Sustainable Cities of Northern Europe
Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, and Germany
June 29 - August 2, 2008

Class Size: 18 - 28

This program is now full.

This course examines principles of sustainability as they apply to urban areas. We will explore several cities within four northern European countries (Stockholm and Malmo, Sweden; Odense and Copenhagen, Denmark; Amsterdam and Utrecht, Netherlands; and Freiburg, Germany). Each is widely recognized for their efforts to become more sustainable. We will explore innovations such as: compact, mixed use, transit-(and pedestrian) oriented planning; high quality urban design for walkable cities, car-free developments, urban waterfront and brownfield development, bicycle friendly urbanism, alternative housing models, alternative energy sources and energy efficiency, recycling, reuse and  reduction in solid waste, innovations in heating and cooling at the district scale, water conservation and reuse, rain water harvesting, storm water management, natural areas restoration and preservation as part of the urban fabric, and similar topics that require a policy, planning and design response.  Students will learn sustainable measures; to quickly “read” cities and recognize how they function; gain insights into how European communities have embraced sustainable concepts; and gain insights into how to translate these lessons to U.S. cities.  In each community, we will: (1) Take a walking (and/or biking) tour of key parts of the city; (2) Take specialized tours of innovative places and neighborhoods, often by testing local public transit convenience; (3) Learn from local officials and scholars about the country, region or community’s efforts; and (4) complete a series of hands on field exercises in urban design and sustainable planning.  Students will keep an active journal and photo-diary; and develop two short papers on a sustainability topic of the st4udent’s choice.  We will also take some “side trips” to places like Strassbourg, France and Leiden, Netherlands.