GRAD > UPCD
Urban Planning and Community Development Courses
UPCD 600 History and Theory of Urban Planning +
Description:
As activity and professional practice, Urban Planning is commonly understood, as the deliberate set of actions taken by societies to organize the built environment to facilitate and enhance human activity. After a review of foundational readings, the course focuses on the way urban planning came about int he United States and the underlying forces shaping its discourse and logic, including the changing roles of public/private actors, and the planning mentality shaping the theory and practice of the profession. The course also de-couples urban planning theory from urban theory by examining three premises; (a) Urban Planning Theory's historical roots and justification are based on a vision of the city rather than arriving at prescriptions, (b) the dependence of effective planning on its context, who means that planning activity needs to be rooted in an understanding of the field in which it is operation, and (c) the objective of planning as conscious creation of the just city, which requires a substantive normative framework (Fainstein 2005:120) More Info
Offered in:UPCD 601L Social Vulnerability to Disasters +
Description:
By means of a multi-disciplinary approach, this course introduces students to an understanding of hazards and disasters grounded in social vulnerability analysis. It examines different theories of social vulnerabilities as well as the historical, geographical, social, and cultural factors and conditions that put people differentially at risk before, during, and after disasters. In particular, the course focuses on global, national, regional, and local patterns of development. Students will explore how vulnerable social groups are affected by and cope with various types of disasters, and strategies for community-based mitigation engaging those most at risk. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 602L Climate Change, Food & Water Resources +
Description:
This course will examine the causes and consequences of climate change with a special focus on food and water resources. We will analyze proposals to prevent and mitigate global warming with both proactive and responsive policies. As a global society, food and water security is the most important goal we face, yet many people in the developing world lack even basic food security and more than a billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. Food and water shortages are exacerbated and caused by climate change, environmental degradation and natural and human-caused disasters. It is projected that unless drastic efforts to cut greenhouse gas emission are implemented global warming will lead to massive crop failures as early as 2040 and become a worldwide phenomenon by 2080. Because poor nations will be most adversely affected by climate change it is incumbent upon the global society to prepare for and avert disaster. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 603L Reconstruction After the Cameras Have Gone +
Description:
This course introduces the student to the complex process of post-disaster reconstruction and the roles of government, Non-Governmental Organizations, humanitarian and development agencies, multilateral establishments, and the private sector as well as the ways in which they can all support vulnerable populations during and after disasters. It also examines institutional, regulatory and policy frameworks for implementing reconstruction programs and projects. At the end of the semester, the student submits a research paper on a topic selected by him/her and approved by the instructor. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 611 The City in History +
Description:
This course is organized into three parts. First is an overview of the idea of cities throughout history. The second explores the link between industrialized and urbanization (the causal relationship for ht rise of industrial cities -- the case of European and US cities), and urbanization without industrialization in former European colonies in Africa, Latin America and Asia (particularly during the Twentieth Century leading to the rise of Mega-cities in so-called developing countries). The third centers on theoretical reflections on cities as the fundamental development theaters, e.g., the spatial formations for the production of all social, economic, political cultural and technological arenas of societies (with a particular focus on four US cities: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami). Each of these cities may be representative of different periods in US urban history, and also being the ''models'' giving rise for much of urban theory in the USA. The course will identify key thinkers, events, theories shaping the history and theory of cities. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 615 Urban Real Estate Markets and Development Process +
Description:
This course is designed to provide urban planners, policy makers, and community development professionals with an introduction to the key factors shaping urban real estate markets. This class will examine the role changing demographics patterns and regional economic trends play in influencing the location, density, and type of urban development taking place within metropolitan regions. The course will give special attention to the tools urban planners and policy makers use to encourage responsible forms of Smart Growth and inspired examples of attractive, sustainable, and resilient place-making that improve the quality of life in towns, cities, and regions. The class will also introduce students to the formal land use review process developers must follow to either improve a parcel of land or redevelop an existing structure. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 620 Analytic Methods for Urban Planning and Community Development +
Description:
This course provides students with an introduction to quantitative and qualitative analytic methods appropriate to propose, support and evaluate localized and regional initiatives in planning and community development. Technical skills associated with these methods will be taught with a focus on the needs of community-based organizations which typically have limited time, human, financial and technical resources to perform detailed analyses in support of their programs and initiatives. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 621L Human Dignity, Human Rights, and Sustainable Post-Disaster Reconstruction +
Description:
The course will explore the intersection dynamics of human dignity, humiliation, and human rights in the context of post-disaster reconstruction. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 622 Citizen Participation and the Right to the City +
Description:
Today's City Planner faces new challenges working in the USA. During the past decades, urban scholars and practitioners have raised critical questions on the need to address these challenges (many times in apparent contradiction to each other) and face the limits of urban planning. Campbell (1996) identified three areas, environmental wellness, economic development and growth, and equitability. The Urban Planning and Community Development Program aims to develop urban planners with a clear social justice and equitability vision. The practicing urban planner faces an array of challenges in the globalizing world. Among these, access to rights previously taken for granted that may be limited under neoliberal regimes. This course is designed to explore some of the challenges urban planners face in these areas by reviewing critical literature, planning methodologies, and case studies of successful projects. The focus is to maximize citizen participation. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 623L Introduction to Geographic Information Systems +
Description:
This course teaches the concepts, principles, approaches, techniques, and technologies of geographic information systems (GIS)The specific topics include essential elements of a GIS, hardware requirements and system integration, technologies and techniques for acquiring spatial data, spatial data models, data structures, data formats, database models, spatial analysis and modeling, cartographic design, implementation of a GIS, and environmental and socioeconomic applications. Hands-on exercises on ArcView are assigned each week. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 625 Analytical Methods II for Planners: Qualitative Techniques +
Description:
This class is designed to expose participants to the purpose, scope and procedures of qualitative research, applied in difference disciplines but especially in geography and urban planning/studies. It provides an opportunity for students to create qualitative research design schemes, and critically analyze research using these methods. Initially, the seminar will focus on the philosophy of science, the construction of knowledge, the place of qualitative methods in the academy (and the people who use them), and positivistic/non-positivistic models. Next, with this epistemological base students will explore specific techniques/processes in qualitative research including: focus groups, ethnography (both participant and non-participant observation), feminist ethnography, both guided and open ended interviews, case studies, action research, visceral methods, discourse analysis, photo voice, body mapping and autobiographical essays. Students will critically examine the epistemological assumptions, the comparative strengths and weaknesses, and the appropriate domains of qualitative case study methods and alternative approaches. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 626 Spatial Analysis for Urban Design +
Description:
This course covers basic concepts and traditions of urban design, for the purpose of providing students with strong foundations in the field. The course is designed to offer a collaborative and interactive environment for the development of spatial thinking, a place-based understanding of cities, and a preliminary foundation on how to intervene in the physical design of contemporary cities. In class, students will explore fundamental paradigms in urban design with a special emphasis on the primary goals, methods and techniques belonging to various and rival approaches. Students will be expected to critically reflect upon themes and issues characterizing local and international debates, through a systematic comparison of urban design experiences carried out in the United States and overseas. Bridging theory and practice, the main goal of this class is to encourage participating students to understand the relationship between cities' physical development and their political, economic, cultural, environmental, and social dynamics. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 631 Land Use Controls +
Description:
The course provides an understanding of the regulatory and non-regulatory techniques for managing land use in the U.S. The course begins with an overview of the history and evolution of the policy and the planning and legal frameworks for land use controls. The essential components of municipal zoning ordinance and maps are covered along with more innovative and flexible development controls. The course exposes students to the administrative procedures and the land development process. Specific contemporary urban planning topics and the associated regulatory mechanisms and issues are presented as case studies. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 632 Law, Ethics, and Practice in Planning +
Description:
This course examines issues related to the practice and management of planning including the legal and ethical standards of such practice. It delineates and distinguishes laws, professional rules and community expectations by introducing students to applicable standards and criteria. Students will consider management, ethical and social justice scenarios determine approaches to addressing a variety of real-world situation and consider the impacts and consequences of decisions made in planning practice. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 635 Master Planning: Principles and Practice +
Description:
This course provides an introduction to the origins, evolution, and contemporary practice of comprehensive planning in the United States. The course focuses special attention on the role Smart Growth values, policies, and techniques planning professionals and local/regional planning commissioners use to integrate land use, transportation, and economic development planning in order to create more compact, walkable, connected, safe and attractive neighborhoods, cities, and regions. This course investigates emerging methods and techniques planners are using to overcome the field's traditionally siloed land use, transportation and economic development activities which has resulted in significant suburban sprawl in order to encourage the development of more compact and sustainable communities that offer a wide range of attractive and affordable housing options, high quality municipal services and facilities, convenient retail and commercial services, accessible regional employment opportunities, a variety of business, and cultural centers, maximum transportation choice, as well as opportunities to collaborate with other stakeholders to encourage more functional, sustainable, resilient and equitable patterns of development at the neighborhood, city-wide, and regional scales. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 643L The Political Economy of International Migration +
Description:
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the major issues associated with the economic consequences of migration. Students will gain an understanding of the theoretical reasons why people migrate. Many of these reasons are economic, but the resulting dynamic is a lasting relationship between the sending and receiving country. As a result of the development of transnational identities these ties include remittances, political participation, and economic opportunities for both countries. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 662 Citizen Participation in Community Development +
Description:
This course addresses methods, approaches and techniques urban planners need working in/with or for a CDC or similar organization. The course extends knowledge/skills explored in UPCD 620 and other research methods-approaches-techniques in the curriculum. The course is projected/field-based working with a Community Development organization. Choice of activity and/or organization is based on the work and research agenda of faculty and staff of the Urban Planning and community Development Department. This research agenda is the product of the program's relationship with several UMass Boston Institutes and other internal and external partners. The course is part of the UPCD program's long-term academic record on civic engagement/engaged scholarship/and social justice. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 667 Environmental Planning and Impact Assessment +
Description:
Environmental impact evaluation is a vital component of any planning effort. This course surveys major areas of government involvement in environmental and socio-economic impact assessment as it related to planning including: National Environment Policy Act (NEPA); State environmental policy acts (SEPAs); Municipal and regional planning authorities; Wildlife and land conservation laws; and, Environmental media laws (e.g., Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, etc.). In doing so, the course provides an overview on how an environmental impact assessment can/must be developed in light of important public policies. The course also examines the legal 'standing' and political voice employed by stakeholder groups in planning and impact assessment activities. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 671L Introduction to Environmental Management +
Description:
This course focuses on the critical factors for building competitive and environmental strategies for business in the areas of environmental management and sustainability. It examines the drivers behind the 'green wave', the factors and tools for developing successful environmental initiatives and how to integrate environmental thinking into the business strategy. Key topics covered in the course will include clean energy, green design, product life-cycle assessment, green chemistry, eco-branding, circular business, practices, and sustainability reporting. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 674L Climate and Energy: Law, Policy and Management +
Description:
This course examines legal, public policy and management issues related to Climate Change as well as those related to the siting, development and distribution of renewable energy. It begins with an on international overview of the socio-economic forces shown to influence climate change, the legal and economic mechanisms that have emerged to address such change and the evolving global energy portfolio (particularly efforts to develop renewable energy). More Info
Offered in:UPCD 687L Nonprofit Management +
Description:
Nonprofit organizations aim to improve society while facing similar management challenges to any organization as they provide valued goods and services. This large and growing sector includes colleges and universities, hospitals and social service entities, human rights. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 697 Special Topics +
UPCD 701 Urban and Regional Environmental Planning +
Description:
The focus of the course is on environmental issues that transcend local boundaries, but that impact the quality of urban life. Topics covered include the concept of ecological boundaries, watershed, surface and groundwater protection; habitat fragmentation; urban sprawl; solid waste management; farmland preservation; and natural hazards, particularly as exacerbated by human development. Each contemporary issue will be explored for its root causes, and its impact on the environment, community life and public health. The federal, state, regional and municipal government planning, program, and regulatory responses, as well as market strategies developed to counteract these problems and trends will be covered. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 720 Community Development for Urban Planners +
Description:
This course integrates several bodies of knowledge that made up the bases of community development and urban planning. The course is a critical exploration of the intersection of urban planning and social movements and responses to the post-WWII urban crisis by government(s), particularly the Federal level. It also traces the rise of community development during the 1960's by weaving three interrelated trends; rise of new social movements; changes to the production of space: globalism; and the advent of the post-industrial/informational society; and responses by government at all levels. All three trends transformed urban planning and urban planning theory and practice. The course also adds skills knowledge for urban planners working closely with or wishing to become part of community development organizations in the US or elsewhere. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 721 Social/Class/Multicultural Goals in Community Development +
Description:
The overall goal of this course is to enable students to effectively identify, understand, and support the needs of diverse communities. Like the rest of the urban professions and US society at large, Urban Planning has not been impervious to race, class, gender, and other ''differences.'' The course explores the paradoxes urban planners must deal with to achieve optimum impact in their professional practice. This includes identifying institutionalized barriers and historical challenges faced by certain groups within American society; developing culturally-relevant skills for interacting with diverse stakeholders from a wide-range of backgrounds; and understanding best practices in urban planning that have been developed by learning from the rich tapestry of culture in American cities. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 725 Contemporary Community Development +
Description:
This course is designed to explore and examine the challenges and opportunities confronting community developers today. It will examine how the field has evolved since its birth in the 1960s and the 1970s and how it is different today from the past. We will learn how the field is currently organized, including the role of different players such as community based organizations, community development financial institutions, local, state and federal government agencies, banks, and other stakeholders. We will explore core community development issues and strategies, including community planning, community organizing, real estate development and business, development, while also looking at some of the emerging innovations in the field. We will look at the connections being developed between the CD field and other sectors such as health, environment, public safety and education. By the end of the course, students should have a broad understanding of the key issues in the field and be better prepared to enter a professional opportunity in the community development sector. Students will gain a nuanced understanding of the many debates that currently exist within the field and begin to develop their own views on these tough questions. Students will gain experience communicating about community development issues in ways that are effective for different audiences, including practitioners, policy makers and non-professional community leaders. Finally, students will gain a deeper understanding of the particularly exciting community development found here in Boston through guest presentations, readings, and hopefully some touring of nearby neighborhoods. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 726L Coastal Zone Policy, Planning, and Management +
Description:
This course introduces and evaluates the legal, political, and social factors that most directly affect the planning, policy and management of coastal area resources. Both conceptual and case-oriented literature are reviewed, in order to familiarize the student with the evolution and practice of coastal zone policy, planning and management generally in the U.S., and particularly in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 730 Housing and Community Development Finance +
Description:
This course will introduce students to the structure and organization of the capital markets and state and federal programs available to fund the establishment and expansion of business enterprises in underserved urban and rural programs. The course exposes students to the basic economic and financial analyses needed to secure funding for the construction and/or rehabilitation of buildings to house community-serving business and affordable housing programs. The course exposes students to the basics of managerial accounting needed to document compliance with public and private financing of community economic development projects.This course is the last of three required classes for students enrolled in UPCD's Housing and Community Development Finance Concentration. It has been designed to provide graduate students with an introduction to the capital markets, government programs, and philanthropic initiatives currently available to finance community development and affordable housing programs in underserved urban and rural communities. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 750 Planning Studio I +
Description:
The goal of this course is to provide students with hands-on experience in developing plans that enable government agencies or nonprofit organizations to direct housing, economic development or physical infrastructure initiatives that improve quality of life for residents, workers and visitors in specific urban neighborhoods. These plans reflect many dimensions of community life: physical appearance of buildings and streetscapes, demographic and economic characteristics of those affected by the plan, transportation, employment, housing and quality of life. Such plans should reflect participation by a broad-range of stakeholders, demonstrate social and environmental benefits that exceed the costs of development, and incorporate values of sustainability, local involvement and a critical perspective on the role of planning in urban development. Students will gain experience in translating multiple and sometimes conflicting values, priorities and objectives of a real-world client (i.e. neighborhood associations, CDCs, municipal planning agencies) into deliverables that provide clear guidance on multiple development tasks. Clients will benefit from plans that help them achieve short-term development goals as well as help fulfill their organizational mission. The highly participatory approach to community planning featured in the course will also serve to enhance the organizing, planning, design and development capacity of the non-profit organizations, community-based businesses, and municipal planning and development organizations collaborating in the creation and implementation of these neighborhood plans. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 751 Planning Studio II +
Description:
This class offers students the opportunity to apply and enhance their knowledge of planning theory, methods, and techniques while working with local community planning leaders and professionals in the development of a comprehensive neighborhood improvement plan aimed at addressing one or more critical issues affecting the quality of urban life. This course will require students to integrate the quantitative and qualitative data they collect in crafting a detailed action plan to resolve a critical community issue. This course will focus on plan-making, presentation, approval, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Each of these steps in the planning process will be carried out with a community partner who will be the ''client'' for the plan. More Info
Offered in:UPCD 752 Professional Planning Report I +
Description:
This course is the first of a two-class sequence that serves as an alternative capstone for students unable to take UPCD 750 Planning Studio I and II. This course offers students the opportunity to partner with a non-profit or public planning agency to cooperatively design and carryout a planning/policy related research project that produces a workable solution to a critical urban challenge confronting a specific community within the Greater Boston Region. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
UPCD 753 Professional Planning Report II +
Description:
This course is the second part of a two-course sequence that serves as an alternative capstone option for students enrolled in the MS in Urban Planning and Community Development Program. This class offers students the opportunity to work with representatives of a non-profit and/or public planning and development agency to produce an empirically based report offering workable solutions to a critical environmental, economic, and social problem facing a local community within the Greater Boston Region. This collaborative research project will offer ''best practice'' planning/policy solutions to a pressing urban problem based upon careful analysis of a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research. The course will culminate in the student's production of a professional-quality planning report that is presented to and accepted by the community-based organization and or municipal agency that is the sponsor of the project. It requires students to integrate and apply planning theory, methods, and techniques they have acquired through their participation in the program to solve a challenging urban problem confronting a local community within the Greater Boston Region. More Info
Offered in:- TBA