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)

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Official evaluation summary

4.37 / 5

Based on 146 aggregate responses from BC Avalanche/Blue evaluations.

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-08-02. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Jessica Bolin
    Fall 2026, Spring 2026, Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 · Official rating 4.71/5
  • Jennifer Burns
    Fall 2022 · Official rating 3.76/5

Sections

  • Section 01
    Fall 2026 · Jessica Bolin · Devlin Hall 117 TuTh 12:00 Noon-01:15PM · Offered