Course description: The course examines selected historical issues concerning man and the environment in the Modern Era. During the course, we will go back in time and wider in the spatial perspective. The course is composed of three parts: the environmental cost of the development of Israeli cities at the beginning of the 20th Century, landscape changes during the 19-20th centuries, and man-nature relations in the colonial world during the 18-19th centuries. The course includes several excursions during class time, which will demonstrate the impact of the physical environment of the 19th century on the urban development of Tel Aviv until nowadays.

Main topics: What is environmental-history?, the environmental influence of the beginning of modern urbanism in Israel, environmental thought in Tel Aviv during the British Mandate, environmental issues during the first decade of the State of Israel, influence of the British Mandate in Palestine on the landscape, Zionist environmental perspectives, swamp drainage, introduced species, European and Northern-American environmental-history, colonial environmental-history, environmental influence of the Industrial Revolution, the environmental cost of massive urbanization in western cities.

Teaching methods: lessons, reading, discussions and excursions.
Students' duties: Attendance and active participation in the lessons and excursions, reading the reading materials.

Course prerequisite: none.
Assessment: 100% final exam