Final answer:
In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a notable shift towards environmental consciousness, leading to the rise of environmental art, changes in the study of history and geography, and the beginnings of modern urban environmental planning and policy.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the 1960s and 1970s, there was a significant shift of focus in how academics and activists alike studied sites and their surroundings. This era marked the rise of environmental consciousness and the beginning of the environmentalist movement. The publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in 1962, highlighting the adverse effects of pesticides, and the pioneering environmental ethics work of Aldo Leopold served to recalibrate our sense of interconnectedness with the natural world. Similarly, sculptors began integrating their work into the landscape, collaborating with landscape designers and site architects, leading to a new form of environmental art. In the field of social history, there was a shift towards understanding history as shaped by all people, not just the elites, and recognizing the role of social constructs in informing belief systems.
In geography, a paradigm shift occurred known as the quantitative revolution, where geographers adopted scientific methodologies and sought to discover laws that govern society, a shift that has been bolstered by advancements in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Also, influential in the realm of urban planning, environmental concerns began to reshape the strategies of urban development, as evident in the implementation of the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the inauguration of Earth Day in 1970.