Urban and Regional Planning (URP)

URP 5213. Social Justice in the City. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Examines spatial inequality particularly in distressed communities. Emphasis is placed on residential segregation, the deconcentration of poverty, and policies and programs that perpetuate spatial inequalities and promote the geographies of opportunity. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5223. Community Development Finance. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Provides a general understanding of economic development and real estate finance. Students learn about a developer’s pro forma income and expense statement, calculating debt service and the return on investment, discounted cash flow analysis, underwriting practices, deal structuring, and financing project gaps. Programs such as CDBG, new market tax credits, the low-income housing tax credit program, and historic rehabilitation tax credits are introduced. Real world case studies are explored throughout the course to understand how federal, state, and local government funding sources can be used with private sector resources to finance community-based projects. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5233. GIS for Urban Studies. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Provides a basic understanding of spatial analysis using geographic information systems. Emphasis is placed on analyzing urban issues with GIS tools. Topics include mapping density and change, measuring geographic distributions, and analyzing patterns and clusters. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5313. Urban Housing Policy and Analysis. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. An examination of the evolution of housing and neighborhood design and planning with emphasis on sustainable planning and design methods, and solutions. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5333. Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course explores the theory and practice of land use planning in local, regional, and state-level planning in the United States. This course deals with the institutional environment in which planning occurs, and the methods planners must know to create and implement a comprehensive plan. It will cover the topics of zoning and subdivision regulations, long-range comprehensive plan, and basic principles of functional plans, area plans, site plans, and form-based codes. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5343. History and Theory of Urban and Regional Planning. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course reviews the origins and evolution of thought and action in planning, including post-colonial perspectives. Students have the opportunity to explore theory in planning contexts for practical application and research. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5353. Structure and Function of Cities and Regions. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. A study of the social, political, economic, and changing physical design, form, and infrastructure of cities and regions. Differential Tuition: $165. Course fees: STSE $30; SAP1 $25.

URP 5363. Urban Planning Methods I. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Introduction to research design in urban planning and basic exploratory analytic tools. Topics include: data gathering and management, demographic and employment analysis and forecasting, literature gathering and synthesis, visualization, database graphics, and GIS for applications in urban and regional planning with an emphasis on how these inform question formation. (Formerly titled “Intermediate Urban Planning Methods.”) Differential Tuition: $165. Course fee: DL01 $75.

URP 5373. Site Planning and Design. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course will introduce students to site planning as both a design activity and also as a nexus of principles and issues that are central to the profession of urban planning. Through this course, students will have an opportunity to learn how to use various planning software to conduct land suitability and site analysis, and build-out analysis. For the final project, students will develop a site plan visualizing the arrangements of buildings, structure, infrastructure, and landscape based on local zoning, subdivision, and land development ordinances. Differential Tuition: $165. Course fee: LRE1 $25; STSE $30.

URP 5383. Planning and Housing for Rural Communities. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. A survey of the comprehensive planning of small towns and housing in rural areas. Includes consideration of growth management techniques. Differential Tuition: $165. Course fees: SAP1 $25; STSE $30.

URP 5393. Urban Planning Methods II. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Design and implementation of quantitative models in urban planning to answer relevant research questions. Emphasis on connecting method to question. Topics include descriptive statistics, difference of means testing, correlation, basic spatial statistics, regression analysis, and effectively communicating analytic results. (Formerly titled “Advanced Urban Planning Methods.”) Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5413. Planning Practice and Ethics. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course explores how planners work, including legal foundations, ethical challenges, and practical issues. Students also have the opportunity to practice project management and organizational communication. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5423. Graphic Communication for Planners. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course is designed for graduate students in urban planning who are interested in graphic communications. The course goal is to obtain skills in graphic production that enable planners to communicate their ideas and plans to the public. Differential Tuition: $165. Course fees: SAP1 $25; STSE $30.

URP 5433. Transportation Planning. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This survey of transportation planning includes foundations, practical techniques, and disruptions, emphasizing emerging and sustainable transportation modes. Differential Tuition: $165. Course fees: STSE $30; SAP1 $25.

URP 5443. Community Development. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Introduction to contemporary trends in urban development and redevelopment, focusing on planning and development techniques used to develop or revitalize urban and regional areas. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5453. Urban and Regional Sustainability. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Through this course, students will have the opportunity to acquire background knowledge necessary for developing plans and policies to promote sustainable urban and regional growth and preserve natural areas. This course will cover a wide range of state, regional, and local-level growth management techniques and land preservation policies. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5463. Environmental Planning and Assessment. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course will examine the legal basis of environmental planning and policy in the US. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the impacts of air, water, and land pollution, and evaluate planning and policy responses. The course will also survey and evaluate planning tools and strategies to protect the environment, conserve natural resources, and mitigate climate change for sustainable and livable future communities. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5473. Introduction to Health Planning. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to fundamental concepts, principles, and methods of health planning aimed at the provision of health services, health-supportive facilities and the design of healthy communities. Differential Tuition: $165. Course fees: SAP1 $25; STSE $30.

URP 5483. Planning Workshop. (2-2) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. A seminar/workshop involving an application of theory and practice relating to an urban or regional scale project. May be repeated for credit. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5493. Planning and Economic Development. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. An introduction to economic development as a critical element of neighborhood, community, regional, and national planning. The course addresses current economic development practices and theory. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 5513. Public Participation and Qualitative Analysis. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course involves methods of facilitating public input and analyzing textual data. Topics include: Online and in-person involvement, integrating input to plans, co-production, and evaluation with case study, observational, and content analysis techniques. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 6933. Planning Professional Report. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: URP 6943 and approval of the Urban and Regional Planning Graduate Advisor of Record. The directed planning research course is offered only for nonthesis option students who have completed URP 6943 Professional Internship. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 hours may be applied to the Master’s degree. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 6943. Professional Internship. (0-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing, 18 semester credit hours of graduate work, and consent of instructor. Supervised professional practice experience with public agencies or private firms. Individual conferences and written reports required. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 hours will apply to the Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 6951. Independent Study. (0-0) 1 Credit Hour.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and permission in writing (form available) from the instructor and the Graduate Advisor of Record. Independent reading, research, discussion, and/or writing under the direction of a faculty member, for students needing specialized work not normally or not often available as part of the regular course offerings. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to the Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Differential Tuition: $55.

URP 6953. Independent Study. (0-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and permission in writing (form available) from the instructor and the Graduate Advisor of Record. Independent reading, research, discussion, and/or writing under the direction of a faculty member, for students needing specialized work not normally or not often available as part of the regular course offerings. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to the Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 6961. Comprehensive Examination. (0-0) 1 Credit Hour.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission from the Urban and Regional Planning Graduate Advisor of Record to take the comprehensive examination. Independent study course for the purpose of taking the Comprehensive Examination. The grade report for the course is either “CR” (satisfactory performance on the Comprehensive Examination) or “NC” (unsatisfactory performance on the Comprehensive Examination). Credit earned in URP 6961 may not be counted toward the Master of Science degree. May be repeated once. Differential Tuition: $55.

URP 6973. Special Topics. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. An organized course offering the opportunity for specialized study not normally or not often available as part of the regular course offerings. Special Topic courses may be repeated for credit when topics vary, but not more than 6 semester credit hours of URP 6973 or 12 hours of URP 6976 will apply to the Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Differential Tuition: $165.

URP 6976. Special Topics. (6-0) 6 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. An organized course offering the opportunity for specialized study not normally or not often available as part of the regular course offerings. Special Topic courses may be repeated for credit when topics vary, but not more than 6 semester credit hours of URP 6973 or 12 hours of URP 6976 will apply to the Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Differential Tuition: $330.

URP 6981. Master's Thesis. (0-0) 1 Credit Hour.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission from the Urban and Regional Planning Graduate Advisor of Record. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 hours will apply to the Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Credit will be awarded upon completion of the thesis. Enrollment is required each term in which the thesis is in progress. Differential Tuition: $55.

URP 6983. Master's Thesis. (0-0) 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission from the Urban and Regional Planning Graduate Advisor of Record. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 hours will apply to the Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Credit will be awarded upon completion of the thesis. Enrollment is required each term in which the thesis is in progress. Differential Tuition: $165.