Permanence, durability, and solidity have traditionally been paramount virtues of design and the built environment. Proponents of those values have relegated temporary objects to the margins, regarding them as imitations of a more permanent ideal. But is provisionality truly peripheral to design practice? And what happens when temporary interventions endure beyond their intended lifespans? This course will consider a history of temporary environments from around the world. Aiming to open up design possibilities and critically consider the “lifecycles” of spaces and places, we will confront challenges that temporary environments present to how we approach history, practices, thinking, and institutions. How might we understand the multi-layered complexity of the categories of “temporary” and “environment”? How can we reconcile the various, sometimes conflicting valences of “temporary” with related terms like “transient,” “short-lived,” “impermanent,” “fleeting,” “ephemeral,” or “disposable”? Likewise, can we interpret “environment” at once as the immediate space that surrounds us, but also according to the term’s specific historical connotations, with particular attention to its relevance to the design professions? To address these questions, students will pursue research on temporary environments through design media and scales ranging from landscapes and cities to architecture and interiors to products and lighting. Through case studies and assigned readings, we will continually ask: How might a focus on temporary environments spur new opportunities for thinking, writing, designing, and building that are more agile, more sustainable, and more just?