LDA 3: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THEORY AND PRACTICE

Room: 198 Young

Units: 4

Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-10:20

Discussion sections at various times on Thursdays and Fridays

DESCRIPTION

This course introduces the concept of sustainable development with emphasis on applications in design, planning, and public policy. We have two main objectives. The first is to understand the sustainability discourse, including its origins, different points of view on it, and applications in a number of topic areas. The second is to develop our ability to identify and pursue sustainable solutions for any context.

The second objective requires improving our sustainability skills. These include:

• thinking holistically and understanding contexts & stakeholders’ perspectives
• thinking long-term in identifying strategies for positive change
• thinking proactively, engaging with others, and taking leadership toward solutions.

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. As a GE visual literacy course LDA 3 includes a number of graphic exercises, but no drawing experience is required. As a GE writing course LDA 3 emphasizes writing skills through a 10-page research paper. Through this paper you are able to explore a sustainability-related topic of your choosing. Plan to meet online with your TA or the instructor to discuss your topic as well as research and writing strategies. Initial section meetings will also help you develop the topic.

Some of us are generalists, integrating knowledge from across many fields, while others are specialists, preferring to concentrate on a targeted area. This course is oriented mainly in the former direction, seeking to give students broad and holistic background useful for real-world problem-solving. We ask specialists to be patient and to practice these integrative skills.

CLASS REQUIREMENTS

• Regular attendance for lecture sessions and sections (attendance taken in sections)
• Complete assigned readings on-time (important for class discussions)
• Walking tour of 3 eco-villages in West Davis (final exam will have a question on this)
• Neighborhood Design Assignment
• Framing Sustainability Exercise
• 10-page double-spaced research paper (proposal+draft+final due and graded separately)
• Final Exam

GRADING

5 percent – 1-page research paper proposal

15 percent – Draft of 10-page research paper

15 percent – Neighborhood design

5 percent – Framing sustainability exercise

25 percent – Final 10-page research paper

25 percent – Final Exam

10 percent – Participation/effort

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

We highly recommend that students familiarize themselves with the Academic Assistance and Tutoring Centers on campus, especially its 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

This year there are two ways to earn bonus points (both must be completed by 6/8/23):

-- Attend a city council meeting (any city; preferably in-person) and write a 2-page double-spaced reflection on some aspect of the meeting. Alternately, you can attend an event or organizational meeting that you wouldn’t otherwise have gone to, and write it up in the same way. (2 points)

-- Present a sustainability example in 3 minutes to the class, identifying innovative aspects of this example, how it came about, and what it might mean for a sustainable future. Include an image or two if possible. This is an opportunity to practice presentation skills. Email the instructor with the proposed example first for feedback & a scheduled time. THIS MUST BE SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT. It can be from a research article, your own experience, or any other source. Can only be done once per student. Slots will probably fill up by the middle of the quarter. (2 points)

PARTICIPATION

We want students to be actively engaged in the class and sections, and 10 percent 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 the instructor during office hours to talk about ways to improve your work (and then incorporating their suggestions!) is another.

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 a simple graphic software package such as Google Draw (other suggestions are provided on an LDA 3 Graphic Tools document under the Files tab in Canvas). 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. The text is The Sustainable Urban Development Reader, Fourth Edition(Routledge, 2023), edited by Stephen M. Wheeler. It is available from the UCD bookstore. Reading other chapters in addition to course readings is strongly recommended. A few additional readings are on Canvas under Files.

One or two short readings will usually be assigned for each class period. These are intended to give you insight into different perspectives related to sustainable development. Read the Editor’s Introduction as well as the text of each reading. Look for key concepts and phrases. Ask yourself questions such as:

• What are this author’s main themes/interests?
• In what historical context were they writing?
• Were they reacting to a particular tradition or situation?
• What is the style of their writing? What are the pros and cons of this style?
• What about their work is most useful to situations today?

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Like everyone else, the 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, and to acknowledge other points of view. He has also tried to include readings by authors from diverse backgrounds, and emphasizes social equity topics throughout the course. He believes that every student is equal, and seeks to respond with respect to all. We want everyone to feel included and like they can participate equally in this class. There is no such thing as a bad question or comment (unless it is one that disrespects your peers). Don’t worry about feeling shy or feeling like your point of view is less valuable because you’re not from a mainstream background or have less experience than others.

OFFICE HOURS

Wed mornings 10-12 in 165 Hunt. You can sign up at https://calendly.com/smwheeler/office-hours-prof-wheeler. If you cannot make this time, email the instructor at smwheeler@ucdavis.edu.

The teaching assistants for LDA 3 are:

NAME	Sections	Office Hours	Location/options	The link to Sign in to Office Hours
Gulnara Nabiyeva gnnabiyeva@ucdavis.edu	1&2	Thursday 1:00 PM -3:00 PM	Hunt Hall 167 or Zoom https://bit.ly/31DLyYw	https://calendly.com/link_gulnara/15min
Kat Bailey katbailey@ucdavis.edu	5 & 6	Fridays 10am-12pm	Zoom  (preferred) or Hunt 237	Email me to reserve a slot by 8pm Thursday (no walk-ins)
Sudikshya Bhandari sabhandari@ucdavis.edu	7 & 8	Fridays 11am-1pm	Zoom or Hart 2305	Email me by 5 pm Thursday if plan to join
Megan Williams	3 & 4	Tuesdays 11am - 1pm	Hunt Hall 167 or Zoom	https://calendly.com/mwilli96/lda3-meeting-with-megan
Allexa Fontanilla	9&10	Monday 12:00 - 14:00	Zoom	by appointment (e-mail)

 

Email them for other times if you can’t make those weekly office hours.

1	Thursday	11:00 AM -11:50 AM	Hunt 168	Gulnara Nabiyeva
2	Thursday	12:00 PM -12:50 PM	Hunt 168	Gulnara Nabiyeva
3	Thursday	11:00 AM -11:50 AM	Hunt 166	Megan Williams
4	Thursday	12:00 PM -12:50 PM	Hunt 166	Megan Williams
5	Friday	1:10 PM - 2:00 PM	Hunt 166	Kat Bailey
6	Friday	2:10 PM – 3:00 PM	Hunt 166	Kat Bailey
7	Friday	09:00 AM – 09:50 AM	Hunt 166	Sudikshya Bhandari
8	Friday	10:00 AM – 10:50 AM	Hunt 166	Sudikshya Bhandari
9	Friday	1:10 PM - 2:00 PM	Wellman Hall 129	Allexa
10	Friday	2:10 PM – 3:00 PM	Wellman Hall 129	Allexa

 

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.

It may be tempting to use AI apps such as ChatGPT to help write your research paper. Please don’t do this. You’ll learn a lot less this way, and will miss a major opportunity to improve your own writing. Although AI is potentially useful to improve sentences, look up synonyms, and perform other limited editing tasks, it can make mistakes, and it’s better if you learn to do these things yourself. AI may also reproduce published material without citation, which opens you to plagiarism charges. The in-person Final Exam for this course will include essay questions that can’t be written with AI, and we’ll have the ability to compare your exam essays at the end of the quarter with your paper to see if the writing styles match. If we find that the paper has been written by AI rather than yourself, we’ll treat it as plagiarism and refer you to Student Judicial Affairs.

CLASS SCHEDULE

	PART 1: SUSTAINABILITY THEORY AND SKILLS
Class 1 Tues 4/4	Course Introduction Defining “sustainability”; challenges and opportunities Exercise: Sustainability skills (thinking holistically, long-term, and proactively)
Class 2 Thurs 4/6   Reading:	History of the sustainability concept Exercise: Sketch design for a development site §  Introduction to Part 1 (pp. 1-5) §  Donella Meadows et al.: “Perspectives, Problems, and Models” (pp. 34-39)
Section #1	Brainstorm research paper topics. What sustainability-related subject would be fun for you to research this quarter? How do you frame a good research question?
Class 3 Tues 4/11 Reading:	Guest Speaker: Heather Sturman, Writing Support Center How can you write a great paper for this class? §  William Zinsser “Principles of Writing” on Canvas (skim pp. 6-45)
Class 4 Thur 4/13     Reading:	Thinking holistically/understanding different perspectives (lecture + videos) Exercise: Role play of different perspectives (Cape Wind) §  Ann Whiston Spirn, “City and Nature” (pp. 46-50) §  Optional podcast: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet/z3h42mz §  William Zinsser, Part 2, “Methods” (skim pp. 49-91)
Section #2	Research Paper Proposal Review: Bring a 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
Class 5 Tues 4/18 Reading:	Thinking Long-Term Exercise analyzing an issue: nuclear power (peer instruction) §  Aldo Leopold: “The Land Ethic” (pp. 14-20) §  Herman Daly: “The Steady-State Economy” (pp. 40-45)
Class 6 Thurs 4/20 Reading:	Thinking proactively Exercise developing solutions: homelessness TA talk: Megan Williams on Measure O in Sacramento §  Annie Leonard, “The Story of Change” (pp. 332-334) §  Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, “Active Hope” (pp. 335-338) 1-PAGE RESEARCH PAPER PROPOSALS DUE THURS 4/20 11:59 PM
Section #3	Cognitive mapping of sustainability issues in a place you grew up. Have blank paper and broad-tip markers available. How might we think long-term, holistically, and proactively about those issues?
Class 7 Tues 4/25	Who can influence action towards sustainability? Guest Speaker: Bapu Vaitla, Davis City Councilmember (invited)
Class 8 Thur 4/27 Reading:	What tools can help guide us toward sustainability? (The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals; Indicators; Ecological Footprints; Carbon Calculators, etc.) Introduce Framing Sustainability Exercise Exercise: Sustainability Indicators §  Review U.N. SDG website at https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ §  M. Wackernagel & W. Rees, “What Is an Ecological Footprint?” (pp. 305-313)
Section #4	Development approval role-play
Class 9 Tues 5/2 Reading	PART 2: PUTTING SUSTAINABILITY INTO PRACTICE How can we respond to the climate crisis? Exercise to be determined §  Bill McKibben, “The End of Nature” (pp. 56-62)\ §  Carbon-Neutral Cities Alliance, “Game Changers” (pp. 83-85) §  Debashish Munji et al., “A Culture-Centered Approach to Climate Adaptation” (pp. 95-99)
Class 10 Thur 5/4 Reading	How can land be used more sustainably? Exercise: Design a sustainable community §  Peter Calthorpe, “The Next American Metropolis” (pp. 117-128) FRAMING SUSTAINABILITY EXERCISE DUE ON CANVAS BY THURS 5/4 11:59 PM
Section #5	Introduce neighborhood design assignment; site analysis discussion in groups
Class 11 Tues 5/9 Reading:	Catch-up: Using land more sustainably How can we get around more sustainably? §  Taryn Fransen, “Reducing emissions: Opportunities in Transport” (103-105) §  John Pucher and Ralph Buehler, “Cycling towards a sustainable transport future” (pp. 111-115)
Class 12 Thur 5/11 Reading:	How can we move toward more sustainable economies? Video: The example of Mondragon In-class debate: Is capitalism sustainable? §  Mark Roseland, “Strengthening Local Economies” (pp. 234-244) DRAFT 10-PAGE PAPER DUE THURS 5/11 11:59 PM
Section #6	Site design exercise
Class 13 Tues 5/16 Reading:	How can we improve social equity? Videos: Camden NJ; e-waste in Africa Discussion: Solutions to social inequity §  Robert Bullard: “People-of-Color Environmentalism” (pp. 63-69) §  Leslie Kern, “Feminist City” (pp. 186-191)
Class 14 Thur 5/18 Reading:	How can buildings become more sustainable? Guest Speaker: Debra Smith, Associate Director, Design and Construction Management §  Paula Melton, “The Urgency of Embodied Carbon” (pp. 247-253) §  U.S. Green Building Council, “LEED 4.1” (pp. 258-260)
Section #7	NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN ASSIGNMENT #3 PRESENTED IN SECTION + DUE ON CANVAS BY THURS 5/18 11:59 PM
Class 15 Tues 5/23 Reading:	How could we have more sustainable and affordable housing? Exercise: Design a sustainable housing unit §  Alan During, “Yes, You Can Build Your Way to Affordable Housing: Lessons from Unexpected Places” (pp. 169-179) §  Dan Parolek, “Missing Middle Housing” (pp. 180-185)
Class 16 Thur 5/25 Reading:	How can we use materials and energy more sustainably? TA Lecture 2: Kat Bailey -- Social Metabolism and Degrowth §  David Miller, “Using Materials Wisely” (pp. 153-159)
Section #8	To be determined
Class 17 Tues 5/30 Reading:	How could we have more sustainable food systems? TA Lecture 3: Allexa Fontanilla - Physical/mental/emotional health + equine therapy Class Debate: Should GMOs be part of a sustainable future? §  Vandana Shiva, “The gendered politics of food” (pp. 276-279)
Class 18 Thurs 6/1 Reading:	How can sustainable development happen in societies internationally? TA Lecture 4: Gulnara - Global Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal #11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)  Videos: Curitiba and other International Examples §  Hanna-Ruth Gustafsson and Elizabeth Kelly, “Developing the sustainable city: Curitiba, Brazil” (pp. 339-348) §  Jacqueline M. Klopp and Jeffrey W. Paller, “How Africa can build inclusive, safe, and sustainable cities” (pp. 361-363) RESEARCH PAPERS DUE TUES 6/1 11:59 PM ON CANVAS
Section #9	Final Exam Review
Class 19 Tues 6/6 Reading:	International Development (2) TA Lecture 4: Sudikshya Bhandari – Cultural Sustainability and Nepal  In-Class Exercise: International development strategies §  Janice E. Perlman with Molly O’Meara Sheehan, ““Fighting Poverty and Environmental Injustice in Cities” (pp. 202-213) §  Guilio Verdini and Li Zhang, “Urban China: The torturous path toward sustainability” (pp. 355-360)
Class 20 Thurs 6/8 Reading:	What can we learn from ecological utopias? Review: What remaining questions do you have about sustainability? §  Ernest Callenbach, selections from Ecotopia (pp. 366-374) §  Ursula LeGuin, “Description of Abbenay” (pp. 375-378) §  Stephen M. Wheeler, “The View from the Twenty-Third Century” (pp. 379-383)
Wed 6/14	FINAL EXAM  8-10 AM (Exam times scheduled by the Registrar)