What if we let the city decline, change or go wild? Is land development truly “sustainable urbanism,” or are depopulating cities like St. Louis and Detroit trying to speak another path to us? This seminar examines anti-growth urban land management and preservation practices – practices that embrace systems of emergent, wild and unexpected urbanism. With some readings as guide, students will explore topics of state landbanking and autonomous land trusts, managed depletion (including St. Louis’ infamous “Team Four” memorandum), wilderness conservation and “greenway” creation, watershed reintroduction, agricultural land reclamation, experimental historic preservation projects that eschew restoration or even rehabilitation and even land taxation policies. The seminar will probe the question of what makes the city whole, with field outings in St. Louis and beyond. Work in the seminar will be based on site-specific interventions developed throughout the semester, proposing ways to undevelop sites and realize latent ecological vitalities. [LAND 530]