Curriculum

Case studies in sustainable urban design. Survey and assessment of innovations in community design and building. Examples from the late nineteenth century to contemporary practice illuminate environmental, social, and economic goals and impacts in urban design.

This course introduces students to the relationships between climate, resiliency, architecture and urbanism; building awareness of the growing challenges and opportunities ahead, and the intersections between these disciplines. What does resilience mean in the broader context, and how should escalating stressors and shocks be addressed? Students learn about climate sciences, then research, document, and analyze evolving resilient design strategies, at the scale of buildings, neigborhoods and cities, in the end, applying those lessons to a given case study site; developing a holistic set of resilient design recommendations. During the course, students interact with specialists in the fields of architecture and urban design, as well as related fields, such as engineering, social, marine and environmental sciences, and/or policymakers, to better comprehend first-hand the interwoven scientific, social environmental, and governmental ramifications to resilient design. Lastly, students learn the mechanics of participatory design methods employed to engage communities in related efforts.

The emerging field of urban sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective. This course presents major theories and methodologies in sustainable urbanism, especially in terms of urban resilience, economic inequality, urban ecology, and environmental justice.

Identification of and responses to urban problems in large cities in European and Latin American metropolitan areas. Emphasis is on demographic, cultural/ethnic, service-provision, environmental, transportation, and land-use problems. Approach is via case studies, theory applications, and planning practicalities.