ENV 645a () / 2023-2024

Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability

Credits: 3 Fall 2023: Tu, 1:00-3:50, 380 Edwards

Urbanization and associated changes in human activities on the land (land use) and in the physical attributes of Earth’s surface (land cover) have profound environmental consequences.  Aggregated globally, these effects constitute some of the most significant human impacts on the functioning of Earth as a system.  This class examines the interactions and relationships between urbanization and global change at local, regional, and global scales with an emphasis on the biophysical aspects of urbanization. Topics include urbanization in the context of global land use change, habitat and biodiversity loss, modification of surface energy balance and the urban heat island, climate change and impacts on urban areas, urban biogeochemistry, and urbanization as a component of sustainability. Emphasis is on management of urban areas worldwide or at national scales for planetary sustainability.