New York City is a high-density urban environment on the forefront of sustainable development, with ambitious climate policy goals, a high percentage of parkland, and a robust public transit system. Yet it faces a unique set of sustainability challenges - How do we ensure housing is sustainable and affordable? How do you protect millions from climate impacts, exacerbated by the urban heat island effect? As NYC’s 300 miles of greenways are expanded, how do you equitably distribute access to them? NYC is home to a tremendous amount of grassroots power, with climate activist groups passing groundbreaking legislation like the NY Heat Act, building their food systems with community gardens, and establishing solar power for their neighbours—despite Wall Street delving towards climate inaction, with the big banks abandoning environmental commitments. 

This trip breaks down the broad topic of sustainability in NYC through distinct focuses on food justice, conservation + stewardship, environmental justice, urban planning, and policy + law. We’ll delve into these topics in a winter quarter course, then meet and support the organizations leading these efforts on our Spring Break trip to NYC.