A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you live in a city?
2. What is the biggest city you know?
3. What makes a city noisy?
4. Do you like crowds of people?
5. What is the difference between a city and a village?
6. What makes city transport fast?
7. Do you like walking in the city?
8. What is a common problem in cities?
9. Do you think cities are exciting?
10. What makes a city beautiful?
11. Do you see many parks in the city?
12. What makes an apartment building tall?
13. What is the opposite of a fast-paced life?
14. What are some different types of city jobs?
15. Do you feel safe in your city at night?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What are the key differences between urban culture and rural culture?
2. Describe one benefit of living in a dense, crowded city (e.g., accessibility).
3. What are the pros and cons of having a long daily commute in a large city?
4. What role does public art and architecture play in shaping the mood of a city?
5. Have you ever experienced a severe case of culture shock upon moving to a big city?
6. What kind of services (e.g., libraries, gyms) are essential for a good quality of urban life?
7. What is the difference between an efficient city and a sustainable city?
8. What are common challenges when trying to find affordable housing in a major urban center?
9. How does technology (e.g., smart traffic lights) help manage the complexity of urban life?
10. What are the biggest challenges of managing waste and recycling in a high-density urban area?
11. What is the importance of having diverse employment opportunities in a city?
12. Do you think cities are becoming more homogenous (all the same) globally?
13. What are the challenges of managing noise and light pollution in a 24-hour city?
14. What are the best ways for city residents to build a sense of community?
15. What is the difference between urban sprawl (spreading out) and urban density (compactness)?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. Discuss the conflict between the convenience of city life and the psychological stress of constant crowding and noise.
2. How can cities be designed to mitigate the “urban heat island” effect caused by concrete and lack of green space?
3. What are the ethical issues surrounding the use of public funds to prioritize development in affluent urban neighborhoods?
4. Do you agree that the concentration of human talent in cities is the main engine of global innovation?
5. Describe a time when the efficiency or size of a city’s infrastructure (e.g., subway) genuinely impressed you.
6. To what extent should individuals feel pressure to move to a city to pursue a successful career?
7. What role do public parks and green spaces play in providing necessary psychological relief from the urban environment?
8. How do cultural norms about personal space and public behavior differ between urban and rural settings?
9. Discuss the psychological phenomenon of “urban anonymity”—the sense of being lost and unrecognized in a crowd.
10. What are the challenges of providing reliable and affordable healthcare services to a rapidly growing urban population?
11. How does the concept of “walkability” (how easy it is to walk) influence the quality of urban life?
12. Should public funding prioritize the renovation of existing urban infrastructure or the construction of entirely new “smart” cities?
13. What is the difference between a dense city that is chaotic and one that is vibrant?
14. Discuss the concept of “third places”—non-work, non-home social hubs—and their necessity in urban life.
15. What is the long-term impact of chronic, high-level air pollution on the health of urban residents?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. How does the economic segregation of housing in cities exacerbate social inequality and limit upward mobility?
2. What are the ethical arguments about using high-tech surveillance (e.g., CCTV, facial recognition) to manage public safety in dense urban areas?
3. Should zoning laws prioritize affordable, high-density housing over single-family homes in city planning?
4. What are the psychological reasons why some people feel an intense stimulation and excitement from the constant activity of urban life?
5. How has the rise of the digital nomad and remote worker affected the cost and character of popular urban neighborhoods?
6. Discuss the idea that the greatest asset of urban life is the spontaneous opportunity for unexpected, enriching encounters.
7. What is the role of legal frameworks (e.g., rent control, noise ordinances) in mitigating the negative aspects of urban life?
8. How do our cultural narratives about crime and danger affect our use of urban public spaces after dark?
9. What are the challenges of ensuring all urban residents have equitable access to high-quality public education and transport?
10. Discuss the concept of “gentrification”—the change in neighborhood character due to rising affluence—and its social consequences.
11. What is the difference between an urban area that is functionally crowded and one that is aesthetically overwhelming?
12. Should urban planners be legally required to incorporate elements of nature and ecology into all new construction projects?
13. What is the impact of a city’s public transport system on its ability to sustain a high-density, low-car urban lifestyle?
14. How does the history of urban renewal movements reflect changing ideas about social order and public space?
15. Discuss the idea that a truly successful city is one that feels both dynamic and deeply livable.
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Analyze the socioeconomic factors that correlate with spatial inequality—the uneven distribution of wealth and resources across urban districts.
2. To what degree should the legal system restrict the ability of foreign capital to purchase and speculate on urban residential real estate?
3. Discuss the philosophical concept of “the right to the city” and the necessity of democratic control over urban space.
4. Evaluate the impact of new technologies (e.g., decentralized energy grids) on mitigating the environmental fragility of large urban centers.
5. How does the strategic use of visual clutter (e.g., excessive billboards, signage) function to manipulate consumption in urban environments?
6. Examine the legal challenges of regulating the noise and air pollution generated by a city’s core industrial or port activities.
7. What ethical guidelines should govern the use of AI and predictive analytics to manage public order and security in urban neighborhoods?
8. Discuss the concept of “environmental racism”—the disproportionate siting of polluting urban infrastructure near minority communities.
9. How do different national policies on municipal autonomy affect a city’s ability to innovate in areas like housing and transport?
10. Analyze the interplay between the massive cost of urban infrastructure (e.g., roads, water) and the financial sustainability of city budgets.
11. What ethical challenges arise when new urban technologies (e.g., smart lighting) collect data on citizens without their informed consent?
12. Debate whether a system of hyper-dense, tall urban centers or a more distributed, lower-density urban network is the more sustainable model.
13. How does the architecture of corporate headquarters and public buildings communicate power, status, and exclusion in the urban landscape?
14. Discuss the concept of “civic engagement” and why it is often more difficult to achieve in anonymous, dense urban environments.
15. To what extent does the emotional attachment to the idea of a “perfect city” prevent citizens from recognizing and solving real urban problems?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. How do you analyze the idea that the city is fundamentally a technology designed to maximize human economic interaction and competition?
2. Formulate a critique of urban planning models that prioritize economic growth (e.g., commercial zones) over social infrastructure (e.g., community services).
3. Analyze the intersection of public health metrics, noise pollution, and the measurable long-term impact of urban stress on chronic disease rates.
4. Discuss the philosophical distinction between “crowd” (a random gathering) and “public” (a politically engaged collective) in urban life.
5. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of “smart city” initiatives in genuinely improving citizens’ quality of life rather than just collecting data.
6. Propose a new urban design model that systematically integrates principles of circular economy, ecological restoration, and social equity.
7. Examine the psychological function of urban parks and nature in providing necessary cognitive breaks from sensory overload.
8. How does the semiotics of urban decay (e.g., graffiti, litter) communicate systemic failure and social alienation to the resident?
9. Discuss the ethical responsibilities of city governments to provide truly affordable housing that is integrated across all economic zones.
10. Analyze the historical relationship between cycles of economic immigration and the subsequent transformation of urban cultural geography.
11. Articulate the inherent tension between the need for high urban density (for efficiency) and the human psychological need for personal space and quiet.
12. Debate whether the global trend of remote work will lead to the “death of the city” or simply its radical transformation into a leisure hub.
13. Assess the long-term societal effects of chronic urban stress and isolation on political polarization and public civility.
14. Discuss the philosophical definition of ‘home’ and how that concept is challenged and redefined in a transient urban environment.
15. How might the principles of urban network efficiency be used to model processes of complex institutional and political organization?
