Contemporary Practices of Sustainable Urbanism

3 units

This seminar will investigate those contemporary practices of Sustainable Urbanism that exemplify a concern for locality, place, culture, community and authenticity. Sustainable urbanism is understood not as a pre-defined goal or form, but as a contested territory involving socially constructed processes, conflicting values and competing interests that dictate urban change and the consumption of urban space all mediated through the practice of urban design. To this end, different methodological approaches to urban sustainability will be investigated, including LEED ND, ZED Cities, Regenerative Urbanism, The Natural Step, Eco-Urbanity, Resilient and Smart Cities. The research project of the seminar will focus on the Delmar Loop/ Parkview Gardens neighborhood, which was recently awarded a HUD/DOT Sustainable Communities Grant with the intent that the students develop a Sustainable Urban Design Plan and Code for the area. This course will be augmented with presentations by local practitioners of sustainability plans and include an optional site vist to Portland, OR and/or Vancouver, Canada to fully investigate and understand the respective city's implementation of sustainable urbanism. Undergraduate enrollment is allowed by arrangement with the instructor. Fulfills Urban Issues elective requirement. Fulfills MUD Track elective requirement.