The natural environment is both the context within which all human activities take place and a social product of those activities. Environmental analysis and planning begins with the study of the physical, biotic, socio-economic, political and cultural context in which environmental interactions and conflicts occur. An array of analytic tools ranging from cultural to socio-economic and ecological approaches is then applied to specific questions. Some of these are locality specific, but many involve larger scale regional, national and global processes and social movements. Under current dynamics of global change and globalization, students must be able to interpret environmental issues in terms of patterns, processes and scale. Since the hinterlands and environmental/ecological footprints of cities regularly transcend the built environment, so do the analytics of this concentration.<br><br>The CES courses will provide students with a conceptual understanding of the nature, magnitude and causes of environmental processes and problems, the environmental impacts of housing, employment and transportation, environmental and sustainability policy and planning approaches, strategies to redress the unequal distribution of environmental burdens and benefits generated by government programs, and a set of professional skills useful for effective practice.