2022 – Summer

Greening the City: How Can NYC Fight the Climate Crisis? (Session 2)

Course Number: SS2: JOUR-UA 204.001

Day & Time: Monday 10:00 am-4:00 pm

Location: 20 Cooper Sq.

Albert Class Number: 4896

Today, cities find themselves on the frontlines of a rapidly warming planet. But while critics say they are a major contributor of emissions, there is reason to believe that those closest to the problem are also the source of solutions. New York City is no different.

In this class, we’ll explore the various innovative ways in which America’s largest city—its government, advocates, policymakers, practitioners and people—is trying, successfully or not, to stave off the climate crisis. And we’ll do that through vivid, powerful storytelling.

Each class will consist of a field trip to a specific site where we’ll clearly see those efforts unfold. It could be Jamaica Bay, where the country’s largest urban national park is attracting wildlife; Times Square, whose car-free configuration showed a new future for streets; the Bronx River, an increasingly restored waterway and source of green space; or a local rooftop garden, urban farm, or composting site. Students will then return to campus for a newsroom session, where we’ll turn our writings, photographs, or videos into a digestible news piece.

Like the climate crisis itself, the material is intersectional: students with backgrounds in sciences, urban studies, economics, politics and journalism are all welcome. Each one of us will bring our experiences and skills to the table.

Notes: Counts as an elective for the journalism major and both journalism minors.