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Courses

URBS 514: Sustainable Development In Cities (fall)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an academic arena in which to explore issues related to sustainable urban development. The term “sustainable development” is used widely by numerous organizations and many of these organizations use the term differently. In this course, the term “sustainable urban development” is defined as: urban planning and policy approaches that can be used to minimize a city’s impact on the environment while providing urban residents with the infrastructure and services they need to sustain a high quality of urban life (Pinderhughes, 2004). The course focuses on ecologically and socially responsible planning and management of the urban infrastructure and appropriate technologies in five areas: water supply and management, waste minimization and management, energy production and use, transportation, and food systems.

URBS 515/GEOG 667: Environmental Justice: Race. Poverty, and the Urban Environment  (spring)

This course examines: (1) the impact of discrimination and institutional racism on land and place-based policies and practices, environmental decision making, and the right to equal protection from harm, (2) race, class and equity implications of environmental problems and regulation; (3) the concept of “environmental justice” in relation to theory, policy and practice; (4) the emergence of the environmental justice movement, and (5) past and present struggles for environmental justice in cities around the world. Each session is framed by assigned readings and a set of questions designed to guide class discussion.

URBS 530: Alternative Urban Futures (fall, spring, summer)

The purpose of this course is to speculate about the probable and possible future of cities and urban societies. Interest in the challenges cities face as a result of patterns of industrial urban development and increasing social and economic inequality have increased rapidly in recent years and play a major role in discussions about the future of urban areas. In order to systematically examine a wide range of issues that will impact the future of urban areas, this course is organized around two broad themes affecting the future of cities: (1) problems resulting from urban industrial development and (2) solutions to these problems that are within our reach.

URBS 603/604: Internship Seminar (fall and spring)

The internship provides students with an opportunity to gain work experience in their professional area(s) of interest. It is a required core course. The purpose of the internship seminar is to provide students with an opportunity to develop professionally by reflecting upon this work experience; applying what they are learning in the classroom to a professional setting; and developing basic professional skills. 

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