(Atlanta, Ga.) Starting Jan. 9, 2023, The School of City and Regional Planning (SCaRP) will begin teaching CP 4813 World Cities. 

World Cities is a class that will help students understand what it takes to make a city a great place, whether that’s planning a future city, designing a future city, building a future city, or simply choosing your future home city. 

“Examples include 100% clean energy in Basel and Aspen, sustainable water management (Lagos and Cape Town), sustainable transportation (Copenhagen and Curitiba), urban food production (Tokyo and Chicago), waste reduction/circular economy (Amsterdam and San Francisco), smart cities (Barcelona and Shanghai), urban equity planning (Mumbai and Atlanta), and climate resiliency (Rotterdam and Singapore),” said Dr. Jairo Garcia. 

Consider joining Garcia for the class if you are interested in learning how sustainable development planning, policy, and technology are used around the world. Dr. Garcia is an expert in sustainable urban development, carbon mitigation, and climate resiliency. His main area of research is focused on elements of spatial data analysis for ecological assessments and to identify climate vulnerabilities and risk analysis. 

CP 4813 World Cities will show how cities around the world address the most pressing issues for humanity, including population and economic growth, climate change, and equity. This course will introduce students to different approaches to solving urban challenges with examples from all over the world.  

The class also counts towards SCaRP’s Sustainable Cities minor, which emphasizes sustainability in the context of the urban and regional built environment. The minor incorporates classroom learning and practical knowledge of the ways in which cities and regions can grow and thrive as they become more sustainable, just, and resilient. 

“This course will introduce students to different approaches to solving urban challenges with examples from all over the world. Cities shape how we live. Come, and learn how we can shape them to create sustainable futures!” said Gulsah Akar, Professor and Chair of the School of City and Regional Planning. 

Planning for cities and urban regions brings together concepts that involve almost every major at Georgia Tech. From climate to the economy, from health to social justice, and from infrastructure to technology, a holistic, sustainable approach is needed to solve the complex problems facing cities and regions. 

Urban planners and other urban experts from around the world will be invited to the World Cities class to discuss the challenges that existing cities experience and how innovation and creativity provide solutions to these challenges for the well-being of their residents and for the construction of a more sustainable planet.