GEOG 251New York State Geography

Catalog

Examines the human and physical geographies of New York State through the historical and social processes that have shaped its everyday landscapes. This included the roles of settler colonialism, infrastructure development, resource extraction, agriculture, industrialization and deindustrialization, urban and suburban transformation, and regional economic change. The course traces the emergence of the "Empire State" through interactions among capitalism, science and engineering, environmental thought, and cultural production, linking global and local dynamics across the upstate and downstate regions. Students analyze how ideas of nature, landscape, and regional identity have evolved over time and complete a landscape or regional analysis project. 4 credits.