeds, or lake beds. The land reclaimed is also known as reclamation ground or land fill.

Brainstorm

Let's consider the following question:

Why might a country need to create new land from water?

Brainstorm a few possible reasons.

Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.

The simplest form of land reclamation involves filling the area with large amounts of heavy rock and/or cement, then filling with clay and soil until the desired height is reached. The first major land reclamation projects were carried out in the 1970s when a port in the Netherlands was extended. These projects were the start of the modern era of land reclamation, which rapidly spread around the world.

Hong Kong International Airport

Aerial photograph of Hong Kong airport viewed from above with some scattered clouds.

In the following section, we will explore the land reclamation at the Hong Kong International Airport. Representatives in Hong Kong have been exploring options to expand the International Airport, including adding another runway by 2030. They will be looking to reclaim 650 hectares of land that has been disturbed by other projects in the past. Forty percent of the selected area is contaminated with mud pits that have been used since 1992 to dispose of contaminated marine mud.

Contamination is when something is made impure by exposure to or addition of poisonous or polluting substances.

The Hong Kong International Airport will need to avoid the leakage of these mud pits. However, studies have shown there are no significant ecosystems in the purposed area and minimal dolphin activity. They have considered using two methods: land reclamation and drained reclamation. Explore the two possible methods in the following checklists.

Drained Reclamation Method

does not involve dredging, which would churn up sedimentary material and would negatively affect water quality in the surrounding areas commonly used in Hong Kong puts layers of earth and sand on the sea bed, which creates pressure to press the sea bed into firmer land, while squeezing out water from between the layers through weep-holes (like pressing down on a sponge full of water) takes around 12 months only suitable for sea beds with no contaminated mud; otherwise, any water that is squeezed out will be contaminated by pollutants relatively cheap and simple

Deep Cement Mixing

does not involve dredging so water quality is not negatively affected widely used in Japan since 1970s like using a blender, deep cement mixing slowly blends and injects cement into the soft mud of the sea beds, eventually forming cement columns to build on has a low environmental impact; don’t have to worry about potential contamination the mud stays in place, stiffened costs are much higher and the method is slower

Reflection

If you were the development director in Hong Kong, which methods would you recommend? Why?

Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.

Land reclamation – a case study

Choose one of the following Land Reclamation projects to investigate further. How does your chosen project compare to the Hong Kong International Airport? What are the positives and the negatives of land reclamation?

United Arab Emirates in Palm Islands
Fiery Cross Reef in China
Jakarta in Indonesia
Sanya Hongtangwan International Airport in China

Consider the positives and negatives of land reclamation in the Hong Kong project and your chosen land reclamation project you have explored in the previous section.

Record the positives and negatives of land reclamation in the following Positive and Negative Effects of Land Reclamation graphic organizer in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. You can also use another method of your choice.

Press the 'Activity' button to access the Positive and Negative Effects of Land Reclamation.

Activity

Task 3: Impacts

Let's review!

There are four kinds of impacts that are considered when land use is changed: social, economic, political, and environmental impact. Before you begin, let’s review the differences between these impacts.

For each term, select the corresponding description.

Hurricane Hazel and the four kinds of impacts

Explore the following information about Hurricane Hazel. Then, assess the social, economic, political, and environmental impacts the hurricane had on Toronto, Ontario.

Press the following tabs to learn more about Hurricane Hazel.

Hurricane Hazel struck the Toronto area in October of 1954. It was one of Canada’s worst hurricanes and Toronto’s worst natural disaster. This horrific storm left 81 people dead, nearly 2,000 families homeless, and caused around $100 million dollars in damages.

As Hurricane Hazel approached Ontario, broadcasts were issued warning people, but many had little experience with hurricanes and did not know how to prepare.

While the storm struck Toronto in the form of heavy winds, the greatest destruction came in the form of flooding. Rivers overflowed, taking cars, ripping down entire homes, and knocking trains off their tracks. Volunteers tried to help, but they were up to their chins in water. Forty bridges were destroyed or structurally damaged.

People in a small boat in a flooded street searching for other people to rescue.

Lessons were learned from Hurricane Hazel. Conservation authorities, local municipalities, and the province together developed a plan for flood control and water conservation to reduce future risks and regulate vulnerable lands for recreation and conservation. The plans resulted in the development of dams, reservoirs, and major flood-control channels.

A photo of a flooded neighbourhood with drawings of where 14 houses used to be.

Source: Marsh, J. H. (2012, April 20). Hurricane Hazel. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hurricane-hazel.

Considering the previous information you learned about Hurricane Hazel, assess the social, political, economic, and environmental impacts of the hurricane.

Complete the following Hurricane Impact graphic organizer in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. You can also use another method of your choice.

Hurricane Impact
Social
Political
Economic
Environmental

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Hurricane Impact.

Activity

Check your answers with the following Hurricane Impact Answer Key.

Press the 'Activity' button to access the Hurricane Impact Answer Key.

Activity

Learning goals

Success criteria

Minds On