Innovative Modules of Urban Studies for High School Students
The Urban Design Lab began involvement in the Summer Program for High School Students at Columbia University in 2013. Each year, the class has focused on different themes of urban design, giving students tools and resources to face urban challenges in New York City. Students are exposed to emerging trends in urban sustainability in an interdisciplinary workshop environment in which they explore new solutions for sustainable cities in the context of a real-world project. The course is conducted as a collaborative workshop in which students engage with an actual client and design a solution to a real urbanization challenge. At the end of the course, students present their final project ideas and work products to a panel of invited experts representing disciplines in the fields of government, research, and practice. The work will inform the students’ personal portfolios and thereby open the door to further design studies within the higher education context.
Previous sessions:
Game Changers for Two Bridges – 2013
Activating Networks Along the Bronx River – 2014
Sustainable Urbanization: Hudson River Park – 2015
Hudson River Park: Urban Beach @ The Gansevoort Peninsula – 2016