UEP 303 Sustainable Development

This course examines sustainable development from a social economic and environmental perspective. The course focuses on development strategies and approaches led by community-based labor and nonprofit organizations in a context of traditional public and private-sector economic development approaches. Through lectures field trips discussion guest speakers and class exercises students will examine the history and evolution of community and economic development strategies in urban neighborhoods and communities and link these approaches to the field of sustainable development. The course focuses on the historic and contemporary debates and issues in sustainable development and delves into the challenges and opportunities of sustainable development in Los Angeles by drawing on case examples from other urban regions across the country. Through the course students will: 1) understand the historical theoretical and policy context of community development; 2) understand community and economic decline and development processes; 3) examine the key strategies of community development and related field of community economic development; 4) explore the growing intersection of community development and sustainable development including the greening of jobs buildings and urban design.