ENVS 3355 Sustainable Cities
About 4.2 billion people around the world live in cities today, with this figure expected to double by 2050. Improvement of the urban environment is therefore crucial to a sustainable planetary future. In this course, students will examine current best practices for urban sustainability and resilience in areas such as restoration of watershed health, mitigation of air pollution and soil toxicity, management of solid waste, reduction of the urban heat island effect, improvement of mass transit and infrastructure, support of urban agriculture alongside a variety of other environmental justice efforts, and preparation for sea level rise, extreme weather events, and rising temperatures.
Course overview
- Department
- Environmental Studies
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Every Spring
Requirements fulfilled
- Environmental Studies: Concentration — Climate Change and Societal Adaptation: Two Upper-Level Social Sciences or Humanities Courses (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- Environmental Studies: Concentration — Food and Water Sustainability: One Social Science Course (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- International Studies: Concentration: Ethics and Social Justice – approved courses (six courses in one concentration) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.37 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 4.59 / 5 · Excellent
- Terms evaluated
- 7
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Jessica Bolin | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 1–3 hrs/week | 13 of 20 |
| Fall 2025 | Jessica Bolin | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 1–3 hrs/week | 30 of 31 |
| Spring 2025 | Jessica Bolin | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 17 of 19 |
| Fall 2024 | Jessica Bolin | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 1–3 hrs/week | 24 of 29 |
| Spring 2024 | Jessica Bolin | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 1–3 hrs/week | 16 of 19 |
| Fall 2023 | Jessica Bolin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 of 33 |
| Fall 2022 | Jennifer Burns | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 17 of 25 |