Course Details

Through classroom and field experiences, examine the social, design, political, and ecological factors in urban systems that promote healthy urban neighborhoods and the integration of urban communities and ecological realities. Use these interactions to gain a deeper awareness of how these systems function in relationship to each other, to social and economic diversity, and to growth management and climate change. Use a Race and Social Justice (RSJ) screen as a key element in evaluating how communities are shaped.

Learning Objectives:
1. To acquire a basic knowledge of the emerging strategies for designing sustainable urban systems and the story of how growth management strategies and urban design philosophies are shaping the new city environment.
2. To deepen awareness of how this impacts diverse communities and how these communities can interact and work together in the urban environment.
3. To understand how planning urban communities can promote social, cultural, and ecological health.
4. To understand the concept of a Race and Social Justice screen, to practice applying an RSJ screen to community development, and to develop critical thinking skills around the concept of using tools such as the RSJ screen to address issues in urban communities.