Metropolitan Sustainability

3 units

This seminar will investigate contemporary theory and practice of the design and development of sustainable regions, cities, communities, infrastructures and landscapes. By 2050 three-quarters of the world's population will be living in cities and with cities being the world's largest consumer of resources and a focus of climate change impact, it will be the design of cities that frame the essential theory and practice of sustainability. Consideration will be given to the definition and reasons for the sustainability paradigm; conceptual frameworks for urban sustainability; indicators & measures of sustainability; different sustainability functional categories (water, air, food, energy, transportation, social capital, equity, development patterns & density, etc.); and various approaches to urban sustainability including Regenerative Urbanism, Healthy Cities, Ecological Urbanism, Eco-Urbanity, Resilient Cities, Smart Cities, LEED ND, the Natural Step, ICLEI and ZED Cities.