photo credit: Paul Lowry

This class will trace New York City’s protracted struggle to contain its solid waste burden, from the 19th century to the present.

We will cover key topics like public health, the Department of Sanitation, the Fresh Kills Landfill, environmental justice, and recycling. We will also discuss the future of municipal solid waste management, and innovative ideas like zero waste and community composting.

Taught by Inna Guzenfeld

Inna Guzenfeld is a planner and urban historian trained at Pratt Institute. She emigrated from the Ukraine in the nineties and grew up on the Coney Island peninsula. Her work centers on the New York waterfront, where she documents and advocates the city’s maritime past. She can often be found traversing Brooklyn’s industrial landscapes in search of stories and artifacts. She also teaches historic preservation and urban studies at CUNY.