2012-2013 Academic Catalog

Apr 27, 2024

2012-2013 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

ID 200 - Harshscapes: Visioning Sustainable Futures

This course will be jointly taught with the American University of Beirut, linking together two groups of students/classrooms/field sites. The goal is to train students to begin to answer the provocative question: What does a more sustainable future look like for my site/community, and how do we get there from here? One half of the answer involves technical innovation: collaboration among disciplines from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences (with Environmental Science and Landscape Design as cornerstones). The other half involves social and political innovation: collaboration among diverse social groups who represent affected communities, public agencies, businesses, schools, and colleges (with Anthropology as a cornerstone). Lectures injected with vibrant dialog will provide a common platform and foundational knowledge for jumping off into student projects. Students will also work in groups in the weekly classroom sessions to craft their group projects with instructors as guides. Groups of 4-6 students will choose a site/community of focus in Lebanon or central Massachusetts and assemble a creative answer to the basis sustainability question for that setting. The main product will be a series of sustainable vision blueprints/plans that will be compiled into a joint publication.