The intense growth of cities in recent decades imposes the challenge of finding sustainable solutions that reduce demands on natural resources in urban environments. This field course is a joint initiative of Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Escola Politécnica of the Universidade de São Paulo (USP), and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin America Studies' (DRCLAS) Brazil Studies Program. It includes equal numbers of undergraduate and graduate engineering students from Harvard University and from the Universidade de São Paulo (Poli-USP). Students have the opportunity to explore environmental issues in Brazil's two largest metropolitan areas, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Through a combination of field site visits, lectures and group discussion, they will develop an understanding of the processes used to anticipate the needs of urban areas, establish objectives and act to promote the required changes for individual and collective benefit. The field course is co-taught in English by professors from Harvard and Brazil.

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