The course focuses on recognizing and assessing the complex interrelationships between the city and its environment. The central problem is the alienation of urban residents from their surrounding environments. Different frameworks for integrative analysis of human-environment relationships are used–from human ecology to geography to resilience. The intent is to re-conceptualize the city in ways that make these phenomena explicit, and to communicate this to multiple publics. Students will also learn to conduct a quick sustainability assessment of a local neighborhood and develop a communication plan for it.
