ENVSTY 120L: Boston: Social Justice & the City

This course applies the city of Boston as the object of study for an trans-disciplinary introduction to Community Development and Environmental Studies. The largest city in New England, Boston has anchored economic transformation, political importance, and social creativity since the 1600s; it has also presided over the dramatic reworking of the region's geography over those centuries. In particular, Boston has become a city transformed over the last few decades, more-so than in any era since its founding. Whether its rapidly increasing population, its revitalized and innovative economy, or the renewed appreciation for the natural environment and its unique location, the city is changing quickly. At the same time, Boston faces significant challenges stemming from its unique history and present-day condition, for instance: the rising cost of housing alongside gentrification and displacement, traffic and transit congestion, underinvestment in essential urban infrastructure, and the impacts of climate change and sea level rise on its coastal location. This course examines these issues by focusing on particular neighborhoods and communities to understand the opportunities and obstacles facing the creation of a sustainable, equitable, and resilient Boston. After introducing key concepts in understanding cities, communities, and the environment, the course uses place-based, neighborhood case studies to understand Boston today and into the future. Readings and lectures will provide a conceptual and critical framework to merge classroom learning with fieldwork out in the city itself. With this foundation, the course will also introduce field research methods of observation and analysis.