Community Education Class: Envisioning Green Cities

How might American Cities and towns be transformed if gasoline costs tripled or quadrupled and SUSTAINABILITY became the priority? This unique course combines theory of green urban-design with high-level computer-graphics to create vivid and compelling visualizations of how local communities might be transformed in the coming years as the principles of resource-efficiency and sustainability take root. Students will work in small teams to research, conceptualize, and digitally create an outpouring of simulated images –“visualizations”—that realistically depict site-specific scenarios of hypothetical, ecologically-sustainable local communities in the S.F. Bay Region. Such student-produced imagery could then gain high exposure by being released to local media for the purpose of influencing public policy and promoting actual projects. The 6–session course will focus on use of “SketchUp”, a ground-breaking 3-D
computer modeling package (PC or Mac) known for it’s ease of use, flexibility, and appropriateness for initial concept-development. Students will gain working knowledge of a powerful computer tool that can be used in all future design work. $100. Students need to supply their own computers. For more information: (415) 876-2234 or email David at dvasquez@aol.com