Eat

Work Play
Fall 2011 - 6 credits Directed Studies Thursdays, 2pm-8pm 1800 Spyglass Place, Vancouver Course Description Engaging in a Collaborative Learning Process towards the implementation of demonstration projects within the Greenest City Action Plan As an initiative within Vancouvers Campus City Collaborative (C3), CityStudio Vancouver aims to provide students and faculty from Vancouvers six post secondary institutions the opportunity to collaborate with each other and with the City of Vancouver on real world projects that implement Vancouvers Greenest City 2020 Action Plan. In addition to the studio course, a number of partner courses from the 6 campuses will simultaneously engage the theme, share research and work, and participate in events and conferences during the term. Students will organize and facilitate class visits by sustainability specialists, policy makers, planners, city staff and leading thinkers.

Course Content Eat, Work, Play in Vancouver Neighbourhoods The Fall CityStudio and partner courses will focus on the neighbourhood scale of implementing demonstration projects related to the three Greenest City Goals of: Access to Nature, Local Food, and Green Economy. Specific community plans as well as the document Vancouver 2020: A Bright Green Future will inform and provide context for our work.


Learning Outcomes Collaboration, Community Engagement, Implementation Students participating in the Greenest City Studio will undertake projects and learning within 4 interrelated areas of urban sustainability: 1. Interdisciplinary and collaborative learning One major sustainability challenge is that the problems are complex and inter-jurisdictional. Part of the learning of - and by the course - is the challenge presented by working collaboratively to define and clarify shared goals. Students will undertake all projects and course work in this context. Students will work on projects with City staff, consultants and experts 2. Implementation of GC strategies towards one planet living Students will research and develop an individual project that forms one part of the larger course theme Students will undertake a major group project related to the implementation of Greenest City strategies 3. Community engagement, dialogue and multi-stakeholder process Students will be introduced to, and apply, community engagement strategies Students will participate in regular dialogues with guests and each other, and will host public dialogues. 4. Learning from and with other cities Students will research and communicate with other cities (IE Portland, Chicago, NYC, Sau Paulo, Malmo, Freiburg etc) in order to understand and contextualize issues, and understand strategies and solutions. Course Delivery Dialogue + Design The learning at CityStudio is immersive and experiential, and framed within the modes of dialogue and design thinking. There is a focus on group process, learning and leadership while working with students, faculty members and guests of CityStudio. Students will engage in research, field investigations, readings, problem-solving sessions and skills workshops. Dialogue in the classroom allows students to learn how to listen deeply, to challenge their own perspectives and learn how to be effective team members. Dialogue as a practice challenges students to slow down, engage in complex thinking and re-imagine possibilities for change. Design is the process of moving ideas into action by examining the societal context, asking the hard questions, undertaking meaningful research, generating ideas, documenting processes, testing and presenting outcomes, analysis and critique, and refining our work; all towards the goal of implementing solutions. The course emphasizes gaining familiarity and interacting with other disciplines, and depending on the context, students will conduct dialogue activities, design thinking, presentations, public consultations and multi-stakeholder processes. Guests of CityStudio Guests will participate regularly in the course to create a mix of perspectives for the classroom associated with specific course themes of: Local Food Access to nature Green Economy Greenest City Planning


Location and Timing The courses primary activities are located at 1800 Spyglass Rd, underneath the south side of the Cambie Street Bridge, except for field trips and specialized events. Course activities occur Thursday 2pm 8pm with a break for lunch, and there will be occasional evening and/or weekend activities. We will also be interacting with students and faculty from our partner institutions on and off site. Field Trips A number of field trips will occur during the semester. Groups of students will be asked to organize the transportation and events for each trip. Workshops and Events A number of workshops and public events will take place during the term to ensure all students have the skills required to complete the projects (i.e. photoshop). Course Activities and Assignments A variety of readings, class exercises, individual and group assignments and field investigations are used to achieve the goals of this course. Depending on the context, students will conduct these activities either individually, in small groups and/or as part of the entire class. The activities include: Individual Components Portfolio and Weekly Reflections Participation, Facilitation and Hosting Group Collaboration Component CityStudio Project and Photo Essay (EatWorkPlay) Class Events and Final Presentations Readings CityStudio Manual to be provided online and containing: Vancouver 2020: A Bright Green Future (included in course manual) Greenest City Action Plan (provided in course manual) Dialogue Readings Design Thinking Readings


Grading and Feedback Grading and mentoring will occur at various points throughout the semester. Mentoring will be provided by the instructors (and students) as various assignments emerge. Written assignments will be reviewed and edited in a timely fashion by faculty. Opportunities to revise and resubmit them (as necessary) based on feedback from the instructors will be provided. Oral presentations will be critiqued both in class and privately. Mentoring will be available to all students. It is expected that students will meet with the instructors on a regular basis to discuss projects and any issues relating to the course. While informal feedback will be provided to students throughout the semester, formal grading will occur in the context of 4 evaluation areas. They are as follows: Evaluation Areas Weighting Individual Portfolio 40% Individual Participation and Hosting 10% Group Project and Photo Essay 40% All Class Events and Final Presentations 10% Faculty Duane Elverum Assistant Professor Emily Carr University of Art and Design 1399 Johnston Street, Vancouver BC. 604.844.3800 Email: elverumd@eciad.ca Janet Moore, PhD Assistant Professor Undergraduate Semester in Dialogue Simon Fraser University, Harbour Centre Campus Tel: (778) 782-7884 Email: JLMOORE@sfu.ca Coordinator Lena Soots Email: citystudiocoordinator@gmail.com