Special Topics in Human Geography: Planning Sustainable Cities
one-way Exclusions
Two 1.5-hour sessions per week
- Hirt, S. A., & Beeson, S. Z. (2026). The city beautiful, the city sustainable, the city profitable: what changed in Chicago’s planning priorities after a century? Planning Perspectives, 41(1), 71–89.
- Sato, H. (2025). Planning a ‘sustainable city’ with hinterlands: The case of Yokohama City, Japan and its soft space planning to reach net-zero. Environment and Planning. E, Nature and Space (Print), 8(2), 721–741.
Please note that course information listed in the Arts and Science Course Calendar supersedes any information listed on the Geography and Planning website.
For the most current course offerings, registered Queen’s students should consult .
Course Description
Course offered by visiting faculty on Geography topics related to their research interests. Consult the departmental homepage for further details of specific course offerings each academic year.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.
Course Overview
This course explores how urban planning contributes to the path toward sustainable cities through attention to issues related to the environment, economy, and equity to propel urban development toward vibrant, livable places. This course introduces critical perspectives and approaches to urban planning and policy to help create greener cities that meet the needs of people today without compromising future generations. Students will be introduced to urban planning topics, concepts, and ideas and explore issues related to sustainable development with regard to the biophysical, social, and economic environment. Community engagement and the role of the planner in creating eco-friendly cities will be discussed.
Course Topics
Topics include eco-mobility, green infrastructure, nature in the city, community energy planning, climate action
planning, circular economy, clean energy, environmental justice, and the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
Assessments
Subject to Change
- Written Assignment: 15%
- In-Class Exercises: 20%
- Midterm Exam: 30%
- Final Exam: 35%