Professor:David Grohmann - Ph.D.
Professor:Viviana Lorenzo - M.Arch.
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This is most recent syllabus. Your final syllabus will be given during your first day of class
This course is crosslisted with SOC 355 and ENV 355.
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
-Jane Jacobs, Death and Life of Great American Cities (1963)
Course Description
Modern cities are often cited as major contributors to climate change and environmental degradation. However, they can also be at the forefront of sustainable development. This class focuses on the overall goals of sustainable urban planning and the systems and subsystems that are inherently a part of it, including transportation, food and water supply, energy production and consumption, and waste management. We will study the principles that inform sustainable urban planning while delving into the social, economic, and political challenges often faced by those who promote it. Our perspective will be both global and local as we use Perugia as a case study for thinking about the broad issues faced by urban planners who promote sustainability on an international scale.
We will engage with a number of local partners, analyze various case studies, and pursue a team project that will allow you to apply what you have learned towards developing concrete strategies for supporting and implementing urban sustainability. All students can bring their individual perspectives and expertise to the shared goal of developing urban development plans that promote sustainability in Perugia and that can be applied internationally.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- identify key terms, concepts, and principles related to sustainability in urban environments;
- explain how current debates about urban sustainability are impacted by local, national, and international politics and economies;
- analyze case studies for their effectiveness in implementing policies, technologies, and financial models that support urban sustainability;
- evaluate political, economic, or social interventions aimed at enhancing urban sustainability;
- utilize experiential learning activities to identify concrete strategies for supporting urban sustainability.
