| SES # | TOPICS | CASES | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unit A. Course introduction, role and dilemmas of planning, learning from theory and context (cases) | Rebuilding Los Angeles (RLA) | |
| Discussion section | Led by teaching assistants (instructors) | ||
| 2 | Case retrospective and "questions for reflective planners" (what's the use of theory?) | RLA re-analyzed, plus planning's traditions and dilemmas overviewed, transition to briefing case and exercise | 500-word writing diagnostic (essay) due |
| 3 | Unit B. Decision case and team briefings | New Orleans recovery: Case introduction and teams | |
| Communication workshop: Oral briefings | |||
| 4 | Case discussion, including guests | ||
| 5 | Case prep | ||
| Required team dry-run briefings | |||
| Final team briefings | |||
| Discussion section | Preliminary debrief of New Orleans / briefing experience, preview of Unit C | ||
| 6 | Unit C. Planning history and theory: Planning as social reform through expert design | Public housing redevelopment in Boston Guest lecturer: Prof. Lawrence Vale | |
| 7 | Planning as social reform through expert design (cont.) | Guest lecturer: Prof. Lawrence Vale | |
| Discussion section | |||
| 8 | Planning as interest-group politics | Sustainability planning and politics in Curitiba, Brazil | |
| Debrief your briefing (6 teams) | |||
| Discussion section | |||
| 9 | Planning as interest-group politics and citizen participation | Curitiba neighborhood planning scenario | |
| Debrief your briefing (other 6 teams) | |||
| 10 | Planning as facilitation | "A Towering Dilemma" (resource conflict) | |
| Student-led discussion section | Exam distributed | ||
| 11 | Planning as facilitation (cont.) | Micro-settings | |
| 12 | Planning styles in conflict | Transportation planning | |
| Discussion section | Exam due | ||
| 13 | Unit D. Planning ethics | Land takings in fast-growing economies Guest lecturer: Prof. Annette Kim | |
| 14 | Planning ethics (cont.) | Guest lecturer: Prof. Annette Kim | |
| Communication workshop: Professional writing | Types of memos, audiences, content | ||
| 15 | Multi-level planning: Means and ends | Case: Energy, environment, and development in modern India Guest lecturer: Prof. Balakrishnan Rajagopal | |
| 16 | Multi-level planning: Means and ends (cont.) | Guest lecturer: Prof. Balakrishnan Rajagopal | |
| Discussion section | Draft decision memo due | ||
| 17 | Planning and cultural diversity | Siting cultural facilities in Australia | |
| Discussion section | Final decision memo due the day before Ses #18 | ||
| 18 | Planning and cultural diversity (cont.) | Two cases: Culture, power and communication | |
| 19 | Participatory planning revisited | Redevelopment and historic preservation in Singapore's Chinatown | |
| 20 | Participating the grassroots and "grasstops": Planning and civic capacity | Case: Managing sprawling growth in the American West | |
| 21 | Participating the grassroots and "grasstops": Planning and civic capacity (cont.) | Case: Slum redevelopment in India | |
| Discussion section | |||
| 22 | The planned city, 21st century style | Guest Lecturer: Prof. Dennis Frenchman | |
| 23 | Rethinking New Orleans recovery planning | ||
| Discussion section | Observation memo due the day before Ses #24 | ||
| 24 | Planning together debrief | Assignment debrief and implications | |
| 25 | Final class | Course review and looking ahead (your planning education and career) |