With over 80 percent of the U.S. population living in urban areas, “cities” have become human’s new natural habitat. Landscape architects, architects, planners, geospatial analysts and other disciplines/professionals can play a key role in the creation of more “symbiotic cities”—places where people, plants, and other animals coexist. This shift necessitates a substantive understanding of the interwoven ecological, social-political and economic systems at play in urban areas. This course aims to expose students to a deeper understanding of the major concepts, principles and applications of ecology that are most relevant to the design and transformation of urban areas.  

This course involves (1) the review of information found in plant physiology, and ecological principles and concepts of sustainability found in natural systems, (2) the study of native and introduced plant species and plant associations of Southern California and (3) calculations and data used to estimate water and energy use associated with urban landscapes. The primary purpose of this course is to develop a foundation for the design of urban landscapes that provide greater benefits and achieve higher levels of sustainability than current landscapes. Learning will be achieved through lectures, discussions, campus planting identification walks and field trips. Lectures will incorporate a series of weekly exercises and readings.