3.2 Reading the Built Environment

Background for the Educator:
The built environment includes buildings and all other things constructed or shaped by human beings; generally, this built environment is where we work, play, and live. Burlington is a built environment and it's also our community. Being able to identify the buildings around us and why they are there is an important part of being able to understand our surrounding landscape. There are buildings, structures, roads,  and parks in Burlington--these are all part of our built environment--and these are places where we work, live, and play. Different buildings are where they are to serve different needs of the human populace.

Parts of our built environment include: roads, signs, hospitals, libraries, schools, single-family homes, apartment buildings, duplexes, condos, fire stations, parks, cemeteries, fences, street lights, business blocks, store fronts.

Areas of our built environment: residential neighborhoods, downtowns, main streets, parks, factory/industrial zones, business strips.