Our newly published list of 110 IB Geography Extended Essay research questions, grouped by IB EE tutors into five categories:

• ✅ 25 Simple but Interesting
• ✅ 25 Unique and Not Overused
• ✅ 25 Complex and Challenging
• ✅ 25 Current and Up-to-Date
• ✅ 10 Fun and Unusual

Each question follows IB EE guidelines: it is focused, spatially anchored, and allows for geographical investigation, ideally using primary and/or secondary data, maps, fieldwork, GIS, or statistical analysis.

🟩 25 Simple but Interesting Geography Extended Essay Topics

(accessible fieldwork-based questions with clear local application)

1. To what extent does pedestrian footfall vary by time of day in the central business district of [City]?
2. How does land use change with increasing distance from the city center in [City]?
3. To what extent does traffic congestion correlate with air quality along [Road Name]?
4. How does housing quality vary across socioeconomic neighborhoods in [City]?
5. To what extent do street trees affect temperature differences in shaded vs. unshaded areas in [Park or Street]?
6. How does beach profile change along a managed vs. unmanaged stretch of coastline?
7. To what extent does public transport accessibility vary across different urban zones in [City]?
8. How does retail diversity vary across high- and low-income areas in [City]?
9. How do slope angle and aspect affect soil moisture content on [Local Hill]?
10. To what extent does tourism affect litter accumulation on [Beach Name]?
11. How does pedestrian accessibility vary around schools in [City]?
12. To what extent does the provision of green space correlate with population density in [City or Borough]?
13. How does land use vary along a rural-to-urban transect in [Area]?
14. To what extent does the quality of urban park facilities affect visitor numbers in [City]?
15. How does the flood risk vary along the [River Name] within [Town]?
16. To what extent does distance from the coast affect property values in [Coastal Town]?
17. How does traffic noise pollution vary across residential and commercial zones in [City]?
18. How does public perception of safety vary across different public spaces in [City]?
19. To what extent do microclimates exist within a small urban park?
20. How does waste disposal practice differ in formal and informal settlements in [City]?
21. How does pedestrian behavior vary in a shared space vs. traditional intersection design?
22. How does graffiti distribution reflect urban regeneration patterns in [City]?
23. How does river discharge vary before and after urbanization in [River Basin]?
24. To what extent does bus stop quality influence ridership patterns in [City District]?
25. How does air pollution vary between weekdays and weekends in [Specific Area]?

🟦 25 Unique and Not Overused Geography EE Questions

(creative, rare case studies, or new thematic twists)

26. How does noise mapping reflect environmental justice across neighborhoods in [City]?
27. To what extent does green gentrification displace low-income residents in [Urban Area]?
28. How does rooftop farming contribute to food security in high-density urban neighborhoods?
29. How does tourism impact coral health in two snorkeling sites in [Country]?
30. How do perceptions of “place identity” vary between long-term and recent residents of a gentrifying neighborhood?
31. How does gender influence perceptions of public transport safety in [City]?
32. How does informal recycling shape the urban economy in [City in Global South]?
33. To what extent does the spatial distribution of charging stations affect electric vehicle uptake in [City]?
34. How has Airbnb transformed the cultural landscape of [Tourist City District]?
35. To what extent does agricultural land use change affect river turbidity in [Watershed Name]?
36. How do climate-smart villages manage drought risk in [Developing Country]?
37. To what extent does the accessibility of menstrual hygiene products vary across schools in [Region]?
38. How has rewilding changed biodiversity patterns in an urban fringe area of [City]?
39. To what extent has rural depopulation reshaped community services in [Region Name]?
40. How does place marketing influence tourist flows in post-industrial towns in [Country]?
41. To what extent does mining activity influence water security in [Region]?
42. How does land use planning influence flood resilience in informal settlements in [City]?
43. To what extent does renewable energy infrastructure impact migratory bird behavior in [Region]?
44. How does the location of religious institutions shape ethnic spatial clustering in [Multicultural City]?
45. How does the COVID-19 pandemic affect public space usage in central vs. suburban areas in [City]?
46. How do highway developments affect rural access to healthcare in [Region]?
47. How does access to broadband internet correlate with economic opportunity in [Rural Area]?
48. To what extent do climate migrants influence housing pressure in [Urban Region]?
49. How does satellite imagery reveal urban heat island intensity in [City]?
50. How do informal transport networks support economic activity in [Developing Country]?

🟥 25 Complex and Challenging Questions for IB Geography EE

(advanced spatial analysis, theories, models, or big datasets)

51. To what extent does land-use zoning align with actual land use in [City], using GIS?
52. How does the Burgess model apply to urban structure in a rapidly urbanizing Global South city?
53. How does river channel morphology vary in relation to sediment size and discharge in [River Basin]?
54. To what extent does globalization influence spatial patterns of cultural homogenization in [City]?
55. How do differences in government flood response strategies impact recovery rates in two flood-prone towns?
56. To what extent do remittance flows reshape development patterns in rural [Country]?
57. How do topography and climate interact to influence settlement patterns in [Mountain Region]?
58. To what extent does the urban heat island effect correlate with land cover change over time in [City]?
59. How does retail gravity theory explain shopper flow to malls in [City]?
60. To what extent does spatial analysis of vegetation indices (NDVI) reveal urban ecological degradation?
61. How does the core-periphery model explain interregional inequality in [Country]?
62. How does urban sprawl affect biodiversity corridors in peri-urban areas of [City]?
63. To what extent does accessibility modeling reflect real-world public transport equity in [City]?
64. How do variations in precipitation and slope gradient influence soil erosion risk in [Region]?
65. To what extent does the presence of a protected area reduce deforestation rates in buffer zones?
66. How does vertical urbanization impact land use efficiency in high-density areas of [City]?
67. To what extent does river discharge variability correlate with El Niño/La Niña events in [Region]?
68. How does population density affect carbon emissions per capita in contrasting urban zones of [City]?
69. How does the Lorenz curve demonstrate environmental inequality in [City]?
70. To what extent does international trade policy affect spatial distribution of port development?
71. How does sea-level rise modeling affect urban planning decisions in coastal [City]?
72. To what extent does urban morphology affect the spread of vector-borne diseases?
73. How do political boundaries affect the management of shared watersheds in [Region]?
74. How do transport geographies explain differences in economic growth corridors in [Country]?
75. To what extent do GIS-based hazard maps improve resilience planning in flood-prone [Region]?

🟨 25 IB Geography EE – Current and Up-to-Date Questions

(related to climate change, sustainability, urban change, recent events)

76. How have changing climate patterns affected agricultural productivity in [Region] since 2000?
77. To what extent has the 2023 earthquake affected long-term land use planning in [Country]?
78. How has the implementation of a low-emission zone affected traffic congestion in [City]?
79. To what extent has remote work reshaped residential demand in suburban vs. urban neighborhoods post-COVID-19?
80. How has solar panel adoption changed land cover in rural [Region]?
81. To what extent has the 2022 drought in Europe affected hydropower generation in [Country]?
82. How has the growth of the circular economy influenced waste management in [City]?
83. How do climate mitigation policies affect urban green space accessibility in [City]?
84. How has coastal erosion in the past 10 years affected infrastructure along [Coastline]?
85. How has the tourism industry’s recovery from COVID-19 reshaped land use in [City]?
86. How has the 2023 wildfire season changed forest policy in [Country or Region]?
87. How does electric vehicle infrastructure expansion affect gasoline station density in [Urban Area]?
88. How has the introduction of smart city technologies changed traffic flow in [City]?
89. How has the closure of coal mines affected socio-economic geography in [Town]?
90. How has glacier retreat impacted seasonal water flow in [Mountain Region]?
91. How has the pandemic influenced spatial patterns of food delivery services in [City]?
92. How does the 15-minute city concept change urban planning in [Urban District]?
93. How does housing affordability vary spatially in response to inflation in [City]?
94. How does climate vulnerability influence disaster preparedness across different social groups in [Region]?
95. How does extreme heat affect urban labor productivity in [City]?
96. To what extent does ESG investment reshape industrial location in [Region]?
97. How does sea wall construction affect beach erosion trends in [Coastal Area]?
98. How has renewable energy development affected land conflict in [Region]?
99. How do new free trade zones influence logistics corridors in [Country]?
100. How has satellite imagery been used to track land cover change after forest fires in [Region]?

🟪 10 Fun and Unusual Questions for Your Geography Extended Essay

(quirky, creative, and geographically valid)

101. How does Pokémon GO player movement data reflect spatial interaction in [City]?
102. To what extent do local ghost tours reflect spatial storytelling of historical geography?
103. How does festival crowd movement reshape public space usage during [Event]?
104. To what extent does graffiti distribution reflect territoriality and place identity in urban subcultures?
105. How do skateparks reflect socio-spatial inclusion in urban planning?
106. How does the location of bubble tea shops reflect teenage consumer geographies?
107. To what extent does urban parkour practice reflect engagement with architectural space?
108. How does cosplay event tourism influence short-term land use in [City or Convention Venue]?
109. How do rooftop bars reflect the vertical transformation of urban leisure geographies?
110. To what extent do local urban legends reflect spatial fears and socio-historical boundaries?