Urban Sustainability

Urban Gardening in raised bed – herbs and salad breeding upbringing

The Urban Sustainability concentration provides the basis for a holistic understanding of cities through the lens of environmental and social sustainability.

By combining coursework in urban studies, history, sociology, and design with the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), students in the Urban Sustainability concentration are exposed to both the environmental and infrastructural aspects of cities, as well as issues of human development, urban societies, public policy, and social equity. Students in the concentration acquire a foundation in sustainability concepts and skills for research and professional practices. The Urban Sustainability concentration helps prepare students to serve as social change agents in future roles as scholars, urban planners, designers, entrepreneurs, public servants, and advocates to address the most pressing issues of urban development and its human impacts in cities around the world.

Advising

Special Programs and Opportunities

Students in the Urban Sustainability concentration may be interested in the Schneider Sustainable Energy Fellowships, which places students in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to support sustainable energy development. Students interested in pursuing graduate studies may consider the Coterminal M.A./M.S. degree program in Earth Systems.

Required Course

  • EARTHSYS 112 Human Society and Environmental Change (4 units)         

Courses

Students must select at least one course from each of the following categories:

  1. environmental sustainability,
  2. social sustainability, and
  3. project-based courses.  

Courses in the concentration (including the required course and additional courses) must total at least 20 units. Please consult with your advisor to select a program of courses that suits your intellectual and personal goals.

If a course has not already been approved for a concentration, you may petition to count it by submitting this form to your advisor. 

Environmental Sustainability
Title
Instructor
Quarter
Day, Time

Charles, P. (TA)
Jacobson, M. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Tuesday Thursday
12:00 PM
1:20 PM

Fischer, M. (PI)
Aluko, S. (TA)
Nayak, A. (TA)

2022 - 2023
Autumn

Monday Wednesday Friday
9:30 AM
10:50 AM

Woodward, J. (PI)
Gragg, D. (PI)
Stasio, K. (PI)
Jibodu, A. (TA)
Morelli, C. (TA)
Charles, P. (TA)

2022 - 2023
Autumn

Monday Wednesday Friday
10:30 AM
11:50 AM

Woodward, J. (PI)
Gragg, D. (PI)
Stasio, K. (PI)
Morelli, C. (TA)
Underwood, S. (TA)
Withers, S. (TA)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Monday Wednesday Friday
10:30 AM
11:50 AM

Kopperud, R. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Monday Wednesday Friday
3:30 PM
4:20 PM

Douglas, K. (PI)
Sambor, D. (PI)
Kilpatrick, C. (TA)
Krishnan Paranjothi, U. (TA)
Zheng, Y. (TA)

2022 - 2023
Autumn

Monday Wednesday Friday
3:30 PM
4:20 PM

Douglas, K. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Summer

Monday Wednesday Friday
1:30 PM
2:20 PM

Jain, R. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM
11:50 AM

Nevle, R. (PI)
Salvador, B. (TA)
Khalid, A. (TA)
Assa, G. (TA)
Hodder, B. (TA)
Suresh, V. (TA)
Cole, E. (TA)
Evers, A. (TA)
Foster, A. (TA)
Romo, B. (TA)
Arrigo, K. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Autumn

Monday Wednesday Friday
9:30 AM
10:20 AM

Boyd, Z. (TA)
Maruniak, A. (TA)
Mendillo, J. (TA)
Durlofsky, L. (PI)
Azevedo, I. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Monday Wednesday Friday
1:30 PM
2:20 PM

Archie, P. (PI)
Assa, G. (TA)
Matta, J. (TA)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Wednesday
1:30 PM
4:20 PM

Archie, P. (PI)
Assa, G. (TA)
Matta, J. (TA)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Wednesday
1:30 PM
4:20 PM

Thurber, M. (PI)
Wolak, F. (PI)
MaCurdy, T. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Monday Wednesday
11:30 AM
1:20 PM

Goulder, L. (PI)
Kissel, H. (GP)
Young, J. (GP)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Tuesday Thursday
9:30 AM
11:20 AM

Kopperud, R. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Monday Wednesday Friday
1:30 PM
2:20 PM

Lambin, E. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Correa, G. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Summer

Liccardo, S. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Monday Wednesday
2:15 PM
3:45 PM
Social Sustainability
Title
Instructor
Quarter
Day, Time

Choe, B. (PI)
Tuttle, G. (GP)

2022 - 2023
Autumn

Friday
10:30 AM
12:20 PM

Mount, D. (PI)
Frehsee, C. (PI)
Lee, S. (TA)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Friday
12:30 PM
1:20 PM

Diver, S. (PI)
Supandi, L. (TA)
Luo, C. (TA)
Carrera Zamanillo, M. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Autumn

Monday
11:30 AM
1:20 PM

Shumba, T. (PI)
Bruce, J. (PI)
Lee, M. (TA)
Floyd, B. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Wednesday
1:30 PM
4:20 PM

Perez Henriquez, B. (PI)
Li, K. (TA)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
11:30 AM
1:20 PM

SINY 122

Miller, R. (GP)
Russell, J. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Autumn

Grusky, D. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
3:00 PM
4:20 PM

LeSar, J. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Wednesday
10:30 AM
1:20 PM

Diver, S. (PI)
Toweh, J. (SI)
Rodriguez, K. (SI)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
1:30 PM
2:50 PM

Diver, S. (PI)
Gupta, A. (SI)
Fu, O. (SI)
Nayak, A. (SI)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Friday
9:30 AM
12:20 PM

Diver, S. (PI)
Supandi, L. (TA)
Carrera Zamanillo, M. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Autumn

Wednesday
11:30 AM
1:20 PM

Hwang, J. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Winter

Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM
11:50 AM

Mancini, A. (TA)
Rich, D. (PI)
von Borck, J. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
1:30 PM
2:50 PM
Project-Based Courses
Title
Instructor
Quarter
Day, Time

2022 - 2023
Spring

2022 - 2023
Autumn

2022 - 2023
Summer

2022 - 2023
Winter

Rich, D. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM
11:50 AM

Kos, R. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Monday
9:30 AM
12:20 PM

Glanz, D. (PI)

2022 - 2023
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
12:00 PM
2:50 PM

Sample Course Plans

The inclusion of a range of sustainability-relevant skills and focus courses – e.g. policy, engineering, environmental science, urban history – offers the opportunity for each student to tailor the cumulative learning process to their own interests. A couple of few sample course plans are listed below. Please consult with an advisor to discuss potential course plans.