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ADVANCED URBAN GEOGRAPHY (GEOG5290) &

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION (CE5715)
SPRING 2015: Thursday, 2-4:30 (AUST420)

TEACHING TEAM

Dr. Norman Garrick, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Dr. Carol Atkinson-Palombo, Department of Geography



Clarence Eckerson, StreetFilms (http://www.streetfilms.org)

Background
These team-taught courses are supported by a grant entitled: “Training the Next Generation of Transportation Professionals: Multimedia Communication Training for Transportation Sustainability”, funded by the New England University Transportation Center. Given that one of the goals of the courses is to teach students to communicate effectively with stakeholders outside of the academic realm, they have an official Service Learning designation.
Introduction
Concerns about the intertwined issues of global climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel dependency, and resource depletion have inspired a range of contemporary planning paradigms variously named new urbanism, sustainable cities, smart growth, ecological cities, livable cities, and green cities. While each of these movements has unique characteristics, one common feature is the desire to provide an alternative to automobile-oriented suburban sprawl that has dramatically transformed streets and cities all over the world. Advertising campaigns that associate automobiles with freedom remain powerful, as do the idealized visions of the suburbs as safe places to raise families. Automobile ownership and suburban living—especially gated communities—have remained popular in the United States and been exported all over the world. Supporters of contemporary planning paradigms are actively encouraging people to envision a “new American Dream” that does not encompass multiple automobiles and a single-family house on an individual lot in a residential subdivision. The “back-to-the-city” movement has gained momentum in the past decade, led by (but by no means limited to) educated young professionals in search of vibrant places to live, work and play; and retirees who recognize how limiting auto-dependency can be later in life. Sustainable transportation networks provide the framework upon which livable cities need to be built. In this course, we will investigate the complex linkages between transportation and urban form, and understand the challenges and opportunities associated with creating places that are more livable. The course content is organized around three themes: sustainability (particularly transportation sustainability), equity, and freedom.

Course Goals and Objectives
The course has three main objectives:


  1. To provide students with a solid foundation in seminal literature on alternative planning paradigms from both a theoretical and applied perspective, and to introduce them to emerging debates in sustainable transportation and sustainable cities.




  1. To provide students with an opportunity to collaborate in an interdisciplinary setting to broaden their perspectives about and experience in addressing cross-cutting issues.




  1. To provide students with training and guidance on how to distill complex ideas into clear and concise communications that are easily understood by a general audience through a variety of media, particularly short films. This objective is important because any approach that adopts a sustainability orientation requires public engagement. Too often, academics are not equipped with the necessary skills to be able to work with a variety of stakeholders beyond the academic realm. These courses therefore seek to enhance students’ communication skills to allow effective engagement to take place.


Service Learning Component
According to the Carnegie Foundation: “Service Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities”. This is the definition that UCONN has adopted to guide its Service Learning. Service Learning can take many forms. In these courses, Streetfilms is our Service Learning partner, and the short films created during the courses are public service communications that reflect a two-way dialogue with stakeholders.

Streetfilms

Streetfilms produces short films showing how smart transportation design and policy can result in better places to live, work and play. Founded in 2006, Streetfilms has become the go-to organization for educational films about sustainable transportation, and inspires action and behavioral change worldwide. Individuals, public agencies, non-profit organizations, schools, and transportation advocacy groups use Streetfilms to educate decision makers and make change for livable streets in their communities. Streetfilms are freely distributed online, and our nearly 500 videos have been viewed over 5 million times. Thousands of daily viewers watch Streetfilms through embeds on hundreds of other sites, social media, digital files and DVDs, film festivals, and community screenings. As people share the videos that inspire them, Streetfilms brings more and more people to the movement for livable streets. Clarence Eckerson from Streetfilms will be an integral part of the teaching team and provide instruction and guidance on the creation of short films.



Topic for Film
Students may choose to work on any topic related to Sustainable Transportation or Sustainable Cities either individually or in groups. Some suggestions are as follows:


  1. Transit in Mansfield: Is it Worth the Cost?

  2. The Story of a Parking Lot

  3. The Argument for Expanding Transit in Mansfield

  4. CT Fastrak: How does it compare to International Best Practice?

  5. Storrs Center: A Sustainable Model of Development for Connecticut?

  6. The Hartford Line: What is Needed to Make it Work?

  7. Is Metro-North Working for Connecticut or Just for NYC?

  8. Do UConn Graduates Want to Live in Cities?


Grading Scheme





Short Film

40%










Topic

2 ½%










Outline

5%










First Cut

10%










Final Project

17 ½%










Peer Review

5%







Reflective Journals

20%







Final Exam

20%







Participation and class discussions/exercises

20%





Reflective Journal
An electronic journal has been set up on HuskyCT to provide you with a forum to record your ideas, questions, and thoughts about the course material. You are required to submit one entry per week (at least two substantial paragraphs) for the first 10 weeks of the class. A longer entry devoted to the service learning portion of the class will be done towards the end of the semester. More detailed instructions and examples of strong journal entries will be posted to HuskyCT.
Statement on Academic Integrity
Students are assumed to be familiar with the University of Connecticut Policy on Academic Misconduct at: http://www.ucc.uconn.edu/~dosa8/code2.html. Any form of academic misconduct or dishonesty in this class—as defined by the University of Connecticut Student Code—will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
Special Services
If you are entitled to any special accommodation(s), please advise as soon as possible, especially in light of the field trip.
COURSE OUTLINE


#

DATE

TOPIC


1

1/22

INTRODUCTION

What has happened to our cities and how did we get here?

Mini-project interviews


2

1/29

MEGA CITIES: Case of Istanbul

Galeano


Rights to the City

3

2/5

STREETFILMS UNIVERSITY
In-person workshop with Clarence Eckerson of Streetfilms:

How to Create a Short Film




4

2/12

FREEDOM & TRANSPORTATION
READINGS:

Justin Good

Walker



5

2/19

EQUITY ISSUES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION, LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT



6

2/26

Field Trip: Hartford Fastraks
Project Topic Due: Monday, March 2nd


7

3/5

SUSTAINABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION



8

3/12

JANE JACOBS AND ROBERT MOSES


9

3/26

FIGHTING TRAFFIC AND WALKABLE CITIES
Project Outline Due: Monday, March 16th


10

4/2

Workshop and Readings on Project Topics

(to be assigned once topics are decided upon)





11

4/9

Workshop and Readings on Project Topics

(to be assigned once topics are decided upon)


First cut of film Due: Monday, April 13th


12

4/16

Workshop day with individual project feedback


13

4/23

Workshop day with individual project feedback


14

4/30

Final Exam


15

5/7

Screening of films at UCONN



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