Food and environmental activists and designers can have a positive impact on the lives of people, places and neighborhoods. But to have lasting impact on larger systems that define cities and regions, countries or global communities, policy is key. The agreed norms, rules and regulations that make up the policy landscape are created and reauthorized according to a common policy cycle at city, state, national and international levels. By understanding the policy cycle and how it is shaped, activists, and designers, citizens and professionals can all contribute to resolving the more complex challenges of our time. This course introduces students to the policy dimension of sustainable design, planning and development with concrete examples from New York City, national policy and the new global 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Applied policy research for actual policy processes will put into practice what is learned in the classroom, with individual and team projects that may be local, national or international.