Most of the scholarly and popular discussion of sustainable development in the U.S. focuses on cities.  But cities depend economically and ecologically on rural communities–small towns, villages, and counties. These smaller, rural governments manage an enormous part of the physical landscape, including much of the emerging renewable energy landscape. This course focuses on what sustainable development actually looks like in smaller, rural communities.  With the help of insights from sociology and environmental studies, we will explore these questions:

*     How are rural communities different from urban communities–socially, economically, and environmentally? Should we use a different model of development for them?

*     What challenges do these communities face in achieving sustainable development? What resources do they have?  What opportunities can we identify for rural sustainable development?

This course features a substantial civic engagement project. Students will immerse themselves in a small town beyond the borders Ann Arbor, listening to the town’s story in order to learn what sustainability might look like.  Assessment will focus on a term-long group project and individual work throughout the term.