ENVS6005 Cities and Their Hinterlands

Offered By	School of Resources Environment & Society
Academic Career	Graduate Coursework
Course Subject	Environmental Science
Offered in	Winter Session, 2009 and Winter Session, 2010
Unit Value	6 units
Course Description	The course applies the core human ecology concepts to the urban environment. The emphasis is on how human activities affect ecological processes and human wellbeing in urban areas and how they affect the health of the hinterlands on which those urban areas depend. Students will study the effect that different human values, institutional arrangements and management strategies have on urban energy and material stocks and flows. Case studies covered by the course include: The changes that the urban form places on water, energy and material flows How urban design and planning processes affect transport and settlement patterns For each of these topics, different human interventions will be considered, including those aimed at improving governance, harnessing ecosystem services and engaging with the community. Note: Graduate students attend joint classes with undergraduates but are assessed separately.
Learning Outcomes	On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to: 1. apply key concepts in Human Ecology to the urban environment, and communicate these to a range of audiences 2. describe the ecosystem services demanded by modern urban systems and evaluate the capacity of ecosystems to supply those services 3. explain material and energy flows of modern cities, including food and water, and carry out and critically evalute material stocks and flows analyses of specific aspect of the urban environment 4. appraise constraints and opportunities for future sustainable cites
Indicative Assessment	Regular attendance and participation in classwork and fieldtrips is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field trips may be excluded from examination. Assessment will be based on: Completing a short test on basic concepts (10%; LO 1) Contribution to, and facilitation of, student-led seminar activities (10%; LO 1, 2, 3, 4) Material Stocks and Flows Research project, involving original reflective-evaluative research into the ecological load of some aspect of students' everyday lives, and recommended strategies to reduce that load, and class presentation. Must include critical evaluation on the strengths and weakness of MSFA (45%; LO 3, 4) Reflective field trip report analysing how and why and to what extent ecosystem services are affected by human actiivity and appraise possibility of this continuing. (35%; LO 2, 3, 4)
Workload	Winter session (6 - 17 July 2009) 65 contact hours, the course will be taught intensively in the mid-term break through a combination of classes and fieldwork.
Course Classification(s)	AdvancedAdvanced courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide a deep understanding of contemporary issues; or 'second degree' and higher levels of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs.
Areas of Interest	Resource Management and Environmental Science
Eligibility	Bachelor degree; no specific knowledge
Preliminary Reading	Hargroves, K and Smith, M (eds) The Natural Advantage of Nations, London, Earthscan, 2005
Programs	Master of Environment
Academic Contact	Dr Rob Dyball

The information published on the Study at ANU 2009 website applies to the 2009 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2008 website.