Paris: An Imagined Cityscape

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This program is co-sponsored by the Department of Landscape Architecture. Program credits count towards the new B.A. in Environmental Design and Sustainability!

Where are "we" in nature? How are we in nature? Where is nature itself (as of 2026), and how is it doing? These are the questions we will explore in three courses centered on the displacement that a foreign setting offers us. From the 18th century on, Paris has been a focal point for the distinctly modern European and global re-envisioning of nature. Scientific, intellectual and political revolutions of that era gave rise to intense debates about both the "nature" of nature and about human beings' historical and biological place within it, framing debates that continue today. This program offers students a chance to explore the modern "invention of nature" from three different perspectives-environmental history and philosophy; urban design and sustainability; literary and artistic representations of nature. All three classes will include exploration of Paris's urban-natural landscapes, its gardens, its museums, and its architecture, as well as literary and visual representations of shifting human perspectives on nature. 

Classes take place two full days a week at the American Church in Paris, in the very heart of Paris. Excursions, city walks and research days will be scheduled on Wednesdays and during some class times, leaving time from Fridays to Mondays for exploring the city and other sites in Europe. Students stay with English-speaking families in Paris (inside the peripherique highway encircling the inner city) for the duration of the program, with two meals provided on weekdays by the families. The program will run October 4, 2026 - December 6, 2026 in Paris, France. Remote, on-line class activities will be held through December 13, 2026, to wrap up the program. Students will check out of program housing on December 6 and should arrange for alternate housing if they wish to stay in Paris, or they can travel to other European destinations or return home while they complete final assignments for the program.