SOC295:
Sustainable Cities in North America
OR
SOC111: Human Community and the Modern Metropolis
Dates: July
9-29,
2008 (there will also be on-campus class meetings) Faculty: Lars Christiansen, Associate
Professor of Sociology and Nancy Fischer,
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Location: Canada
If you usually view cities as “concrete jungles”
that are the opposite of “being green,” then prepare to think
differently. An ecologically sustainable city is not an oxymoron. It
takes a sense of cooperative spirit, creative and smart public policy,
and the push of community organizers to create a sustainable city that
is pedestrian-friendly, has green space, produces minimal waste, and is
civically-engaged. In this Augsburg Abroad experience, we will explore
the two most eco-friendly cities in North America: Portland, Oregon and
Vancouver, Canada, with most of our time spent in Vancouver. We will
compare the sustainable practices of these cities with the Twin Cities’
own measures to create a more sustainable urban environment.
This course can be taken as SOC295: Sustainable
Cities, an elective in Sociology, Metro-Urban Studies or Environmental
Studies, or it can be taken as SOC111: Community and the Modern
Metropolis, a social science LAF and requirement for the Metro-Urban
Studies major. This class will also count towards a Canadian Studies
minor in the future.
Photo courtesy Tourism Vancouver / Colin Jewall
Program Activities
Tour
green roofs and green buildings to learn about how construction can be more
sustainable, and how gardens in unexpected places make a city more green.
Meet
with policy makers who work on Sustainability initiatives.
Meet
community organizers who bridge the link between everyday people from a
variety of class and ethnic backgrounds and city policy-makers
Explore
the neighborhoods and their “scenes” in Portland and Vancouver. (could use
some adjectives to describe neighborhoods)
Volunteer
at Portland parks and learn about wetland and greenspace preservation.
Walk,
ride bicycles, trains and other forms of alternative transportation in the
cities we explore.
Attend
one of many July festivals in Vancouver
Learn
how the city of Vancouver is preparing for the 2010 Winter Olympics
Visit
farmers markets and community gardens and other public spaces that part of
sustaining local economies (“buying local”)
Enjoy the
beauty of the city, waterfront and mountains of British Columbia
Lars Christiansen
Lars Christiansen’s interest in urban sociology began when
he took a course on "Cities and Suburbs" while an undergraduate at Clark
University, an urban liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts. Ever
since, he has maintained both a practical and theoretical interest in urban
design and planning, transportation systems, and neighborhood & community
building. His interest in sustainability currently focuses on car-free living
and alternative forms of transportation. In fact, he is in the early stages of a
new research project on the “Sociology of the Bicycle.” Beyond these interests,
Lars also studies the sociology of work, labor, and organizations; the sociology
and philosophy of education; and the sociology of protest and social movements.
Nancy Fischer
Nancy Fischer is the newest member of the Augsburg
Sociology Department; she joined the faculty in Fall 2005. She was previously a
visiting assistant professor at Macalester College from 2001-2005 in St. Paul,
Minnesota. Before that, she taught at Florida Atlantic University and the State
University of New York, Albany. Nancy’s research and teaching are in the areas
of urban sociology, sexuality, law and culture. At Augsburg, she currently is
teaching Introduction to Human Society, Human Community and the Modern
Metropolis, Race, Class & Gender, Sociology of Sexuality, and Sociology of Law.
She is currently putting together a new Law & Society concentration in sociology
to help prepare sociology students for pursuing law school.
