AFTER THE STORM:
Exploring Sustainability, Climate Change, and Water Quality from Environmental Design and Psychological Perspectives
Time: January 13-17, 2014; MTWF 9-1 (12-1 topical lunch), Thursday 9-4, Charrette
Location: TBA
Instructors:
Robert Ryan, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning and Director of the Dual Degree MRP/MLA Program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Michele Wick Lecturer and Research Associate in the Smith College Psychology Department
Contact Information:
Robert Ryan: , office phone: 545-6633
Michele Wick: , office phone: 585-3794
Office Hours: TBA
PURPOSE
Effective environmental problem solving requires an understanding of human nature as well as the scientific and engineering realities of technical solutions. During this week-long intensive class we will approach climate change issues from an interdisciplinary perspective, focusing on a real site in Northampton as a case study.
How do we address such a large-scale problem in one short week? We begin with a series of readings and lectures examining the conundrum of our restrained response to the dangers of climate change. At the same time, we introduce a specific problem to examine – stormwater.
We will read case studies of how local communities have addressed stormwater issues to improve water quality and quantity. What were the conditions that led a community or group of individuals to embark on an environmentally beneficial project? How were the goals of the projects aligned with larger community goals? What were individual’s motivations for being part of these projects, how were various knowledge areas and expertise capitalized on in the process, and how were disparate groups brought together around a common/shared goal?
Then we will put what we have read to use in a charrette process in which we will generate ideas and consider design solutions for a real site in Northampton. The week will end with a review of how we integrated, in this short time, theory with practice, and what remains to be learned.
GOALS
· Introduce the power of cross-disciplinary study in the effort to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
· Reflection – to synthesize theory and practice.
· To develop an understanding of how local planning decisions can have positive and negative environmental impacts.
· To understand that we are all a part of the infrastructure we will be studying, and therefore part of both the problem and solution.
· To shift the monumental problems of climate change into a more human scale that can allow for a response that is reasonable, manageable, and implementable.
ASSIGNMENTS
Theory/reflection journals: Beginning Monday, after the first session, you will write a daily 2-3 page journal entry that applies a concept learned in class to a real life situation. Content can focus on events that happened to the student or cases from the media. Each journal will be due to the professors by 8:00 am on the next day of class (i.e. Monday’s journal will be due on Tuesday by 8:00 am).
Total – four journals, 8-12 pages.
Paper: Goal: to analyze and assess your individual role in the charrette, as well as integrate theory from lectures and readings with the process and outcomes of the charrette. Please include specific examples from the charrette in your reflections.
Length: 4 – 5 (maximum) pages
Due: Friday January 24, 2013, at 5 p.m. – please submit via email.
CHARRETTE
A charrette is an intensive participatory activity to generate ideas for a design or planning problem. Generally participants work in small groups with the goal of developing conceptual ideas to solve real world planning problems.
Using a combination of story boarding, 3-D models, photographs, and site drawings, our charrette will focus on generating innovative, big picture ideas that promote sustainability, ecologically healing the site - including stormwater management – and providing a connection to the greater community.
You can find a comprehensive site design packet on Moodle. The contents content a description of the program for the site, the existing conditions of the site, scale of buildings, vegetation, topography, paved area, maps and a guide to the larger hydrological watershed.
FULL ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY
GRADING: S/U. Given the steep learning curve of content and process required to make participation in the charrette a successful learning experience, full attendance and completion of all assignments is required to pass the course.
Class Outline
ARTICLES TO READ BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS, POSTED ON MOODLE
Ahern, J. 2007. Green infrastructure for cities: The space dimension. In Novotny, V. and Brown, P.R. (eds.), Cities of the Future: Towards Integrated Sustainable Water and Landscape Management. London: IWA Publishing. Pp. 267-283.
Kaplan, S and R. Kaplan. 2009. Creating a larger role for environmental psychology: The Reasonable Person. Journal of Environmental Psychology 29 : 329-339.
Sarté, S.B. 2010. Sustainable Infrastructure: The Guide to Green Engineering and Design. Chapter 3: Water Conservation and Supply (pp. 57-93).
Stern, P. and Weber, E. 2011. Public Understanding of Climate Change in the United States. American Psychologist. 66, 315-328. doi: 10.1037/a0023253
Northampton Stormwater Fact sheet
Billion Gallons a Year Campaign
VIDEOS TO WATCH BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS, POSTED ON MOODLE
Dan Gilbert, Harvard Thinks Big 2010 - Global Warming and Psychology
NPR TED Radio Hour: Everything is Connected
DAY BY DAY: THE PLAN
Day 1
Topics:
· “When you hold your fate in your hand, why would you ever make a fist?” (Daniel Gilbert). Why don’t we respond to the threats of climate change?
· Introduction to the site
Read Tonight for Tomorrow’s Class:
· Crafting Normative Messages to Protect the Environment, Cialdini (2003)
· After the Storm (US Environmental Protection Agency)
· Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). 2013. Smart Growth/ Smart Energy Toolkit. Available at: http://www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit/index.html.
Assignment: Journal reflection, due tomorrow morning, 8 a.m.
Lunch topic: Getting Acquainted
Day 2
Topics:
· Beliefs, Social Norms and Behavior
· Introduction to Storm Water Infrastructure: tool box for stormwater management
Read Tonight for Tomorrow’s Class:
· The Psychology of Global Warming: Improving the Fit Between the Science and the Message, Newell and Pitman (2010)
· Site Package on Moodle: Read in depth for tomorrow’s site visit
· Low-Impact Development (LID) Center. 2013. Low-Impact Development Urban Design Tools Website. Beltsville, MD. http://www.lid-stormwater.net/index.html.
Assignment: Journal reflection, due tomorrow morning, 8 a.m.
Lunch Topic: Smith Sophomore Anna Carroll – Environmental Leadership Conference Report
Day 3
Topics:
· Discuss Newell and Pitman article
· Site Visit (site TBD) including a tour of downtown Northampton focusing on site context, open space networks, and hydrological connections.
Read Tonight for Tomorrow’s Class:
· Lennertz, B. and Lutzenhiser, A. 2006. A charrette is the best way to share. Planning 72 (8): 44-47.
· Review site package
Assignment: Journal reflection, due tomorrow morning, 8 a.m.
Lunch Topic: Site Visit – lunch downtown Northamtpon
Day 4
· CHARRETTE facilitated by Robert Ryan 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., lunch included.
Read Tonight for Tomorrow’s Class:
· With the experience of the charrette fresh in your mind, please review the readings and videos from the past week.
Assignment: Journal reflection, due tomorrow morning, 8 a.m.
Day 5
Topic:
Debrief charrette. Sample topics to be considered:
Reflect on how you would engage a community in this ideas – how do you bring psychology into what you are doing in the charrette. How do you communicate ideas to the public? How do you communicate ideas and get ownership by the public. How would you integrate insights of the reasonable person model by Kaplan and Kaplan, into implementing your charrette ideas in the community of Northampton?
Assignment: Final Paper, due next Friday, January 24, 2014
Lunch Topic: Where do we go from here?
Statement of Academic Integrity
All students in this course are expected to abide by the Smith College Honor Code:
Smith College expects all students to be honest and committed to the principles of academic and intellectual integrity in their preparation and submission of course work and examinations.
Students and faculty at Smith are part of an academic community defined by its commitment to scholarship, which depends on scrupulous and attentive acknowledgement of all sources of information, and honest and respectful use of college resources.