UEP 295 Topics in Urban and Environmental Policy
Topics vary semester to semester.
Reimagining Public Safety: Debates Over Policing and Criminal Justice
In the three short years following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police, massive demonstrations took place around the nation, demanding an end to police violence and systemic racism. During that moment, many said it was finally time to “reimagine public safety” – a wide-ranging term that encompassed perspectives as wide-ranging as police abolition and more robust community policing. It coincided with the rise of a new wave of progressive prosecutors determined to end the “carceral state” and promote “restorative justice.”
Cities that promised reimagined public safety have experienced what Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrice Cullours refers to as “The Great Regression,” a pro-police, pro-law and order backlash that has seen an increase in police budgets and the targeting of progressive prosecutors.
How did this happen? What forces shape these policy discussions and political decisions? What is the future of public safety and criminal justice in urban centers? This course will examine those questions, with an emphasis on Los Angeles, with frequent guest lecturers, including policymakers, police officials and prosecutors, activists and community organizers. Same as POLS 295 with the same topic.
Urban Sustainability: Raising Animals as a part of Regenerative Agriculture
An in-depth class on backyard poultry and its connection to regenerative agriculture with a focus on an holistic and sustainable approach that prioritizes the health and well-being of animals, the environment, and the people involved in the process.
Topics include: chicken and duck facts and behaviors, understanding animal welfare, legal aspects; California vs. US humane laws, overview of breeds, setting up proper biosecurity and how to maintain it, creating your own feed and cost effective tricks, store bought vs. pasture raised, environmental enrichment, first aid / natural and holistic solutions, health management and overview of common illnesses, troubleshooting, how to spot and diagnose sick chickens, coop management and soil and composting.
Cross Listed Courses
POLS 295 with the same topic