Stony Brook University

SUS 200                   Human Settlements – History and Future
Description: This course will introduce students to the concept of “the city” and help you understand how and why human beings have become increasingly urbanized over the last 10,000 years. More than half of the world’spopulation currently lives in cities and urbanization continues on a global scale. This has many positive implications and presents many challenges, and we will discuss those, as well as the role of urban planning in the process of urbanization and human development. The course will be taught using a mix of teaching and learning styles and will require active and engaged participation.

SUS 350                    Special Topics in Sustainability, Resilient Communities
Description: As population and investment increase in hazard-prone areas across the world, risks and vulnerability are increasing as well. Responding to increased risk and vulnerability involves enhancing resilience or our ability to withstand major shocks without long-term, debilitating physical, social, or economic damage. Resilience as a process can be embodied by communities who proactively prepare for, absorb, recover from, and adapt to actual or potential future adverse events, instead of bearing repeated damage and continuously demand for federal disaster assistance. This course explores the idea of resilience as an outcome and as a process from different perspectives and in different contexts. We will first study resilience through the lens sociopolitical ecology of risk and vulnerability. Then we will explore resilience in the face of natural, social and economic instabilities or shocks. Finally, we will discuss long term risk management, governance models, policies and politics involved in making our communities more resilient.
Policy makers, designers, engineers, and planners frequently focus on the impact that human settlement patterns, land use decisions, and risky technologies can have on exposing vulnerable populations to risks. However, to ensure safety and promote equity, we also must be familiar with the social and political dynamics that are present at each stage of the disaster management cycle. Through discussion of the relevant literature and various case studies this course will provide students with an understanding of the breadth of factors that give rise to disaster vulnerability and perspectives and strategies that are designed to advance resilience.

EDP 302                  Sustainable Planning and Development
Description: The functional dynamics underlying the development and planning for structures and facilities in urban regions are presented including their cities, suburbs, exurbs and recreational satellite communities. The course will cover the interaction of real estate economics, politics and good planning practice as they affect residential, commercial, educational, cultural and industrial sites. [Stony Brook Course Catalog] – Prerequisite: EDP 301

Iowa State University

CRP293                    Environmental Planning (Undergraduate)

SUSE550                  Making Resilient Environment (Graduate)

CRP484/584             Sustainable Communities (Undergraduate)

CRP301                    Planning Methods Studio (Undergraduate)

Texas A&M University

URPN210                 Urban Analytical Methods (Graduate)