Environmental Planning

Catalog description

This course provides an overview of the physical environment of the New York City metropolitan region including geology, soils, surface water, dominant weather systems, the changing climate, plant communities, wildlife habitat, and regional design style trends. The region serves as a case study site for multi-layered analysis. Each student prepares a col-loquium presentation (short paper and slides) on a particular aspect of New York City regional ecology, design, local material, or historical fea-ture. Presentations are compiled into a web format for future reference. The examination of the underlying environmental systems of New York City and the evolution of infrastructure in the city provides a case study for exploring the interplay of society, culture, and environment in sus-tainable design practice.