Begin forwarded message:

From: "St. Charles, Justin" <[log in to unmask]>

Subject: New Course Listing Spring 2020 PDC 403 Introduction to Domicology

Date: October 21, 2019 at 12:26:46 PM EDT

To: [log in to unmask]

Reply-To: "St. Charles, Justin" <[log in to unmask]>

May I recruit your help in getting the word out to academic advisors across the campus about our Spring semester course PDC 403 , Introduction to Domicology: Sustainable Built Environment? This past year building off of our experience with the special topics course we were successful in getting the course listed as a regular offering in the School of Planning, Design and Construction (thus the new unit code listing). As in previous offerings the course is Open to all majors and we very much value the participation of students from multiple academic disciplines!

 

Domicology is the study of policies, practices, and consequences of human structural abandonment with the goal of better understanding what can be done to reduce the negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of structural abandonment.

 

The Problem: Many communities nationally and worldwide have suffered from widespread residential, commercial, and industrial property abandonment. A study conducted at Harvard University in 2013 reported that vacant homes not being marketed for sale or rent in the U.S. reached a record high of 7.4 million in 2012. One need only look at the legacy cities in the State of Michigan to see the scope and effect of structural abandonment.

The current policies and practices that govern property abandonment and the landfilling of debris from abandoned structures is socially, economically and environmentally detrimental and unsustainable. Local governments are faced with the task of eliminating these structures, and taxpayers bear the costs of demolition.

Demolition debris from abandoned properties generates large amounts of material waste as well, contributing to environmental contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that approximately 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste is generated each year. This volume of material constitutes approximately ¼ of all landfill waste. In Detroit alone the Detroit Land Bank estimates they generate approximately 650 containers in a 3 month period of structural debris.

In addition to the removal of abandoned structures new construction in the current paradigm requires constant extraction of non-renewable raw resources, which has contributed to deforestation, top-soil loss, and air and water pollution.

Our current paradigm of structural abandonment makes it difficult to hold individuals and corporations accountable for their abandoned structures. There are substantial public costs incurred by the abandonment of private structures; abandoned properties inhibit talent retention/attraction, depress community economic vitality, and divert limited public resources to blight elimination.

A new structural paradigm which recognizes that structures have a “life cycle” must be advanced to overcome and eventually eliminate the current built environment paradigm that is unsustainable on so many levels. Thus the science of Domicology has emerged to examine a more sustainable built environment paradigm.

 

This Class: As an emerging field of study students enrolled in this course will have the opportunity to be pioneers in examining the social, economic, and environmental parameters that present themselves as we rethink our built environment relationship and join with others across disciplines to reinvent our built environment.

 

Please share this opportunity with your fellow academic advisors and others who may be interested! Check out the Domicology web page for more information on this issue at https://domicology.msu.edu/ .

 

For more information on this unique learning opportunity please don’t hesitate to contact me at : Rex LaMore at [log in to unmask]

 

Thanks for your assistance in helping us reach interested students.

 

Best regards, 

 

Rex

 

Rex L. LaMore, Ph.D.
Director
Center for Community and Economic Development
University Outreach and Engagement
Michigan State University
1615 E. Michigan Ave. 
Lansing, Michigan 48912
tel: 517/353-9555 
fax: 517/884-6489
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
web: http://www.ced.msu.edu

"If we are to achieve results never before accomplished,
 we must employ methods never before attempted."
                                  Sir Francis Bacon