Honors College

The Valley as Laboratory: Steps Toward a Restorative Urbanism

In this Praxis Lab, students explored the ways cities, like our own, can thrive by focusing on their strengths and addressing underlying challenges. Using the city’s physiology as a metaphor, students diagnosed issues and developed solutions to restore vitality to local spaces, applying principles such as urban acupuncture and urban metabolism.

The course began with a deep dive into the environmental, social, and economic systems that shape cities. Students worked together to identify opportunities for improvement, building on the strengths of their community to create a healthier urban ecology. Building on the success of a previous Praxis Lab, "The Campus as Laboratory," the course led to tangible outcomes, including the addition of food trucks to Marriott Plaza.