238 courses
Real Estate Development
PLAN-640 | 3 CR Focuses on economic develop-
ment issues and the principles of real estate finance.
Topics include property descriptions, participants in the
development process, contract and closing procedures
and tools, tax shelters, types of real estate development
and an overview of the development process.The roles
played by the public and private sectors are examined
with an emphasis on discerning the differences in
perspective associated with each sector.
Thesis in Progress
PLAN-700 | 0 CR If the Demonstration of Profes-
sional Competence is not completed in the initial
semesters, students can continue working in PLAN-700
for no more than five semesters.
Planning Methods II
PLAN-701 | 3 CR Provides students with
knowledge of a range of advanced quantitative and
qualitative analytical methods used in urban planning.
This course covers basic survey methodology, advanced
land use analysis, transportation planning methods,
global and local economic trend analysis, methods
in environmental and regional planning, advanced
demography, program evaluation, policy analysis, and
policy evaluation. Readings include planning texts and
case studies.
GIS I: Fundamentals
PLAN-702A | 3 CR Introduces students to basic
concepts in data management, spreadsheet analysis,
digital mapping and Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) within the context of planning projects. The uses of
selected spreadsheet and GIS packages in various areas
of planning, such as land use, real estate, environmen-
tal management, transportation and infrastructure
planning are investigated. Students get hands-on expe-
rience with Excel, MAP INFO, and dBase packages.
Advanced GIS
PLAN-702BP | 3 CR This course will provide
advanced instruction in geographic information
systems (GIS) for urban planning applications. Skills
covered include database management for GIS, use of
maps to track social and environmental data over time,
interactive mapping technologies, and 3-D applications
of GIS. Students develop the ability to analyze data
spatially and use maps to represent complex social,
geographical, and environmental phenomena. Prereq-
uisites: take PLAN-544.
Advocacy Planning & Action
PLAN-711 | 3 CR Advocacy planning is a major
force in community, city, and regional decision-making
processes. The evolution, current status, and projected
role of advocacy in the planning and design domains
are considered. Topics include citizen participation
in political and developmental activities; changing
governmental policies affecting neighborhood housing
and commercial programs; work with established and
underrepresented community groups; the ideological
premises of advocacy and social action; and the rela-
tionship of the planner to society and societal concerns.
The course incorporates lectures, seminar discussions,
guest presentations, and student field-related projects.
It is a prerequisite for further independent study in the
advocacy field.Housing & Community Renewal
PLAN-712A | 1 CR Housing development, particu-
larly affordable housing, is a key component of planning
for sustainable cities. This course will examine the
dynamic relationships among social needs, planning,
and design, financial considerations, infrastructure and
environmental issues, and political and social factors.
Students will expand their proficiency in professional
skills used in housing development, focused on
residential real estate development, financing, and
financial analysis.Affordable Housing
PLAN-712B | 1 CR Housing is a universal social
necessity that at once plays a critical role in our built
environment and acts as a major force in our economy.
This minicourse is designed to provide a basic introduc-
tion to residential real estate development, financing,
and financial analysis for affordable housing develop-
ment. It focuses on developing critical analysis of the
various constraints which shape housing development
projects: economic, physical, legal, tax, and market
concerns.Special Needs Housing
PLAN-712C | 1 CR Housing is a universal social
necessity that at once plays a critical role in our built
environment and acts as a major force in our economy.
This mini course will expand student’s understanding of
affordable housing development by focusing on hous-
ing for people with special needs and the supportive
housing model. Topics covered include evolution and
history of supportive housing, current policy implica-
tions, and the design and financing of supportive
housing as well as how to adequately and equitably
plan for supportive housing in cities and communities.
Students should have a basic knowledge of affordable
housing development and finance before taking this
course.Community Economic Development
PLAN-713A | 3 CR Explores the phenomenon of
poverty and its causes and consequences. It is intended
to create a better understanding of poverty and covers
issues of definition, demographics, geographic distribu-
tion, and trends. Through readings, class discussions,
and guest lecturers, students examine the relationship
between poverty and employment, specifically focusing
on the plight of the working poor and critical issues
related to women and children in poverty. In the second
half of the course, students examine interventions
by the public and private sectors to uproot poverty,
including the Federal War on Poverty, the Welfare State,
private sector initiatives, and community development
involvement. The course concludes with an examina-
tion of the “underclass” phenomenon and attempts to
separate myths from realities.Downtown Economic Development
PLAN-713CP | 2 CR Downtowns are essential for
a community’s economic and civic health. This course
explores multi-disciplinary strategies to revitalize
downtowns, whether as small as a rural hamlet or as
large as a metropolitan center. The emphasis is on com-
mercial revitalization, but downtown and mixed-use
redevelopment are fully addressed. All of the elements
of a successful program are covered, including: surveys,
market analyses, public participation, access, transit,
parking, pedestrians, placemaking, streetscape, facade
programs, regulations, and “main street management.”Green Industry
PLAN-713P | 2 CR This course examines the basic
tools and practice of economic development with par-
ticular emphasis on efforts to launch a green industrial
sector. Public investment in energy conservation and
low carbon economy creates a tremendous opportunity
to expand domestic manufacturing and create jobs.
While there are promising pilot projects, their success
has not translated into the broad city, state, and federal
policies needed to capitalize on the opportunity. In
addition, ultimately, every business must be green and
we will use the policy tools developed for manufactur-
ing to examine how governments can incentivize green
behavior for all businesses.Social Planning
PLAN-714 | 3 CR Utilizes planning techniques in
the investigation of social problems facing communi-
ties. The major focus is cross-cutting themes, such as
the social role of government, poverty, privatization,
race, class, gender, and ethnicity. Topical issues on the
public agenda are also analyzed, incorporating issues
such as welfare reform and homelessness. Specific
issues and topics are selected according to students’
backgrounds and interests.