The primary goal of this course is to equip participants with a foundational understanding of urban planning theory and practice. Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Aspiring Urban Planners and Designers
• Municipal and Regional Government Staff
• Architects and Landscape Architects
• Civil Engineers and Transportation Professionals
• Community Activists and Non-profit Leaders
• Real Estate Developers and Investors
• Students in Public Administration or Geography
• Elected Officials and Policy Makers

• Case Studies of successful and failed city planning projects
• Interactive Mapping and GIS Demonstrations
• Group Activities focused on creating a basic zoning proposal
• Discussions on planning ethics and controversial development issues
• Individual Exercises: Analyzing a local comprehensive plan
• Guest speaker presentations from practicing urban planners

Unit 1: The Scope of Urban Planning

• Origins of planned cities and early urban development
• The City Beautiful Movement and its influence
• Post-WWII suburbanization and its planning response
• The rise of comprehensive planning and zoning
• Contemporary challenges in the 21st-century city
• Key figures and foundational texts in planning history

• Defining the public interest and planning ethics
• Stages of the comprehensive plan cycle (research, vision, implementation)
• Introduction to land use controls and zoning ordinances
• Understanding the political and legal frameworks of planning
• The role of data and analysis in planning decisions
• Stakeholder engagement and public participation methods

Unit 2: Land Use and Zoning Basics

• Residential density types and their impacts
• Commercial and retail hierarchy planning
• Industrial and employment zone considerations
• Open space, recreation, and conservation zoning
• Mixed-use development principles and benefits
• Techniques for measuring and projecting land demand

• Standard Euclidean zoning vs. form-based codes
• Special exceptions, variances, and conditional use permits
• Overlay districts and their application (e.g., historic, flood zone)
• Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) and density bonuses
• Enforcement and administration of zoning regulations
• Critiques and modern alternatives to traditional zoning

Unit 3: Transportation and Infrastructure

• The relationship between land use and transportation
• Fundamentals of traffic demand management (TDM)
• Planning for complete streets and multimodal networks
• The hierarchy of transportation modes (pedestrian, bicycle, transit, auto)
• Evaluating transportation impact studies (TIS)
• Concepts of transit-oriented development (TOD)

• Planning for water supply and wastewater treatment systems
• Solid waste management and recycling strategies
• Power, energy grids, and utility coordination in development
• The concept of 'green infrastructure' and stormwater management
• Financing, maintenance, and capital improvement programming
• Integrating infrastructure planning with resilience goals

Unit 4: Housing and Community Development

• Understanding the housing continuum (from homelessness to ownership)
• Affordable housing strategies (inclusionary zoning, subsidies)
• Analyzing local and regional housing market dynamics
• Addressing segregation and fair housing requirements
• The role of planning in promoting diverse housing types
• Measuring housing affordability and cost burdens

• Principles of New Urbanism and Smart Growth
• Tools for neighborhood revitalization and renewal
• The social and economic dimensions of community development
• Strategies for fostering public safety and crime prevention through design
• Managing gentrification and promoting social equity
• Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approaches

Unit 5: Environmental and Economic Planning

• Introduction to environmental impact assessment (EIA)
• Integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation into plans
• Planning for open space conservation and biodiversity
• Sustainable energy and resource management in urban areas
• Watershed-based planning and flood risk reduction
• Principles of compact, mixed-use, and walkable communities

• Analyzing regional economic base and industry clusters
• Strategies for business attraction, retention, and expansion
• The role of planners in workforce development
• Using incentives (e.g., tax increment financing, enterprise zones)
• Planning for downtown and main street revitalization
• Measuring the economic impact of development projects