This course presents an opportunity to learn about land use, local government law, and sustainability by contributing a much-needed service to localities and communities. We will begin with some introductory pieces to lay a foundation to understand the over-arching project we are working on, called the Sustainable Development Code (SDC). The SDC provides best practices to amend local codes to address issues relevant to social and environmental sustainability that arise in development codes and processes. In this course, students will author and edit "briefs" that recommend changes to local zoning codes. A recent sample brief can be found at Fossil Fuel Bans and Electrified Construction. The substantive topics for this summer will be primarily focused on integrating Environmental Justice (EJ) and Social Justice (SJ) into local land use laws. Working closely with experts, students will draft and edit their briefs. If successful, the students' briefs will be published as part of the Sustainable Development Code and new EJ and SJ chapters found therein. The SDC's website is viewed thousands of times a week. (Pending faculty approval).
