This is the first in a series of foundational courses for the Sustainability and Development Specialization in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. Neo-classical economics, political economy, and modernization theory have dominated development discourse for several decades. Environment and
sustainability policy and planning for the Global South has evolved in concert with these foundational approaches to produce the system we have today. The aim of this course is to provide you with a basic understanding of the foundations 
underpinning sustainability and development policy and practice, the knowledge and skills to identify its strengths and weaknesses, and to inspire ideas for a more just and verdant future. We find ourselves at a unique moment in history, where issues of structural inequities, the global shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lived experience of climate change uniquely position us to reevaluate the underlying philosophies, implementation strategies, and monitoring and evaluation of development efforts focused on environment and sustainability. How can we advance a sustainability and development agenda that will on balance lead to more
favorable outcomes for both people and the environment?