Sustainability and Environmental Planning

Catalog description

This course will identify and evaluate the application of planning tools and strategies to enhance sustainability and environmental conditions, and to promote the wise use of natural resources. Students will understand the causes and effects of air, water, and land pollution, and how to evaluate and implement responses to pollution through regulations, financial incentives, infrastructure, and design techniques. Emphasis is on planning to create sustainable communities. The course provides an overview of federal programs for protecting air quality, water quality, and endangered species along with managing climate change, solid waste, toxics, energy, transportation, and remediating brownfields in an overall sustainability framework. State-level, local government, and NGO efforts to protect the environment are also explored as are green infrastructure and green cities.