Program Overview

Program Overview

The Sustainability in the Urban Environment program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of environmental policymaking, its processes, and institutions. The program focuses on the development of environmental policy in the United States at the federal, state, and local levels, with an emphasis on sustainability and environmental justice.

Program Objectives

The program aims to:

• Understand the process of environmental policymaking in general, and its cyclical nature
• Show basic familiarity with the regulations and institutions for environmental protection in the United States and in the global arena
• Understand the range of policy instruments, how environmental issues become the subject of policymaking, and factors that affect choices among policymaking strategies
• Appreciate how traditional environmental policymaking is shifting toward new and alternative approaches
• Demonstrate the ability to apply one or more of the analytical tools essential to sound environmental policymaking, such as risk assessment and risk management; benefit/cost analysis; and simulation modeling

Course Requirements

• Attendance is mandatory at all class sessions
• More than 2 unexcused absences will result in automatic failure of the course
• Completion of readings in a timely manner
• Participation in class discussion
• One major research paper and an in-class presentation summarizing the findings of the research
• No final exam

Grading

• Class Participation: 20%
• Team project: 20%
• Weekly posts: 20%
• Final assignment: 40% (presentation and paper: 15 and 25)

Required Reading

• Norman J. Vig and Michael E. Kraft, Environmental Policy: New Directions for the Twenty-First Century (Ninth Edition, 2015)
• Christopher Klyza & David Souza, American Environmental Policy: Beyond Gridlock (2013)

Course Outline

The course is divided into three parts:

Part 1 - Frameworks

• Class 1: Introductions, The “Three Epochs” of American Environmental Policymaking, Policy, law, regulation, Sustainability and environmental policy
• Class 2: The alternative path, US Federal Environmental Policy -- processes and institutions, The role of states and localities
• Class 3: Air/Water/Waste -- team projects, NEPA as a “sustainability statute”
• Class 4: Key global policy frameworks, Team meetings
• Class 5: Air, Water, Waste -- Student presentations by teams, Key local policy frameworks -- PlaNYC and OneCity

Part 2 - Mechanisms

• Class 6: Ecosystem services, Sustainable Communities, A framework for resilient cities
• Class 7: Risk assessment/risk management, Information-based approaches, Analyzing regulatory costs and benefits
• Class 8: Stakeholder engagement and collaborative governance, Economic incentives and market-based approaches

Part 3 - Special topics in environmental policymaking

• Class 9: The Challenge of Climate Adaptation, Superstorm Sandy response
• Class 10: Urban Ecosystems, Green Infrastructure
• Class 11: Corporate sustainability and policy, Financial sector and ESG metrics
• Class 12: Public-private partnerships, Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Class 13: Individual and household level policy
• Class 14: The holiday festival of student presentations

Final Paper

• The research paper is the linchpin of the course
• It is the bridge between the concepts and principles introduced in the readings and lectures and the student’s own academic interests or professional goals
• Wide latitude is given to the student in the choice of topic, representing a unique opportunity for independent study
• Instructor approval is required in framing the topic to ensure relevance to the environmental policymaking course objectives
• The key is to demonstrate in both a short class presentation and in a final deliverable that the policy frameworks and regulatory examples presented in the course have been effectively applied to the student’s selected area of interest

Team Exercise

• A two-week team exercise in which the students will split into working groups
• The goal of the team exercise is for each group to thoroughly understand one of the primary federal environmental regulatory programs – air/water/waste -- and then to convey that knowledge to the other teams

Weekly Posts

• In advance of each weekly class session, please prepare a short post related to a specific segment of the assigned reading for the week
• The post should be 2-3 short paragraphs, similar to what might be found on a blog
• The post should be something more than a summary or synopsis – interpretation, analysis or critique – perspectives or reactions to the reading

Academic Integrity

• Read the posted CCNY memorandum on ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
• All assignments must be your original work, including any posts, presentations, powerpoint and research papers
• Cite all sources, using footnotes or endnotes, and include a bibliography of all references
• Be consistent in using a citation format, e.g., Chicago Style or other accepted format

Final Submission

• Final papers must be submitted at least one week before grades are due
• TBA