Enrollment priority to nutrition/food studies majors who may request two of the following: FST 300.2, FST 304, FST 402, NSD 452; non-majors may register for only one.
Feeding the City: Urban Food Systems investigates the relationship between food and cities, including the many ways food shapes urban sustainability, public health, community and economic development. Additional topics addressed cover municipal food policies and urban planning for community-based food systems. We will explore the relationship between food and cities, paying close attention to the ways in which food shapes cities and cities shape the food system. We start with historical and theoretical approaches to understanding food, cities, nature, and society, and put this knowledge into practice by engaging with Florence’s food system. Using both in-class learning and hands-on engagement we address past and present debates on urban food systems in Italy and the United States and develop a better appreciation of efforts to improve them. During the semester, we take part in a series of practical workshops at the nearby Orti Dipinti community garden where we design, model and build simple horticultural structures for the growing of plants in urban settings. Site visits and a field trip around Florence allow us to further explore the city’s food system.
This course has an associated course fee. See the Course Fees webpage for more information.
Department: Food Studies
Location: Florence
Semester: Spring
Credits: 3