Environmental Policy and the City

Catalog description

Urban environmental policy making must be grounded in an understanding of scientific data, describing how climate change, biodiversity and habitat change lead to extreme weather conditions, impacting housing and food security, transportation and human ecosystem health. In reverse, scientists can only translate their findings into policy if they have a greater understanding of the political process, the role of local stakeholders, the United Nations, NGOs and the private sector. This dialogue between scientists and policy actors is particularly needed and critical today, especially in large urban centers. Yet this requires a multidisciplinary and common language.This study abroad, project-based course addresses this dialogue and language gap in two metropolitan areas highly impacted by anthropogenic environmental change: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and New York City, USA. The course brings together students, faculty and experts from different academic and scientific backgrounds into a dialogue with stakeholder communities in the two cities to share ideas and concerns regarding the consequences of global environmental change for those who depend on, live or work in large metropolitan centers. Participants will learn from each other to create policies that would seek solutions that mitigate crises, comparing the two cities and stakeholder communities. The study abroad trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will take place during the month of July.