Urban Planning Courses

Provides an introduction to urban and regional planning by examining the history of American urbanization, the evolution of American planning thought and practice, and contemporary issues and planning approaches.

Introduces students to basic analytical techniques used to better understand how cities work. Topics include the foundational statistical concepts of data, variation, and inference. Students formulate a research question about an urban studies or planning issue, collect data, use statistical software to analyze data, and communicate the findings.

Provides students with a basic understanding of how to make cities more sustainable by connecting how and where we live to environmental issues. Emphasis on green infrastructure and urban systems, vulnerability and resilience, green design and construction methods, energy production and consumption, and water conservation.

Study of the history and politics of American cities as sites of everyday struggles against systemic racialized exclusions rooted in patterns of residential segregation. Focus on the governance of routine social practices ranging from policing, to education, to gentrification and memorialization in public places.

Introduction to the process of urbanization from a global perspective by exploring the social, political, cultural and economic forces that shape urban life. Students will learn to analyze urban development in a range of cities including those in the Middle East and South Asia, Latin America and Africa.

American cities are characterized by deep and persistent environmental inequalities. Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately exposed to environmental harms and have reduced access to environmental amenities, disparities that climate change threatens to deepen. In this course, we will examine the social, political, and economic processes that have produced these disparities. We will pay particular attention to the ways in which urban planning has historically contributed to the making of unequal urban landscapes, as well as the tools and frameworks that planners can draw on today to bring about more environmentally just futures. This course is designed to both develop analytical skills and actively engage students in critical thinking, discussion, and reflection.

Introduces students to different career paths open to urban studies and planning majors. Students interact with professionals and take part in hands-on activities related to different concentration areas: sustainability, policy & planning, social justice and global cities.

Provides a broad introduction to social science theories and analysis methods to examine how people, communities, and governments plan a city. Draws upon theories and methods of several social science disciplines including economics, geography, political science, anthropology and sociology. Includes hands-on application of fundamental analysis techniques. (Credit is not given for both UP 203 and UP 204)

Provides a broad introduction to social science theories and analysis methods, and uses the City of Chicago as a semester-long case study to examine how people, communities, and governments plan a city. Draws upon theories and methods of several social science disciplines including economics, geography, political science, anthropology, and sociology. Balances themes and concepts from the assigned readings with discussion of Chicago-specific case studies and hands-on application of fundamental analysis techniques.

Basic ecological principles underlying environmental sustainability. Examination of problems that arise from inadequate consideration of structure and function of ecological systems, and approaches to ecological restoration and environmentally sound planning. Applications of principles to case studies drawn from urban planning, natural resource management and sustainable development.

Economic issues surrounding environmental quality, including: costs and benefits of environmental protection; economics of environmental policies (such as those dealing with toxics, water, and air pollution, and municipal solid waste); and economics of international environmental problems (such as ozone depletion and climate change). Same as ECON 210, ENVS 210, NRES 210 and ACE 210.

Provides students with a basic understanding of the governmental structure, legal aspects, and practice of local municipal planning, with special emphasis on case law, constitutional principles, zoning, subdivision regulations and comprehensive planning. Gives an introduction for students interested in pursuing more advanced studies in land use law and local government planning.

This course prepares students to think critically about the following types of questions: What does our transportation system look like today, and how did we get here? Who makes decisions about transportation infrastructure and how are projects funded? What are the impacts of transportation on congestion, the environment, safety, health, and equity? How can we design streets and places that are safe for users of all travel modes, ages, and abilities? Will autonomous vehicles simply encourage more driving, or can they be harnessed to support community goals?

This course examines the social dimensions of environmental change, with an emphasis on cities and regions in the global South. The course is designed for sophomore and junior undergraduate students with interests in areas such as environmental planning, sustainable development, environmental justice, and environmental policy and management.

How are inequalities produced and contested in an urban environment? This course examines this question by analyzing how the urban landscape shapes and is shaped by race, class, and gender inequalities. Uses comparative cases to explore successful intervention, both from formal and informal, across multiple scales from the local to the global.

Integrates written, verbal, and graphic communication techniques into planning and analysis. Activities simulate professional situations where students develop skills and pieces of broader arguments and synthesize them into final products.

Provides an introduction to formal methods for collecting and analyzing data required in various planning processes. Methods include survey research, regional demographic and economic analysis, forecasting techniques, benefit-cost analysis, and decision analysis. Prerequisite: UP 116 or an introductory statistics course.

Entry-level data science course which introduces basic scientific methods, processes, and algorithms to extract and further understand knowledge or insights from all kinds of data in the urban environment. Students will learn a set of fundamental concepts in data science during lectures. The weekly hands-on lab will cover methods and tools of effective data analysis and visualization. This course builds a common foundation for quantitative analysis among undergraduates for a wide application in their capstone/projects. Prerequisite: UP116 or equivalent statistical course such as: ACE261, STAT100, STAT107, or STAT200.

Explores in theory, policy, and practice, community arts-based projects, participatory methods, and cultural practices from an international, interdisciplinary, and intersectional approach. It will critically analyze how different individuals, groups, and institutions are using, both formally and informally, the arts and creative practices to engage and build communities, shape the physical environment, and address persistent societal problems. Students will work in phases to propose a creative placemaking project based on an accurate site.

The Modern American City investigates the changing social and economic composition of cities, and the changing status of cities in U.S. society. The course focuses on the propulsive role race plays in three separate periods: The post-war period of African-American migration from the South and white flight, the post-1990 revival of cities and the amplification of their social inequalities, and the current period of pro-equity politics interracial coalitions of voters and organizers. Each course section explicitly considers the role that racial difference and other forms of difference play in first creating and second responding to the inequalities that characterize U.S. cities and society.

Explores the evolving role of health in urban planning. Historical and current theories on the relationship between public health and the built environment are highlighted, as are prescriptions for healthy urban design. Community health planning, health disparities, and the needs of special populations in the city are also examined, along with some of the major policy issues affecting urban health care today.

This is an upper-division course in urban economic development. The course is designed for urban planning, architecture, geography, business, economics and engineering students with an interest in economic development. The purpose of the course is to provide a broad understanding of the economic development process and the role urban planning and public policy play in facilitating economic development, concentrating on the local level. In addition to a broad knowledge of economic development planning, you should take away from this course a broader understanding of the institutional and practical elements of economic development. The course sessions will focus on public-private-partnerships and specific projects in urban economic development, including study of potentials and problems, financing urban economic
development through federal grant programs, tax increment financing, and other means.

Provides students with an opportunity to further develop planning skills and knowledge to prepare for an advanced level urban planning workshop. Students will work in small groups to define and solve planning problems as they improve skills in data collection and analysis, mapping and spatial analysis, design, oral and written communication and presentation, public engagement, teamwork, and consensus building. Specific projects associated with the workshop will vary from year to year. Prerequisite: UP 312.

Understanding of the process of land development from the perspective of both the planner and the developer. Includes an understanding of planning and zoning concepts, infrastructure needs, and incentive tools commonly used by municipalities in recruiting and facilitating land development. This course provides the student the opportunity to learn basic concepts to land development and then apply them in a land development project proposal.

Discussion and activities related to professional development and networking for career success. Students will attend professional development activities such as lectures, conferences, and networking events. The class meetings will be an opportunity for peer learning through activities, as well as to reflect on professional development activities. The final project is a professional portfolio that is representative of your major work over the course of your academic career.

Examines cities as natural systems, combining ecological analyses with historical, anthropological, and sociological studies of urban nature. Addresses ecological sustainability, growth management, biodiversity, restoration, and environmental justice. Required field trip. Same as ENVS 406.

Provides students with an understanding of the fundamental concepts of fiscal planning at the state and local levels of government. Addresses both the theory and methods of state and local finance, focused on state and local fiscal policy. Addresses emerging policy issues involving land use and taxation, spending and budgeting, intergovernmental cooperation, debt financing, financing for economic development, and privatization.

Detailed introduction to the design and use of computerized geographic information systems, focusing on their significance for planning. Emphasizes GIS within an institutional setting, covering not only fundamental technical concepts, but also organizational, management, and legal issues. Students will be introduced to GIS applications and products through readings, videos, demonstrations, and exercises. Computer laboratory work is included.

Introduces students to the main theoretical frameworks and conceptual building blocks of urban and community development in the global South. It helps students to develop a critical grassroots focused understanding of the approaches to development planning, the notion of community participation and empowerment, and the role of various actors including the non-government organizations and the community-based groups.

Concepts and techniques of urban analysis, plan making, and implementation essential for effective interdisciplinary work in urban design.

Digital Storytelling explores how storytelling can play a central role in planning education and practice by democratizing knowledge, sharpening critical judgement, and expanding our practical tools. This course, by exploring other mediums of communication, seeks to move beyond the hegemony of textual communication and introduce means that might further democratize both production and dissemination of knowledge. In this course we offer a range of digital communication tools (eg. by podcast, video, info graph and storymap) that are critical to inclusive planning and education.

Role of transportation in urban development and planning; characteristics of urban-person transportation systems and methods of analysis and forecasting of urban-person transportation demand; transportation systems management and capital improvement programming; and emphasis on the needs and activities of metropolitan planning organizations. Same as CEE 417.

This course provides the basic skills needed to understand how planners and decision makers can use information about travel behavior to plan transportation investments. Students will gain applied experience with travel demand modeling software. Additional course topics include an introduction to travel behavior theory, travel model evaluation, and emerging modeling applications. Prerequisite: UP 430, UP 460 or CEE 417, or consent of instructor. Junior standing required.

This course introduces the fundamentals of planning for pedestrian and bicycle transportation. Students will learn about the benefits and challenges of planning for walking and cycling; the roles of plans, policies, and infrastructure in supporting active travel; key elements of infrastructure design; methods to assess safety and access; and processes to create, implement, and evaluate plans and programs. Activities will include interactive discussions, hands-on exercises such as safety audits and site analyses, and a client-based project addressing real-world community needs.

Introduces the fundamentals of planning for public transportation in cities and regions. Students will learn about the benefits and challenges of providing public transportation services; planning fundamentals (history, policy, governance, finance); connections between transportation and land use; types and uses of data for system planning and design; service planning methods (capacity analysis, network and route design); and emerging trends in service provision. Activities will include hands-on projects designed around skills and core competencies that practitioners have identified as critical for transportation planners.

The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the role of urban planners in preparing for and rebuilding after disasters. Emphasizes U.S. planning practice, with particular attention to the role of local government. Includes basic U.S. emergency management laws and framework, local mitigation planning, and post-disaster recovery planning.

This course teaches theories and tools of scenario analysis, a set of techniques useful for making plans and creating more sustainable future cities. Scenario analysis can be used to think about multiple facets of a problem simultaneously and for addressing the uncertain future in light of the limited cognitive and computational capacity of individuals and organizations. Urban planners and policymakers are adopting and extending scenario approaches to envision the future, analyze decisions, and identify robust strategies in situations as varied as comparing projected outcomes of alternative routes for highway investment, to making decisions in situations when formal regulatory mechanisms may be lacking. The need for knowledge and skills in this area is reflected in (1) the growing use of scenario analysis as a required method in many government-funded planning initiative in the United States and around the world, (2) new courses and workshops offered by urban planning programs and professional trainers, such as the American Planning Association and Planetizen, and (3) the sprouting of scenario planning support tools, such as Envision Tomorrow and Index PlanBuilder.

Examines sustainability issues of concern to planners, such as resource conservation, urban growth, environmental justice, industrial development, social equity, sustainable agriculture, and economic development. Presents holistic approaches ranging from theoretical concepts to detailed case studies that combine urban and regional land use, physical design, and policymaking. Same as GGIS 446, LA 446 and NRES 446.

Small group field work applying principles and techniques to specific land use problems in selected jurisdictions. Prerequisite: UP 347, or consent of instructor.

Focuses on applying sustainable planning principles in a real world setting. Readings and research into indices of sustainable development, sustainable urbanism, and related literature help establish parameters for resolving a local planning project. Course is a hybrid workshop with portions of the semester spent on reading, research, and application working with a local planning agency. Prerequisite: UP 347 or consent of instructor.

Provides an integrated perspective and analytical framework for understanding urban transportation and land use policies. Emphasizes the interplay between the built environment and transportation by focusing on : fundamental travel demand theories; performance measures of urban transportation systems; impacts of transportation on land use and urban form; impacts of land use and urban form on travel patterns; congestion pricing; public transportation and active transportation; and transit oriented development (TOD).

Housing represents a fundamental human need and a critical element of human settlements. Within the context of urban planning, housing represents one of the ways in which planning intervention has sought to ensure the health and safety of residents, while also bearing influence on the spatial, social, and economic relationships that differentiate housing and other land uses. Within this class, we will explore the policies and practices that constitute housing policy in the United States and abroad, in order to understand where and how planning strategies have been effective (and ineffective) at shaping physical, economic, social, and political dimensions of housing.

This course will provide an introduction to the fundamental concepts and techniques applied in the real estate development process, examining both the broader economic and social context in which real estate development is situated as well as how various professions interact within this context.

Application of community development principles and techniques to the solution of environmental, economic and social problems facing low income urban communities. Involves small group projects and off-campus field work in collaboration with community leaders. Prerequisite: UP 347 or consent of the instructor.

Students will explore in theory, policy and practice community engagement through a case study, and observe actual planning and decision-making processes at different scales and contexts. Students will learn different tools and strategies that bring people together, particularly low-income neighborhoods and culturally diverse metropolitan regions. Collectively, students will design a participatory process. Throughout the semester, students will make field trips to stakeholder communities and planning agencies, and grapple with the myriad challenges and dilemmas faced by nonprofit advocates, community activists, and equity-oriented public planners.

Introduction to key concepts for sustainable design of buildings and landscapes, including concepts that form the core of the U.S. Green Building Council rating system (LEED). Introduction to LEED accreditation. Same as LA 480.

This junior/senior/graduate-level course provides an introduction to the role of planning in addressing the climate crisis through the lens of social and environmental justice. Topics include the science of climate change, climate justice, greenhouse gas emissions reductions strategies, and adaptation planning. In addition to weekly in-class and on-line assignments, students will work in small teams to conduct a climate action plan for a local small business.

Hear from experienced planning professionals on various planning topics. Tuesdays during the spring 2024 semester at 12:30 pm in Temple Buell Hall room 227.

Videos of the lectures may be found here.

This class takes an approach in which you’ll learn the general story at the national level and then studies how zoning works in the Champaign-Urbana area, diving into the zoning ordinance(s) of one or two cities in the area. We’ll be doing this exploration in part by contributing to the Illinois Zoning Atlas, part of the National Zoning Atlas project.

Focusing on the creation of situated, experimental and embodied research methods, the course explores how we understand, represent and challenge urban conditions of oppression and inequality through the body. Using an international, interdisciplinary, and intersectional approach, this collaborative graduate course uses theoretical and practical strategies from choreography and planning to tackle historical inequities in the urban context. The tools of improvisation, sensory and embodied approaches to reframing perception and experimental composition and choreography will be interwoven with ethnographic and community engagement tools including storytelling, and other modes of narrating histories and futures. Our goal is to provoke and support students to think about new questions and methods in their work with a social justice outcome.

In this course students explore how a range of regulatory agencies invoke international institutions in the governance of urban conflicts. Specifically, we will study and map how inhabitants of specific cities use international human rights regimes to claim individual and collective claims for urban citizenship and rights to the city. Learning objections include: understanding the history and current role of international humanitarian institutions in urban governance of cities, identification of key local and trans-local actors claiming citizenship; evaluation of the legitimacy of competing citizenship claims, and creation of a visually compelling story map argument of a specific case study in a city of the global south.

A critical examination of the relationship between food systems, social movements, and sustainability. Readings on food justice, agroecology, environmental governance, and a selection of case studies from around the world. Students collaborate with local community-based organization to evaluate and design food system interventions within the Champaign-Urbana area.

Offers students a survey of classic and contemporary theories of planning. Students will gain a deeper appreciation for the profession’s roots as well as be introduced to some of “the theoretical tools” used to analyze planning. an important aspect of the course is intellectual dialogue through critical reading, informed discussion and writing assignments.

Provides grounding in the issues and principles underlying physical planning; lecture and discussion sessions are complemented by project work that applies principles and methods.

Historical and international comparison of the origins and evolution of cities, the process of urbanization, and the human endeavor to effect urban growth and change. Includes history of urban physical form and of planning efforts, emphasizing planning origins in the nineteenth century and transnational influences. Includes equity issues of urban spatial arrangement, including racial segregation and housing market differentiation. Covers elements of urban physical form, including grid and organic structure, commercial city forms, the urban skyline, and urban sprawl.

Techniques, data sources, and skills for analyzing regions as economic, social, and spatial systems. The first half of the course focuses on understanding current conditions and trends, and the second half on forecasting most likely and alternative futures.

Exploration of how economics can contribute to understanding and solving urban problems. Application of economic analysis and reasoning to the important issues that planners confront, including zoning, land use, housing investment, and transportation. Focuses also on skills to use economic methods effectively.

Provides skills to develop a wide range of plans and an understanding of the processes to implement them. Topics covered include planning analysis, political constraints of planning and planning ethics, techniques of negotiation, facilitation, mediation, and presentation to the public. Uses a general framework for plan making that includes plan review, problem framing, information gathering, alternative modeling, scenarios development, impact assessment, and alternatives evaluation. Students will work on applied tasks individually and in groups.

Provides skills to develop a wide range of plans and an understanding of the processes to implement them. Topics covered include planning analysis, political constraints of planning and planning ethics, techniques of negotiation, facilitation, mediation, and presentation to the public. Uses a general framework for plan making that includes plan review, problem framing, information gathering, alternative modeling, scenarios development, impact assessment, and alternatives evaluation. Students will work on applied tasks individually and in groups.

Provides skills to develop a wide range of plans and an understanding of the processes to implement them. Topics covered include planning analysis, political constraints of planning and planning ethics, techniques of negotiation, facilitation, mediation, and presentation to the public. Uses a general framework for plan making that includes plan review, problem framing, information gathering, alternative modeling, scenarios development, impact assessment, and alternatives evaluation. Students will work on applied tasks individually and in groups.

Provides skills to develop a wide range of plans and an understanding of the processes to implement them. Topics covered include planning analysis, political constraints of planning and planning ethics, techniques of negotiation, facilitation, mediation, and presentation to the public. Uses a general framework for plan making that includes plan review, problem framing, information gathering, alternative modeling, scenarios development, impact assessment, and alternatives evaluation. Students will work on applied tasks individually and in groups. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.

Provides skills to develop a wide range of plans and an understanding of the processes to implement them. Topics covered include planning analysis, political constraints of planning and planning ethics, techniques of negotiation, facilitation, mediation, and presentation to the public. Uses a general framework for plan making that includes plan review, problem framing, information gathering, alternative modeling, scenarios development, impact assessment, and alternatives evaluation. Students will work on applied tasks individually and in groups.

This course examines the legal framework within which planning takes place in urban areas of this country. It emphasizes the role of law in structuring local government responses to social, economic and physical planning issues and in allocating power among local governments, between local governments and state and federal governments, and between governments and the private sectors of society.

What is the role of big data in decision making process for planners? Do you want to gather more insights for your current project? How can we build our city in a smarter way? This advanced data science can help here. This course is designed for upper level undergrads and graduate students, where we will start with a set of basic concepts, skills, and tools in R for effective data processing. Then more advanced and project oriented topics will be covered e.g. spatial analysis, census data analysis and text analytics.

This is the advanced GIS course for higher-level undergraduate students and graduate students. This course will introduce advanced applications of many sophisticated functions of geographic information systems with some key spatial analysis concepts. Students should complete UP 418 Introduction to GIS for Planners as a prerequisite. A set of fundamental GIS principles and techniques will be introduced with hands-on lab exercises using real-world data. Topics will cover quantitative GIS techniques that are frequently used in planning and social sciences fields: spatial statistical models, image processing, spatial interpolations, etc.

UP526 is intended for graduate students in various planning and related fields who are seeking an introduction to the theory and praxis in the field of city design and development. It will focus on advanced concepts and techniques of urban analysis, plan making, and implementation essential for interdisciplinary work in urban design.

Classic U. S. community studies are paired with current journal articles to examine how people in rural, suburban, and urban places go about making, maintaining or losing “community” in the context of societal change. The community studies provide a window on change at the local level including: urbanization, suburbanization, ethnic group interactions, inner-city poverty concentration, household structure variation, economic restructuring, and environmental impacts. Community studies are also critically evaluated both theoretically and as a research strategy. (Same as HDFS 533 and SOC 572)

Explores and evaluates urban and regional economic development policy in the U.S. Taking the twin lenses of cities and urbanized regions, it asks why the public sector engages in economic development; how the goals of economic development are defined; and how different policies attempt to steer economic activity and jobs to particular places. The course pays special attention to the question of equity, asking who will benefit from different policies.

This course explores ideas underlying land use policy and planning, primarily in the United States, both from theoretical and applied perspectives. The course provides you with a context for why and when land-use interventions are appropriate.

This course teaches techniques for analyzing the demographic, economic, physical, and social conditions that exist at the neighborhood and local government scale. While our focus will be on analyzing current conditions, we will also learn how to tell stories about neighborhood change, and will learn how to project and forecast future trends. We will learn how to describe community characteristics with small area census data, work with local administrative data, and will learn how to design primary data collection strategies to fill in gaps in knowledge gained through exploration and analysis of existing data. Prerequisite: UP 517.

Fundamental concepts of sustainability and resilience in urban systems, including the complex interactions among human, engineered, and natural systems. Course will include both engineering and social science perspectives of urban sustainability. Project and discussion based format, with flexibility to choose project related to student’s research interests. Same as NRES 592 and CEE 592. Prerequisites required.

Recent advances in planning, policy-making and decision-making theories as they relate to the efficient use of land and to the complex interrelationships among the major uses of land, i.e., housing, transportation, agriculture; specific applications vary annually, reflecting the students’ dissertation research topics. Prerequisite: UP 501 or consent of instructor.

Students use individual research to practice qualitative methods of studying social interaction. Includes field research and historical/archival research methods; project areas include community development, environment, and landscape. Discussion is divided between 1) readings on issues such as techniques and research design, social theory, ethnocentrism, and combining qualitative with quantitative research and 2) student research reports. Same as GGIS587. No professional credit.

Prepares students to embark on thesis research and independent grant proposals. Introduces the phases of research design process, including literature review, identification of the research problem, statement of research objectives and questions, establishment of the conceptual framework, and selection of methods, sampling strategies, measurements, and analyses that are most suitable to address the research questions. Provides an overview of the commonly used quantitative and qualitative research methods, e.g., survey, quasi-experiment, and case study. Guides students through the process of writing and reviewing a research proposal and providing feedback to others. Prerequisite: Enrollment in a PhD program or consent of instructor.

Provides capstone guidance and advising to MUP students (non-thesis and thesis track).

The Doctoral Students in Urban Planning (DSUP) seminar is an invaluable platform of intellectual development for PhD students in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning (DURP) and an effective medium in building a community of scholars. The seminars facilitate exchange of ideas and perspectives among DSUP members as well as the faculty. It serves as a support system for all members of DSUP, who are at different stages in their research and doctoral studies, and provides a shared space for students to present their research and to solicit critical, yet constructive, peer reviews and advice.