The Edge of Livability: Designing Cities for a Climate-Challenged Future

(3 Credits)

How should rapidly growing societies design, govern, and inhabit coastal cities under intensifying climatic extremes, so that they remain livable, equitable, and ecologically functional? This course uses the UAE as a case study for examining the defining challenge of the 21st century: how rapid urbanization can proceed in places already shaped by environmental constraints. Throughout Abu Dhabi and the wider Emirates, students examine the high-stakes balance between development, ecological limits, infrastructure demands, and climate risk. Targeted seminars are interwoven with guided fieldwork, including natural and urbanized site visits across coastal, terrestrial, and marine settings; inspections of major infrastructure projects; introductory environmental impact assessment (EIA) site surveys; and engagements with local experts and diverse stakeholders. These experiences enable a balanced appraisal of the constraints and opportunities that shape urbanization under challenging environmental conditions. By integrating ecology, urban metabolism, design, and policy, the course develops transferable insights into the future of cities in a warming world.