Fall 2009 Courses

Welcome to the Urban Affairs and Planning (UAP) program course offering page. Below you will find course descriptions and associated syllabi for UAP courses offered in Virginia Tech's Northern Capital Region. The courses are arranged as full-credit (3-4 credit) or module (1-2 credit).

For the Virginia Tech Time Table of Classes, click here.

For the UAP program course offerings in Blacksburg for Fall 2009, click here.

Full Credit Courses (3-4 credit hours)

UAP 5104: Urban and Regional Development Theory (CRN 96254)

Meets: Wednesdays, 4:15 pm - 6:45 pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit hours: 3
Instructor: Dr. Derek S. Hyra ( dhyra [at] vt.edu )

This course explores the literature on urban and regional development theories. We will examine the factors that contribute to the growth or decline of metropolitan regions, cities, and urban communities. The readings focus on the multi-level dynamics (i.e., global, national, city and community) that influence an ever-changing urban and metropolitan environment. The class is separated into four sections. During the first part of the course, students will be exposed to the classic paradigms of urban analysis including human ecology, the growth machine, and economic globalization. In the second part of the course, we will focus on issues of race and inequity with metropolitan regions. These first two sections will set the context for the third part of the course where we will explore contemporary case studies of metropolitan development patterns in New York, Chicago and Washington, DC. In the fourth and final section, we interrogate national, regional and local policy prescriptions that attempt to stimulate development. We will explore whether these policy interventions make sense based on the theoretical paradigms and empirical cases presented in class. This course is relevant to students who are interested in the multitude of factors associated with the changing contours of the metropolitan landscape.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5114/CEE 5114: Computer Applications in Planning - GIS (CRN 96255)

Meets: Tuesdays, 4:15pm – 6:45pm, Online.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Kitty Hancock ( hancock [at] vt.edu )

This course will acquaint students with the basic concepts of a geographic information system (GIS) and its analytic capabilities. In addition to grounding the student in the principles and concepts of GIS technology, the course will include applications of this technology to planning problems and discuss important system implementation issues.  Course will be taught online.

 

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5124: Planning Studio (CRN 97884)

Meets: Thursdays, 4:15 pm - 6:45 pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit hours: 3
Instructor:Dr. Shelley Mastran

This planning studio’s client is the City of Falls Church, where we will be working with the planning director, economic development director, and business development manager. The class will focus on the redevelopment of one or two gateway areas into Falls Church probably the eastern gateway at Seven Corners and the western gateway on Route 7 near Haycock Road. The class will include elements of physical design, economic development, and land use planning.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5174: Theory & Practice of Planning (CRN 96257)

Meets: Mondays, 7:00pm-9:30pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Karen Danielsen ( kadaniel [at] vt.edu )

This course provides an introduction to the history and theories of urban planning. We will be actively discussing the ideas in all the readings during class The course covers several broad themes: (1)the historical rise of cities, suburbs and planning; (2) theoretical questions in planning; (3) the practice and need for planning (4) the politics of planning and urbanization; and (5) the current economic, technological and social-spatial transformation of cities.

The ideas presented both in class and in the readings will reveal that urban planning walks a tightrope operating someplace between an academic field and a profession. This is further complicated by the fact that urban planning draws theoretical ideas not just from its own practitioners but also from many other disciplines such as sociology, economics or political science. Over the course of the semester we will discuss the various roles of plans and planners such as whether planners should think like architects, social critics or private developers, whether plans should be grand and comprehensive or cautious and incremental, whether planners should assist or resist the private market, whether planners should be neutral professionals or social advocates, and whether planners should implement utopian visions of how cities could be or pragmatically deal urban problems as they arise.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5224: Quantitative Methods in Planning (CRN 96258)

Meets: Mondays, 7:00pm-9:30pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Kris Wernstedt ( krisw [at] vt.edu )

This course provides an introduction tostatistical methods used in planning activities,along with sources and organization of data.Although itcovers different conceptual issues in analysis, itemphasizes applications of analytical tools and the interpretation of results. The class features lectures, hands-on exercises, discussion of readings, out-of class short-term problem sets and written assignments, and longer-term group and individualresearch projects.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5234: Urban Economy and Public Policy (CRN 96259)

Meets: Wednesdays, 7:00pm-9:15pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Terry Holzheimer ( holzheim [at] vt.edu )

This course applies principles of urban economics and microeconomics to the analysis of a range of urban issues, including: growth management, housing, employment, environmental quality, poverty, and the provision of urban services.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5304 (96261): Land Use Planning

Mondays,  4:15pm-6:45pm

Credit Hours: 3

Instructors:  Dr. Shelley Mastran and James Snyder

This course deals with the basic concepts, principles, strategies, and tools of local-level urban land use planning.  The focus is on the real-world planning process and implementation.  We will consider information requirements for planning, policy considerations, environmental analysis, residential and non-residential land use needs, and a range of planning tools and put them into practice through a series of real-world exercises focused on local sites.  The class will include two field trips.

 

UAP 5314: Social Analysis of Land Use (CRN 96262)

Meets: Tuesdays, 7:00pm-9:30pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Casey Dawkins ( dawkins [at] vt.edu )

Households in most major U.S. metropolitan areas reside in neighborhoods that are racially, ethnically, and economically homogeneous. Evidence also points to an increase in household clustering by demographic group, political persuasion, and religious preference. These trends have important implications for the financing and provision of local public facilities and services in addition to shaping the “geography of opportunity” facing low income households.

This course examines the causes, consequences, and policy implications of residential segregation, paying particular attention to the forces contributing to the persistence of Anglo – African American segregation within U.S. cities. The course begins with an overview of the historical context and causes of residential segregation. Next, we examine the impacts of segregation on various economic and social outcomes. The final portion of the course deals with the policy dimensions of segregation, emphasizing relevant federal, state, and local policies that shape segregation patterns.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5414: Natural Resource Planning Topics (CRN 96263)

Meets: Wednesdays, 7:00pm-9:30pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Shelley Mastran

This class focuses on land analysis and management to protect environmental resources and improve land development, as implemented primarily through local and state planning in the U.S.  We will touch on natural hazards, soils and slopes, water quality and quantity, wetlands, and biodiversity, among other topics as we consider environmental impact assessment and mitigation, the design and development of environmentally sensitive land, and the protection and restoration of environmental resources.  The class will involve one or two field trips.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5424: Metro Topics: Urban Transportation Policy and Planning (CRN 96265)

Meets: Wednesdays, 4:15pm-6:45pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Ralph Buehler ( ralphbu [at] vt.edu )

This course provides an overview of planning and policy issues in urban transportation. Initially we will survey the recent history and current state of the U.S. urban transportation system and spatial development patterns. Next we will analyze problems and benefits of the current auto-dominated transportation system. Topics include energy use, equity, congestion, air pollution, safety, and urban sprawl. Other modes of transport including public transportation, bicycling, and walking will also be evaluated in the light of the current situation. The relative effectiveness and cost of various proposed solutions will be examined, including congestion pricing and taxation policies, improved technology, increased transit service, more bicycling, consumer regulation, investments in highway and transit infrastructure, and traffic management strategies. Moreover, the political/institutional context of urban transportation, which has changed dramatically in recent years, will be discussed, and the consequences for the future of transport planning will be explored. Most of the course will focus on the United States, but at least one week of the semester will be devoted to a comparative analysis of urban transportation in North America and Europe. Additionally the class will provide students with essential knowledge about current transportation databases accessible online.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5424: Metro Topics: The City in Film (CRN 97530)

Meets: Tuesdays/Thursdays, 7:00pm-9:30pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Karen E. Till ( ktill [at] vt.edu )

Cities and attitudes about them have changed during the more than one hundred years of cinematic portrayal. As an aesthetic form, film soon became a significant means of representing the built environment and imagining new urban forms. This course explores how cinematic representation mediates understandings of what cities are and how they (should) work, and examines how film reflects and influences theories and planning practices of the modern city. We will view and discuss films from the 1920s through the turn of the 21st century from multiple countries. Students will gain an understanding of such themes as: urban form and technology; social and cultural conflict in cities; political and economic processes; changing racial and gender relationships; and utopian and dystopian views of the urban future. Students will also gain experience in the methods of critical cultural analysis.

NOTE: This course meets twice a week. On Tuesday eves, we will show a film or series of film clips that will be introduced with a short overview of key themes and questions to consider. (I will try and get these recorded and be made available as podcasts for the course webpage.) With a couple of exceptions (contact instructor for details), Note: Because of the nature of the NCR student schedules,  Tuesday viewing night be doable on your own time (with a couple of exceptions). Please contact Dr. Till for details.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5424: Metro Topics: Planning the New Metropolis (CRN 96267)

Meets: Tuesdays, 4:15 pm - 6:45 pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Robert E. Lang ( rlang [at] vt.edu )

A topics course focusing on the methods and techniques of evaluating physical development needs of metropolitan areas their sub-areas. Emphasis on elements of land use, physical development needs, representation, and the role of comprehensive plans and implementing regulatory ordinances (zoning, land subdivision regulations, building codes, environmental regulations). May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credits.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5484: Advanced Research Methods (CRN 96269)

Meets: Mondays, 7:00pm-9:30pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Ralph Buehler ( ralphbu [at] vt.edu )

This hands-on research methods course is designed to help students develop an initial research strategy/design and rough draft of their Major Paper or Practicum Report—two options for completing the capstone requirement in Urban Affairs and Planning (UAP).   Based on their research interests students will conduct a literature review and then formulate research questions, hypotheses, and goals. Next, the course introduces different research methods, which the students apply to their specific research question. Methods tentatively include (check syllabus for final set of methods!): field research (participant and non-participant observation), full participation, photographic research, focus groups, content analysis, case studies, and mixed research. For their final paper and presentation students will pick one method and develop a research proposal and presentation.  During the course students will also acquire IRB certification and learn about writing strategies.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5554: Land Use Law (CRN 97931)

Meets: Thursdays, 7:00pm-9:30pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Prof. Joe Schilling ( jms33 [at] vt.edu )

Planning and the law are inseparable. Virtually every land use decision implicates the legal rights and responsibilities of property ownership, legal principles of real estate, and the regulatory or police powers of state and local government. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan wrote, “After all, if the policeman must know the constitution, then why not the planner?” San Diego Gas and Electric vs. the City of San Diego (1981).

Planning, development, and design professionals need a good grasp of legal processes and terminology so they can effectively accomplish their goals and objectives of planning, designing, building, and maintaining livable communities.  The same holds true for land use policy makers (e.g., planning commissioners, city/county elected officials, federal and state land managers, etc.). Policymaker AND practitioners must work in tandem with lawyers, law enforcement, and judges. Confusion and frustration sometimes results from these close partnerships as lawyers fail to fully appreciate the policy dimensions of the law and/or land use professionals fail to fully understand the legal dimensions of their decisions.

The primary goal of this course is to provide planners, architects, developers, and citizens with a solid foundation in how legal principles influence land use policy AND development decisions.  By the end of the course you should better understand and perhaps even appreciate HOW lawyers and judges make decisions—how they go through the process of legal reasoning. As a result, the course will require students to be conversant with the language of the law and the primary mode for understanding and applying the law—federal and state appellate court decisions.  While the course will also study statutory law (primarily state statutes and local ordinances), lawyers and judges focus on case law in determining the scope of existing and future land use powers.  Thus, the primary text for the course is a recent land use case book that includes many of the current aspects of land use planning (e.g., Smart Growth, New Urbanism, Eminent Domain, and Takings).

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5604: Housing Planning & Policy Topics (CRN 97931)

Meets: Tuesdays, 7:00pm-9:30pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Karen Danielsen ( kadaniel [at] vt.edu )

The course provides an overview of the history, current status, and trends in national housing policy, highlighting key issues and alternative approaches to promoting housing opportunity. This course will provide the background necessary to become informed participants in the debate over the future of U.S. housing policy at both the national and local level. The second part of the course will look at how housing policy works at the state and local level and a brief introduction to the residential development process. This will include some fundamental real estate analysis concepts and elements of a housing plan.  The last part of the class will cover current issues in housing policy. Students are expected to participate in class discussions based on the readings and lecture material and, at times, to lead discussions. Students will be expected to prepare and present a short white paper. There will be two take home exams based on the readings and class material and discussions.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5624: Urban Design Seminar: Historic Preservation Planning (CRN 97885)

Meets: Tuesdays, 4:15pm-6:45pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Elizabeth Morton ( ElizabethMorton [at] vt.edu )

Historic preservation is a key component of sustainable development and an essential investment strategy in today’s uncertain economic climate. This course will provide an overview of the history, theory and practice of historic preservation, with an emphasis on the application to contemporary planning and community design case studies. 

Among the topics covered will be:

• Theories of preservation, authenticity and community change

• National, state and local government roles and responsibilities

• Policy tools such as design review, preservation incentives, and marketing campaigns

• The role of the private sector (nonprofit organizations and developers)

•Policy challenges like urban sprawl, urban revitalization and preserving cultural landscapes

• Design challenges, such as incorporating “green” technology and enhanced security features into historic environments

The course will include two field trips, one of which will take place on a Saturday.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP 5624 Introduction to Urban Design and Behavior (CRN 98112)

Meets: Thursday 4:15-6:45pm at Alexandria Center.   

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Mariela Alfonzo

This course will provide an introduction to urban design paradigms,  practices, and skills. The course will explore various theories of  city form and their relevance today. The role of urban design in  planning practice and real estate development will also be examined.  As the art of making places, urban design can contribute highly to  the imageability of cities and to the quality of life of its  residents. A main focus of the course then, will be to understand  how the built environment impacts our everyday lives and behaviors.  In particular, we will explore the synergistic social and economic  effects of urban design. Students will participate in on-site case  studies that will provide a hands-on opportunity to experience urban  design in practice and analyze critical aspects of the built  environment.

 

UAP 5754 (96273): Metropolitan Planning Seminar: New Metropolis Lecture

Meets: Select Wednesdays, 7:00pm-9:30pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 1

Instructor: Dr. Kris Wernstedt ( krisw [at] vt.edu )

Students can sign up for a one-credit class if they want to attend the “New Metropolis Lecture Series.” Lectures take place once a month and students will be required to attend an additional lecture outside Virginia Tech and write a short discussion paper about topics covered in the class.

Lecture Dates:  August 26, September 30,October 28, November 18.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

UAP-5794: Environmental Planning Studio: Reimagining America’s Shrinking Cities through the lens of urban greening and sustainability

Meets: Wednesdays, 4:15pm – 6:45pm at the Alexandria Center.

Credit Hours: 3

Instructors: Prof. Joe Schilling ( jms33 [at] vt.edu )

The Fall 2009 environmental studio will explore the planning, policy, and design dimensions of how to reconfigure the built environment of shrinking cities, but with a special focus on strategies that promote urban greening and sustainability (e.g., urban agriculture, storm waster infrastructure, pocket parks, community energy generation, vacant property reclamation, etc.). We will examine the history of the shrinking cities movement in the US and abroad along with the technical assistance work of the National Vacant Properties Campaign (www.vacantproperties) in Youngstown, Buffalo, and Cleveland. We will also discuss urban greening programs, such as Groundwork USA and Philadelphia Green. Throughout the semester we will adopt Cleveland and its cutting edge initiative Reimagining Cleveland as the primary laboratory for our studio. We will evaluate their designs and plans and offer suggestions on how to make them more sustainability and more viable.  We will develop ideas on how to adopt plans and new zoning regulations to facilitate green reuse (such as urban agriculture).  Our proposed end product is an interactive series of web pages that document our experience.

The highlight of the semester is a field trip to Cleveland, October 16th-18th that will include field tours, lectures by Cleveland’s civic and community leaders, and informal conversations with neighborhood residents.

We will work side by side with professors and students from the University of Michigan’s Brownfield’s Studio and Kent State University’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative in providing written observations and assessments of the Reimagining Cleveland pilot projects.

We are still working out the travel logistical and details. Our hope is to have home stays with fellow students in Cleveland to minimize travel costs. We also hope to raise some funds to cover part of the travel expenses.  Given the usual travel designation for the studio, we will also make alternative assignments for those students that cannot attend the Cleveland field trip. For those that can join us this is a very special opportunity to work with students from other institutions, experience a shrinking city first hand, and lend a hand with Cleveland’s cutting edge visions to reconfigure and reimaging itself as perhaps the new Green City on the Blue Lake.

Course resources: < Syllabus >

 

 

 

Course Modules (1-2 credit hours)

UAP 5424 Metro Plan Topics: Local Community Development Finance

Meets: Friday, October 16 5:00pm-9:00pm and Sat, October 17  9:00am-5:00pm at the Alexandria Center's Polycom room.

Credit hours: 1

Instructors: Joseph Firschein and Jonathan Kivell

This module will explore community development finance from a practitioner's perspective and the course will be taught by two adjunct professors, a senior staff member in the Division of Consumer and Community Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board and a member of the Community Development Finance group of United Bank in DC.  The main focus of the module will be to understand the financing tools - from both public and private sources - in the development of affordable housing and charter school facilities.  The affordable housing discussion will include an analysis of both for-sale and rental projects and the module will also explore both the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program and the New Markets Tax Credit program.  The module will place a strong emphasis on the important role played by state and local agencies in spurring the development of projects in low- and moderate-income communities.  This module is a terrific opportunity to learn about the risks and challenges facing community development finance professionals around the country and to explore various solutions.

 

UAP 5424: Metro Plan Topics: History of Urban Planning and Design (CRN 98158)

Meets: Fri, October 23 5:00pm-9:00pm and Sat, October 24  9:00am-5:00pm at the Alexandria Center's Polycom room.

Credit Hours: 1

Instructor: Dr. Sonia Hirt ( shirt [at] vt.edu )

This graduate seminar introduces students to the most prominent urban design and planning movements in the ‘Western’ world since the 1850s. The course begins with the origins of modern planning and design as a response to the urban crisis of the mid-19th century. It then discusses how planners and designers attempted to alleviate the urban crisis by either radically restructuring the city and eradicating its history (e.g., the Modernist City), or by abandoning the city and replacing it with new settlements (e.g., the Garden City). The course compares and contrasts these proposals and poses the question of why so many of them have at least partially failed. It also critically examines the traditional planning idea of following some grand, master-minded vision of good urban form—form which often ends up disadvantaging many urban citizens (e.g., women and minorities). Finally, the course discusses how history shapes contemporary influential ideas in urban planning and design, such as New Urbanism and Smart Growth.

At the end of the course, students will be able to compare and contrast the philosophical assumptions and the strategies employed by the main historic planning movements. They will also be able to evaluate the impact of history on contemporary planning thought.

UAP 5424 Metropolitan Planning Topics: International Comparative Urban Transportation & Sustainability (CRN 98011)

Meets: Module Meets in Blacksburg, VA. Alexandria Students Please use this CNR/Section to Register Dates: Friday, November 6, 5:00pm-8:00pm and November 7, 9:00am-5:00pm.

Credit hour: 1

Instructor: Dr. Ralph Buehler ( ralphbu [at] vt.edu )

This module compares transportation systems, problems, policies, and planning around the world, including developed and developing countries. On Friday evening, the instructor will start the class with a lecture on the U.S. transportation system, benefits, problems, and costs. On Saturday, students will introduce transportation policies and systems of a city, country, or area of the world. Depending on class size, two or more students will work together. Each presentation should end with lessons for the U.S., which the class can discuss. Ideally we would move from North America, to Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and Africa. The class will end with a summary of lessons for the U.S. and barriers and opportunities for sustainable transportation here. Teams of students will be formed and cities, countries will be assigned during a meeting in September. Students are welcome to volunteer or suggest topics, countries, and cities.

Course resources: < Syllabus >


 

Courses