LED 003 A01-A08 SQ 2026

SYLLABUS

LED 3: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THEORY AND PRACTICE

Room: Med Sci C 180

Units:         4   

Time:          Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:10-5:30 PM

Discussion sections on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays

 

DESCRIPTION

In the context of the growing climate and sustainability crisis, this course introduces the concept of sustainable development with emphasis on applications in design, planning, and public policy. The objective is to help you understand ways to develop sustainable solutions to real-world problems and make a difference in personal and professional realms. Toward this end, we want to understand the origins of the sustainability concept, different points of view on it, cognitive skills important to sustainability action, and sustainability strategies in various fields.

Key skills that we will emphasize throughout include:

• thinking holistically and understanding contexts, stakeholders, and perspectives
• thinking long-term in identifying strategies for positive change
• thinking proactively to develop solutions and compassionately engage with others

Following a philosophy of “active learning,” LDA 3 combines short lectures with in-class discussions, sketch exercises, role plays, videos, a walking tour of three different ecovillages, and guest speakers. This course satisfied GE requirements for:

American Cultures, Government and History: We discuss how the U.S. and other societies manage land, transportation, the environment, social equity, and many other topics.

Social Sciences: Moving toward sustainability is all about working with complex social issues and figuring out how to get things done in societies.

Writing Experience: LDA 3 emphasizes writing skills through a 10-page research paper with a separately graded proposal and draft. Through this paper you are able to explore a sustainability-related topic of your choosing. Plan to meet with your TA and/or the instructor and mentors to discuss your topic as well as research and writing strategies. Initial section meetings will help you develop your topic.

Visual Literacy: We emphasize use of graphic imagery throughout and include a number of graphic exercises as well as a site design. However, no drawing experience is required.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

-- Improve ability to develop constructive solutions to real-world problems

-- Understand origins of the sustainability concept, theoretical perspectives on it, and applications

-- Improve ability to think holistically, long-term, and proactively about current issues

-- Practice engaging with others and taking leadership within a range of settings

-- Improve writing, research, graphic representation, oral presentation, and site design skills

CLASS REQUIREMENTS

• Regular attendance for lecture sessions and sections
• Complete assigned readings on-time
• Walking tour of 3 eco-villages in West Davis (exam will have an essay question on this)
• Framing sustainability exercise
• Site design assignment (design a new neighborhood)
• 10-page double-spaced research paper (proposal+draft+final due and graded separately)
• Final exam + best 5 of 7 in-class pop quizzes

GRADING

5 percent – Paper proposal (2 pages)

5 percent – Framing sustainability exercise

10 percent – Draft of 10-page research paper

20 percent – Final 10-page research paper

20 percent – Site design

20 percent – Final exam

15 percent – Pop quizzes (best 5 out of 7)

5 percent – Participation/effort

We are happy to accommodate students with disabilities in whatever ways are appropriate. Please email or talk to the instructor to make arrangements.

We recommend that students familiarize themselves with the Academic Assistance and Tutoring Centers on campus, especially the Writing Support Center, which can be very useful for the research paper in this class. A comprehensive list of resources for students is at https://ebeler.faculty.ucdavis.edu/resources/faq-student-resources/.

BONUS POINTS *** THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE!***

There are several ways to earn bonus points (must be completed by 6/1/26; each can be done once per student):

1. Attend a city council or commission meeting (any city; in-person with selfie) and write a 2-page double-spaced reflection on some aspect of the meeting (include selfie). (2 points)
2. Present a sustainability example ESPECIALLY FROM THE DEVELOPING WORLD in 3 minutes to the class, identifying innovative aspects, how it came about, and what it might mean for a sustainable future. Email the instructor first for feedback & a scheduled time. This must be something new and different from what we discuss in class. Try to do this early in the quarter, as we won’t be able to fit in multiple students during the final sessions. (2 points)
3. Attend a political demonstration, take a selfie, and write a 2-page DS reflection (2 points)
4. Undertake a sustainability-related project during the quarter that has a specific goal and achievements, take selfies, and write a 3-page double-spaced reflection. Check with the instructor first (4 points).

PARTICIPATION

We want students to be actively engaged in the class and sections, and 5% of the final grade is Participation. There are multiple ways to show active participation. Attending class and section meetings and contributing to discussions is one. Meeting with your TA or instructor during office hours to talk about ways to improve your work (+ incorporating their suggestions!) is another. Giving good feedback to your peers on their Weekly Reflections is a third.

NEWS/ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EXAMPLES

In this course we try to link class material to real-world events. So at the beginning of each class we’ll have 5-10 minutes to share announcements or current events related to sustainability. Please feel free to speak up during this time, but keep your announcement or comments brief.

GRAPHIC EXERCISES

We will do some graphic exercises (quick drawings of various types) in class and section. No experience is needed. Assignments can be done by hand with markers and paper or with any simple graphic software package. Please bring several colored markers with broad (chisel) tips to classes and sections when graphic exercises are on the schedule.

COURSE MATERIALS

There is no course materials fee for this class. This year the readings will be drawn from Planning for Sustainability in the Time of Populism, Inequality, and Climate Crisis (Third Edition of Planning for Sustainability). A digital version is available through Canvas. One or two chapters will be assigned for most class periods. Read for key concepts and phrases.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Like everyone else, your instructor has a particular background in terms of class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other characteristics. He will do his best to acknowledge the particular biases that those may impart, to acknowledge other points of view, and to emphasize social equity topics throughout the course. He believes that every student is equal, and seeks to respond with respect to all.

OFFICE HOURS

Talk to the instructor as well as your TA about your paper topic or other concerns. Instructor office hours will be Wed 12:30-2:30 in 135 Hunt. You can sign up at https://calendly.com/smwheeler/meeting-with-prof-wheeler. If you cannot make this time, email him at smwheeler@ucdavis.edu and we’ll see if we can find another time. TA office hour times will be announced in class and Canvas announcements.

SECTION TIMES, LOCATIONS, AND TAS

1	Thurs	12:10	168 Hunt	Gulnara	gnnabiyeva@ucdavis.edu
2	Thurs	12:10	166 Hunt	Kevin	Yansong Li yskli@ucdavis.edu
3	Thurs	1:10	168 Hunt	Gulnara	gnnabiyeva@ucdavis.edu
4	Thurs	2:10	168 Hunt	Jared	jasisneroz@ucdavis.edu
5	Fri	9:00	166 Hunt	Farzaneh	sehsanioskooie@ucdavis.edu
6	Fri	10:00	166 Hunt	Farzaneh	sehsanioskooie@ucdavis.edu
7	Fri	11:00	166 Hunt	Kevin	Yansong Li yskli@ucdavis.edu
8	Wed	5:10	7 Wellman	Jared	jasisneroz@ucdavis.edu

Info on TA office hours is at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m-ZXSWFsG6MTFNCOHAAnUyTqgsC04Mdw/edit. 

ACADEMIC HONESTY

In line with U.C. Davis policy, students are expected to maintain high standards of academic honesty. This means that all work that you present as your own must in fact have been done by you, and that all sources must be properly cited. In particular, do not copy material from websites unless for short quotes with citations. Also, do not copy graphics without citation unless they lack citation in the original. We will use plagiarism detectors when grading papers.

There are multiple ways to cite information. APA style is recommended for this course, as it is most common in the social sciences. A reference guide is available on the LDA 3 Canvas site and from https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. If you have questions about citation procedures or academic honesty, please ask the instructor or TAs. Academic dishonesty may lead to failing the course or other more serious measures.

AI apps such as ChatGPT can be useful research tools to provide initial perspective on a topic. But please don’t use AI to write your paper. You’ll learn a lot less this way, and will miss a major opportunity to improve your writing. Also, AI searches are imperfect. They often rely on the most easily available websites and most recent publications rather than the best sources, and don’t give you good citations. At times AI simply makes up both material and citations. AI may also reproduce published material without citation, which opens you to plagiarism charges if you copy the AI material. The TurnItIn plagiarism checker UC Davis uses can identify many AI-written papers. The in-person Final Exam will include hand-written essay questions, and we’ll be able to compare those with your paper to see if the writing styles match. If we find the paper has been written by AI not yourself, we’ll treat it as plagiarism and refer you to Student Judicial Affairs.

CLASS SCHEDULE (be able to define/say something about core terms in red)

	PART 1: SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPTS AND SKILLS
Class 1 Tues 3/31	Class intro Survey: What concerns do you have about the future? The polycrisis Exercise: Brainstorm a sustainability challenge of interest to you + possible solutions
Class 2 Thur 4/2 Reading:	History and definitions of sustainability Exercise: Sketch design for a development site ***BRING MARKERS! §  Planning for Sustainability Chapters 1, 2, and 3
Section #1	Brainstorm research paper topics. What sustainability-related subject would be fun for you to research this quarter? How can you frame a good research question (clear, doable, meaningful) on that topic?
Class 3 Tues 4/7 Reading:	Thinking holistically Role play for practice identifying stakeholders and perspectives: The SunZia Wind Project §  Planning for Sustainability Chapters 4 and 5
Class 4 Thurs 4/9	Thinking long-term Exercise in analyzing an issue: Is nuclear power desirable? (peer learning model)
Section #2	Research Paper Proposal Review: Bring a one-page draft to section with paper title, research question, a paragraph on why this topic is important to sustainability, research method, and a paragraph on expected findings and implications. 1-PAGE RESEARCH PAPER PROPOSAL DUE FRIDAY 4/10 11:59 PM
Class 5 Tues 4/14 Reading:	Thinking proactively Exercise in identifying proactive policy directions: How do we end homelessness? §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapter 6
Class 6 Thurs 4/16 Reading:	Guest Speaker: Carla Fresquez, Engagement Director, UC Davis Sustainability Who can influence action? Naming the players in local communities §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapters 21-26 FRAMING SUSTAINABILITY EXERCISE DUE FRIDAY 4/17 11:59 PM
Section #3	Cognitive mapping of sustainability issues in a place you grew up. How might we think long-term, holistically, and proactively about those issues? BRING MARKERS!
Class 7 Tues 4/21 Reading:	What tools can help guide us toward sustainability? (The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals; Indicators; Ecological Footprints; Carbon Calculators, etc.) Exercise: Brainstorm sustainability indicators for UC Davis §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapter 7
Class 8 Thurs 4/23 Reading:	PART 2: PUTTING SUSTAINABILITY INTO PRACTICE Climate action (mitigation, adaptation, and justice) Exercise and discussion: Should Davis approve the Village Farms development? §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapter 8
Section #4	Development approval role-play DRAFT 10-PAGE PAPER DUE MON 4/27 11:59 PM
Class 9 Tues 4/28 Reading	Using land more sustainably Exercise: Design a sustainable community BRING MARKERS! §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapters 10, 15
Class 10 Thurs 4/30 Reading	Improving social equity Videos: Camden NJ; e-waste in Africa TA Lecture: Gulnara (Environmental Justice in Kazakhstan) §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapter 9
Section #5	Introduce neighborhood design assignment; site analysis discussion in groups
Class 11 Tues 5/5 Reading:	Sustainable buildings Guest Lecture: Malia Curby, Project Manager, Stanford University §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapter 11
Class 12 Thurs 5/7 Reading:	Sustainable and affordable housing Exercise: Design a sustainable and affordable housing unit (BRING MARKERS) §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapter 13
Section #6	Site design exercise
Class 13 Tues 5/12 Reading:	Sustainable transportation TA Lecture: Farzaneh (The Geography of Fear) Planning for Sustainability, Chapter 12
Class 14 Thurs 5/14	How to get things done in the real world Guest Speaker (Katie Valenzuela, former Sacramento City Councilmember)
Section #7	SITE DESIGN ASSIGNMENT PRESENTED IN SECTION + DUE ON CANVAS BY TUES 5/12 11:59 PM
Class 15 Tues 5/19 Reading:	Sustainable economies Video: The example of Mondragon In-class debate: Is capitalism sustainable? §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapter 17
Class 16 Thurs 5/21 Reading:	Using materials and energy sustainably TA Lecture: Kevin (Air Pollution Alleviation Strategies in China) §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapter 14
Section #8	To be determined
Tues 5/26 Reading:	Sustainable food systems Class Debate: Should GMOs be part of a sustainable future? TA Lecture: Jared (Low water-use landscapes) §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapter 16 RESEARCH PAPERS DUE TUES 5/26 11:59 PM ON CANVAS
Class 17 Thurs 5/28 Reading:	Sustainable development internationally (1)  Videos: Curitiba and other International Examples §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapters 19, 20
Class 18 Tues 6/2	Sustainable development internationally (2)
Section #9	Final Exam Review
Class 19 Thurs 6/4 Reading	Finding hope for the future §  Planning for Sustainability, Chapters 18, 27
**Thur 6/11	FINAL EXAM 6:00-8:)0 PM (Final exam times scheduled by the Registrar)