11.S196
Special Subject: Urban Studies and Planning
For undergraduates wishing to pursue further study or fieldwork in specialized areas of urban studies or city and regional planning not covered in regular subjects of instruction. 11.S198 is graded P/D/F.
Spring 2011 · Global Freshwater Crisis
Topics
- Water for life: Commons, commodity, nature/culture
- Water, history, and culture
- Water resources: The physical system, weather, and climate
- Water power; Field trip 1: Lowell National Historical Park
- China’s Three Gorges Dam Controversy
- Water scarcity
- Field trip 2: Cambridge Water Treatment Plant
- WASH; Pure Home Water (NGO in Ghana)
- Water conflict and cooperation
- Adaptive technologies
- Ecological waterscapes
- Protecting water: Green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and waste stabilization ponds
- Water, food security, and agriculture
- Student presentations; Water visions: The next 50 years
Readings
- Cech, Thomas V. “Historical Perspective of Water Use and Development.” Chapter 1 in Principles of Water Resources: History, Development, Management, and Policy . Wiley, 2002. ISBN: 9780471438618.
- Gordon, David M. “From Sacred Ownership to Colonial Commons: Water Tenure Systems in Central Africa.” Chapter 2 in A History of Water: Volume III: The World of Water . Edited by Terje Tvedt and Terje Oestigaard. I. B. Tauris, 2006, pp. 18–37. ISBN: 9781850434474.
- Worster, Donald. “Water in the Age of Imperialism — and Beyond.” Chapter 1 in A History of Water: Volume III: The World of Water . Edited by Terje Tvedt and Terje Oestigaard. I. B. Tauris, 2006, pp. 5–17. ISBN: 9781850434474.
- Cech, Thomas V. “The Hydrologic Cycle, Climate, and Weather.” Chapter 2 in Principles of Water Resources: History, Development, Management, and Policy . Wiley, 2002. ISBN: 9780471438618.
- Pennington, Karrie Lynn, and Thomas V. Cech. “Water Allocation Law.” Chapter 12 in Introduction to Water Resources and Environmental Issues . Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780521869881.
- Malone, Patrick M. Chapters 1 and 2 in Waterpower in Lowell: Engineering and Industry in Nineteenth-Century America . Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780801893063.
- Pennington, Karrie Lynn, and Thomas V. Cech. “Roles of Federal, Regional, State and Local Water Management Agencies.” Chapter 13 in Introduction to Water Resources and Environmental Issues . Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780521869881.
- Gleick, Peter H. “Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, China.” In The World’s Water 2008–2009 . Island Press, 2008. ISBN: 9781597265058.
- The Big Dam Debate and the Three Gorges Project . Edited by Susan Murcott. Special Issue of Boston Society of Civil Engineers: Civil Engineering Practice 12, no. 1 (1997).
- Economy, Elizabeth C. “The New Politics of the Environment.” Chapter 5 in The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China’s Future . Cornell University Press, 2004. ISBN: 9780801442209.
- Pennington, Karrie Lynn, and Thomas V. Cech. “Dams and Reservoirs.” Chapter 10 in Introduction to Water Resources and Environmental Issues . Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780521869881.
- Palaniappan, Meena, and Peter H. Gleick. “Peak Water.” Chapter 1 in The World’s Water 2008–2009 . Island Press, 2008. ISBN: 9781597265058.
- Carson, Rachel. “A Fable for Tomorrow.” Chapter 1 in Silent Spring . Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. ISBN: 9780618249060.
- ———. “Surface Waters and Underground Seas.” Chapter 4 in Silent Spring . Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. ISBN: 9780618249060.
- Cech, Thomas V. “Water Quality.” Chapter 10 in Principles of Water Resources: History, Development, Management, and Policy . Wiley, 2002. ISBN: 9780471438618.
- Davis, Mackenzie L., and David A. Cornwell. “Water Treatment.” Chapter 4 in Introduction to Environmental Engineering . 4th ed. McGraw Hill, 2006. ISBN: 9780072424119.
- Cooley, Heather. “Water Management in a Changing Climate.” Chapter 3 in The World’s Water 2008-2009 . Edited by Peter H. Gleick. Island Press, 2008. ISBN: 9781597265058.
- Draper, Stephen E., ed. “Water Allocation Strategies.” Section 5 in Sharing Water in Times of Scarcity . American Society of Civil Engineers, 2006. ISBN: 9780784408469.
- Pennington, Karrie Lynn, and Thomas V. Cech. “Watershed Basics.” Chapter 5 in Introduction to Water Resources and Environmental Issues . Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780521869881.
- Ludwig, Art. “Thinking About Water.” Chapter 1 in Water Storage . Oasis Design, 2005. ISBN: 9780964343368.
- ———. “Ways to Store.” Chapter 2 in Water Storage . Oasis Design, 2005. ISBN: 9780964343368.
- Hoekstra, A. Y., and A. K. Capagain. “Water Footprints of Nations: Water Use by People as a Function of Their Consumption Pattern.” In Integrated Assessment of Water Resources and Global Change . Edited by Eric Craswell, Mike Bonnell, et al. Springer, 2007. ISBN: 9781402055904.
- Falkenmark, Malin. “Shifts in Thinking to Address the 21st Century Hunger Gap.” In Integrated Assessment of Water Resources and Global Change . Edited by Eric Craswell, Mike Bonnell, et al. Springer, 2007. ISBN: 9781402055904.
- WEEK #: 14 · TOPICS: Student presentations; Water visions: The next 50 years · READINGS: Postel, Sandra. “In Harmony with Earth’s Water Cycle.” Chapter 21 in The Way We Will Be 50 Years from Today . Edited by Mike Wallace. Thomas Nelson, 2008. ISBN: 9780849903700.
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: None U (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2011
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.