The course focuses on recognizing & assessing the complex interrelationships between the city & 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, & 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.