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courses

ARCH6940-1 / Fall 2025

Kaja Kühl

Designing Climate Corridors

Canvas

Syllabus

This seminar will explore the typology of the arterial street as an opportunity for transformative climate action. Working in partnership with Rebuild by Design, students will explore the role of streets as places to build neighborhood resilience and environmental justice, learn from case studies around the world and develop their own schematic design proposals for one of several potential “climate corridors” in New York City.

Arterial streets are long and wide roads that carry large amounts of vehicular traffic through neighborhoods. In New York City, only 15% of streets are arterials, but they are the site of 60% of traffic fatalities. Arterials like Northern Boulevard in Queens, Boston Road in the Bronx or Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn are examples of roads with a long history as travel corridors and truck routes.

They serve a transient population traveling “through” while imposing health risks and environmental harm on directly adjacent communities. On average, more than 80% of the public right-of-way is dedicated to vehicles, while fewer than 40% of residents in adjacent neighborhoods own cars.

● How can these arterial streets be transformed to become a network for climate change mitigation and adaptation?

● How can they become destinations for adjacent communities rather than barriers and health hazards?

● What is the interplay between nature and technology that enables us to rethink the public right-of-way in new terms?

Urban arterials are ripe for reinvention. From reducing space for vehicular traffic to increase the amount of vegetation that sequesters carbon, absorbs stormwater and mitigates urban heat; From enhancing sustainable modes of transportation, to smart curb management, autonomous multimodal mobility and mechanisms for sustainable growth, they provide an opportunity to rethink how this outsized publicly-owned land between neighborhoods can be utilized for climate action and public health.

In addition to lectures and readings, case studies and site visits, students will work in teams to apply lessons learned to develop strategies for one arterial in New York City.

Location & Time

409 Avery

W 11 AM - 1 PM

Session & Points

Full Semester

3 Points

Sequence

Urban Design Seminar

Call Number

10733

Programs

M.S. Architecture and Urban Design

Other Semesters & Sections

Course	Semester	Title	Instructor	Requirements & Sequence	Location & Time	Session & Points	Call No.
A6940‑1	Fall 2024	Designing Climate Corridors	Kaja Kühl	Urban Design Seminar	409 AVERY W 11 AM - 1 PM	FULL SEMESTER 3 Points	10595
A6940‑1	Fall 2023	Community Engagement Practicum	Kaja Kühl	Urban Design Seminar	200 BUELL TU 11 AM - 1 PM	FULL SEMESTER 3 Points	10086
ARCH6940‑1	Fall 2022	Community Engagement Practicum	Kaja Kühl	Urban Design Seminar	200 BUELL TU 11 AM - 1 PM	FULL SEMESTER 3 Points	12488
A6940‑1	Fall 2021	Community Engagement Practicum	Kaja Kühl	Urban Design Seminar	200 BUELL NORTH TU 9 AM - 11 AM	FULL SEMESTER 3 Points	12601