Urban Ecology

Catalog description

This course examines urban ecology as the evolving relationship between people and the environments they create, informed by systems thinking, ecological flows, and cultural values. Rejecting a binary distinction between built and natural worlds, the course frames the city as a dynamic, living system shaped by feedback loops and adaptation. Students will be trained to perceive spatial patterns and the underlying processes that generate them, developing the ability to work with uncertainty, across scales, and through transitions. We will examine domestic and international contexts to find commonalities and distinctions between cultures and environments. Open to students from all disciplines, the course integrates foundational theory with applied methods, including remote sensing analysis, causal loop diagrams, social dilemma models, and scenario planning. Through case studies drawn from design, planning, ecology, public health, and policy, students will explore how interdisciplinary perspectives enhance our capacity to address complex environmental and social challenges. Drawing from urban design, planning, ecology, engineering, public health, and the social sciences, the course equips students with skills to navigate uncertainty and complexity to shape transitions toward more resilient urban futures. Course Website: http://soa.cmu.edu