NoLa - The Lay of the Land

Catalog description

This course explores the geography of New Orleans and coastal Louisiana, with a focus on forces that created and threaten the river delta on which the city sits. The course examines the levee system, climate change, sea level rise, industrial impacts to coastal wetlands, along with measures to promote a resilient city in the face of environmental and other threats. The course will also explore these issues in the context of social equity and environmental justice. Students will hear from a coastal specialist, learn about the city’s resiliency efforts, visit areas of the city that experienced the most devastation following hurricane Katrina, and tour a levee adjacent to a cypress swamp.