Three complementary, but unique, lines of study bring students from complementary disciplines together for an integrated and focused exploration of issues connected to the sustainable city. The three areas include: 1) Ecological Design; 2) Sustainable Urban Design; and 3) and Sustainable Land Development. This curriculum serves to integrate design, planning, ecology and public policy education to encourage an understanding of sustainability issues that cuts across scales and disciplines. Elements of these programs include cross disciplinary foundational classes in: sustainable urban design, public policy analysis, green architecture, sustainable land development, transportation & livability, city planning and design, and applied service learning.

 

The Sustainable Cities Year Initiative is a ‘partnership’ with one city in Oregon per year where a number of courses from across the University focus on assisting that city with their sustainability goals and projects. The Sustainable Cities Year faculty and students work with that city through a variety of studio projects and service learning programs to: 1) provide students with a real world project to investigate; 2) apply their training; and 3) provide real service and movement to a local city ready to transition to a more sustainable and accessible future.AAA already offers nationally recognized and award winning service learning programs through the Community service Center and designBridge, and the Sustainable City in Service program will build on this existing expertise.

 

A central focus of SCI is to share our expertise with current professionals in Oregon, the United States, and across the globe. Through our Sustainability Leadership Program, based in Portland and Eugene, SCI is working to offer a series of professional training, workshop, and in-residence opportunities on the full range of issues affecting the sustainable city. We envision an expansion of the existing Sustainability Leadership Program to create multi-week training opportunities in-residence for private and public sector officials and staff throughout the year, but especially during the summer Oregon months.