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Course Goals

Discussions of urban ecology and the management of many public spaces today include the concepts of "green infrastructure." This concept embraces an interconnected network of managed land and water that supports native and other species, maintains natural ecological processes, sustains air and water resources and contributes to the health and quality of life for America's communities and people. It may be remnants of pre-urbanization or constructed nature. It seeks to understand the meaning of nature to people. In this class students will begin to develop the ability to understand and contribute to the expansion of green infrastructure, as well as learn about the many professions available in developing, managing, and understanding urban nature.

Course Objectives

• Understand the diverse functions and benefits provided by nature and ecology and in urban landscapes.
• Understand the processes and drivers that influence landscape change from wildland and rural landscapes to urban conditions.
• Explore the social, economic and environmental dynamics of urban landscapes and the natural processes within them.
• Consider how planning and management are applied to sustain urban nature, including the contributions of diverse stakeholders.
• Develop critical analysis and documentation skills and abilities that are important for natural resource careers.

Course Content

We will investigate different aspects of urban nature, the relationship of nature to humans, and the design and management of nature (including green infrastructure approaches) each week through lectures, readings, studios/field trips, and active classroom discussion. Each week's activities will provide insight into the causes and consequences of a number of issues, explore management approaches, and analyze those approaches.

Specific Skills to be acquired from the Course:

• Develop problem solving skills
• Use problem-based approaches to develop contextual learning.
• Work as a member/leader in a team
• Acquire appropriate concepts, skills and vocabulary to be conversant in issues of urban and urbanizing environments and their management.
• Develop a mastery of key principles and concepts in the biological, physical and social sciences.
• Acquire sense that a site has attributes, a context, a whole bunch of stories and an owner. The owner, with an array of social, physical, and biological restrictions and opportunities, alters and manages these attributes to varying degrees for some desired outcome.