Description | Syllabi

A revolution has been occurring in the way energy, transportation, and water services are provided and used that goes beyond the boundaries of individual buildings and communities. Cities as we know them have relied upon traditional infrastructure to provide energy, transportation, water, and environmental services. Now, new innovations are emerging that present opportunities to reduce resource demand and address problems of resource scarcity, environmental contamination, and social inequities. These innovations have now become the foundation of not only popular movements but business practices also. Students will obtain the knowledge and skills to evaluate the performance, resource demands and impacts of these innovations relative to one another and to conventional infrastructure. The course will also cover ways to incorporate these new technologies and changes in user behavior in order to plan neighborhoods, communities and regions to conserve energy and water resources, promote environmental protection, and reduce the consequences of service disruptions. Communications and information technology often provide vital links for energy, water and transportation and ways to evaluate their influence on these other services are covered. Methods to balance alternative approaches within planning and policy frameworks are also emphasized. This course covers the evolution of physical elements of cities, the environmental consequences, the social adaptations to these new technologies, and challenges cities now face. Transformations in the development and application of planning standards and protocols to accommodate these new systems will be part of the course of study. The course combines separate streams of thought in the areas of smart growth, greening cities, and alternative energy, transportation and water.

Prerequisites: None.