Naturalizing Urban Environments

Due to the rapid pace of urbanization, the benefits of healthy green infrastructure in cities is increasingly recognized and in demand. This course explores the social, economic and environmental impacts of urbanization and intrudes strategies to reconnect people and incorporate nature back into cities. Topics in urban forestry and approaches for sustainable greenspace management in urban areas will be a major focus. Students will conduct an urban tree inventory and will perform the steps necessary to plan a naturalization project for a local urban greenspace. Emphasis will be on the promotion of native plant community assemblages and wildlife diversity.