UP 347: Planning Workshop I
Spring 2008

Course Description

PURPOSE

Planners need many skills.  They need technical and analytic training, which you have been receiving from your other courses.  But they also need to know how to apply those skills.  This is the purpose of a workshop course: to learn by doing.  The emphasis of this course is on doing.  There will be only a few reading assignments.  This course will try to push you out of the classroom, both in spirit and in reality.

The central theme of UP 347 is local planning practice.  This will include tangible skills such as plan preparation, mapping, land use analysis, and writing memoranda.  In addition, the course will introduce you to the bureaucratic and political contexts of planning practice.  We will find out what planners do and how they spend their workday, begin to appreciate all the players involved in planning decisions, and learn how planners have to think creatively to accomplish their goals.  We will also develop skills in physical planning, relating to both the built and natural environments.  This is an important aspect of land use planning practice, and it is not covered by any of your other urban planning courses.

This course has two primary goals:

1. To introduce you to the day-to-day realities of the practice of planning, and improve your understanding of how planning works.
   
   
2. To teach you a variety of skills, in field research and physical planning, to better prepare you for your Senior workshop.

The course has three components:

• The profession of planning
• Urban land uses and urban design
• Natural environmental factors in planning

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

Your participation is crucial in a course of this type.  You are expected to attend every class, and we will take attendance at the beginning of class.  Some days will consist of three hours of lecture.  Other days will be workshop days, in which you will be free to work on your projects in class, meet with your groups, or perform field data collection.  Some days will be a mix of both.  Some days will require all three hours, whereas others will require less time. You will be expected to be available for all three hours of scheduled class time, unless you clear it ahead of time with the instructor.

This course has six hours of credit.  This is equivalent to two three-hour courses. 

Assignments

The course will have many diverse assignments, some done individually and others done in groups. .  Most of the work will be in three large, multi-part projects, plus a smaller fourth project.  In addition, three ”tasks” require student participation and reflection.  The final exam will be an additional way to ensure that all students in the class have gained substantively from the course.

Project #1 -- The Profession of Planning.  This will consist of three parts.  For the first part (“What Planners Do”), each student will read and report on one entire issue of Planning magazine, and we will then share our observations in class on the breadth of planning practice.  For the second part (“Interviews with Planners”), individuals or pairs of students will interview a practicing planner in the Champaign-Urbana area, in order to learn about specific job duties as well as career paths. For the third part (“Careers in Planning”), each student will use the internet to explore career possibilities.

Project #2 – Urban Design.  In this project, students will analyze the function and design of existing sites in Champaign-Urbana, evaluate the relationship of the sites to surrounding areas, and ponder future land use changes. This project will also include lessons on map scale and area calculations.

Project #3 – Environmental Planning in Champaign County. This project will consist of a series of exercises using Champaign County to explore issues in environmental planning: woodlands, streams, and effects of development.  The project will include lessons on GIS, topography, and hydrology.

Project #4 –Subdivision site Design.  Small teams will prepare schematic plans and illustrative details for a development on a site previously analyzed in Project #3.

Task #1 -- Plans.  In one class session, groups of students will examine examples of local land use plans, and will report to the class. 

Task #2 -- Planning Ethics.  In one class session, groups of students will review and discuss case studies of difficult planning situations.  Each individual will turn in a brief summary.

Task #3 – Planning Meetings.  Each student will select a combination of public planning meetings, professional planning lectures, or planning conference to attend.

Final exam.  The final exam will consist of brief essays and short answer questions, designed to integrate what you learned this semester.  Emphasis will be placed on the reading assignments, lectures, and specific skills learned from the projects.

Assigned Readings

This course includes a limited amount of assigned readings, designed to provide background information and ideas to help you with the class projects. Most of the readings will be available on e-reserve on the UIUC Library website shortly after the first week of the semester.  Some readings may be distributed in class.

You are expected to complete readings prior to the class session for which they are assigned.

All the course readings are as follows:

American Planning Association.  2006.  Planning and Urban Design Standards. John Wiley & Sons,  Hoboken NJ.
    pp. 107-121, watersheds, groundwater, streams, riparian vegetation
    pp. 125-129, wetlands
    pp. 336-344, stormwater management

Jacobs, Allan, 1985.  Looking at Cities. Harvard University Press.
    Chapter 3 --  Clues
    Chapter 5 – Seeing Change

Hoch, Charles J., Dalton, Linda C., and So, Frank S., eds. 2000.  The Practice of Local Government  Planning, Third Edition, International City/County Management Association, Washington, D.C.  
    Chapter 14, Zoning and Subdivision Regulations, pp. 343-374.

Strahler, A.N., and Strahler, A.H., 1987, Modern Physical Geography, Third Edition, John Wiley and Sons.     pp. 478-487.

Grading

The assignments for the semester will total up to 1000 points.  At the end of the semester, course grades will be assigned based on a curve of the distribution of point totals.  Following is the contribution of each assignment toward your final grade:

Project #1 – The Profession of Planning			200
	1-1  What planners do (100) 1-2  Interviews with planners (50)         1-3  Careers in planning (50)
Project #2 – Urban Design			150
	2-1  Looking at the built environment 2-2  Working with maps 2-3  Analyzing size and density 2-4  Site observation
Project #3 – Environmental Planning			150
	3-1  Land cover analysis of Champaign County 3-2  Topography and watersheds 3-3  Environmental review
Project #4 – Subdivision Site Design			100
Exam			100
Body of work on 3 tasks			100
	Task #1 -- Plans
	Task #2 -- Planning Ethics
	Task #3 –- Planning Institute
Attendance (150) and participation (50)			200

Late assignments will be penalized 10% of the project’s point total per week overdue. If you are absent for one of the in-class Tasks (#1 and #2), you will need to make it up by arranging with the instructor to prepare a brief report (approximately five pages) on the topic.

Your grade for attendance and participation will be governed primarily by attendance.  Absences, not excused prior to class, will cause a loss of 15 points, and excessive lateness will cause a loss of 5 points each. Up to two excused absences will not result in loss of points; additional excused absences will cause a loss of 10 points each. In addition, active participation over the course of the semester will improve your participation grade. 

Grading Standards

These grading standards do not apply to the three Tasks. For these, you need only complete them satisfactorily and on time in order to receive all 100 points. Conversely, not completing them could severely affect your semester grade.

If you work hard and submit work of acceptable quality, you can expect a B in the course.  If you do not work hard and do not meet course expectations regarding performance and participation, you can expect a C or less.  Work of exceptional quality will earn an A.

Office Hours

Please feel free to see us during our office hours!  You can come for help on the current assignment, or to discuss grades, problems with team coordination, or career advice. We encourage you to email us at any time.

Rob Olshansky – Wednesday 1:00-4:00pm.
(make appointment via e-mail to guarantee a time)
Room 111 Buell Hall
phone 333-8703, e-mail robo@uiuc.edu

Vineeta Mathur – hours and office to be announced
e-mail,  vmathur2@uiuc.edu

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