To see a list of when courses are planned to be offered, please see the Course Projection Guide.
For courses that have previously been offered, but currently are not planned to be, please see the inactive graduate courses page.
Different instructors teach courses differently. Each course has an official description that can be found in the PSU Bulletin.
Quarterly schedules at posted by the registrar. The dates that course schedules are posted can be found on the Academic Calendar.
500-Level Courses
USP 407/507 Research Into Comics (4) - Students in this class will explore comics as a deeply engaging medium for communicating complex stories and research findings. Students will learn about comics theory and gain hands-on experience in processes of independent and collaborative research for and with comics creation. Offering a range of approaches to research and comics creation, students of the social sciences, arts and humanities, the natural sciences, and professional fields will all gain critical skills for communicating
research to wide audiences. No prior experience with comics creation or drawing skills necessary. This course is co-taught by Dr. Kacy McKinney, a critical human geographer and illustrator, and Ryan Alexander-Tanner, a highly accomplished comics creator. Syllabus.
USP 510 Selected Topics
USP 410/510 Urban Rural Ambassadors Institute. Students develop the capacity to forge a path through the tension and stalemate that often characterize the urban-rural debate and to find strategies that fit local economies, values, and ways of life for the advancement of Oregon as a whole. See https://www.pdx.edu/policy-consensus-center/urban-rural-ambassadors-institute
USP 410/510 Arts & Community Change (4) - This new course exists at the intersection of urban studies, planning, community development, critical social theory, and the arts. We’ll go places together, including site visits and tours focused on public art and arts-based community organizations. We’ll engage in hands on creation with professional artists (no prior experience, skill, or training required). We’ll discuss a wide
range of perspectives on public art, planning, and community change. We’ll engage in dialogue with city & county agencies about community engagement in arts planning & investment. Through these means, we’ll critically explore public art as it is connected to social infrastructure, well-being and healing, visibility and representation, commercialism, city planning, investment, public engagement, revitalization, memorialization, displacement. Syllabus.
USP 510 TOP: Visual Communication for Planners (2) - Visual communication in urban planning has become a necessary and increasingly effective means of developing and expressing ideas and outcomes to a broad audience. Whether a diagram depicting a project schedule, a rendering showing a proposed future development, or an adopted graphic such as a code illustration or master plan, visuals have unique power to convey ideas and recommendations. In this class, we will explore a wide range of planning visuals and the software and graphic techniques used to create them. Syllabus.
USP 510 TOP: Urban Informatics (3) - In this project-based class, students have an opportunity to develop applications that combine technical skills and domain knowledge and use information processing, analysis, and presentation to support problems solving in cities. It will introduce students to basic coding, data processing and analysis, visualization and mapping. There are no prerequisites, but it requires some tolerance for experimentation, self-directed trial and error, and an interest in learning to write computer code. Syllabus.
USP 411/511 Pedestrian & Bicycle Planning Lab (2) - A practical approach to bicycle and pedestrian planning and design through a project-based course that focuses on all aspects of the planning process. Students research and develop solutions to a practical challenge in the Portland region and present recommendations in report and presentation form. Prerequisites: junior standing. Syllabus.
USP 512 Environmental Planning Methods (3) - Examination of the patterns and processes in human-dominated landscapes, and the tools for understanding human behavior and decision making. By applying several environmental planning tool to managing landscapes, this course aims to provide students with skills to translate data into information. Topics covered include, land conservation, impact of land use on watersheds, sustainability and environmental modeling and simulation. Focus is on the application of tools to addressing pressing problems of regional significance. Expected preparation: USP 531 or Geog 488/588. Syllabus.
USP 413/513 Public Space (4) - An introduction to the study of public spaces in American cities, with a special focus on Portland. Key readings include history and theory of concepts of public space, as well as contemporary case studies and field assignments to understand the production and maintenance of public spaces in and around Portland. Syllabus.
USP 414/514 Transportation Seminar (1) - This weekly seminar features a different speaker each week covering various topics in transportation research and practice. The topics cover all modes of transportation, with a focus on current practice. Course is cross-listed with CE. This course may be taken for credit up to three times. Syllabus.
USP 515 Economics: Applications in Urban Studies (4) - MURP Core. Microeconomic analysis of individual and firm behavior is developed with emphasis on applications to urban studies. Topics which may be covered include: land use and land rents, urban structure, poverty, housing and slums, transportation, environmental quality, and local government finance. Syllabus.
USP 416/516 International Urban Issues Seminar (1) - This seminar surveys research about local and regional planning issues in a global context. It brings speakers with international experiences to share their understanding of urban issues, and to reflect on cultural, economic, and socio-political dimensions of policy-making processes around the world that influence planning worldwide.s. Syllabus.
USP 517 Urban Economic Development Policy (3) - This course analyzes urban economic development policy by building an overall framework that demonstrates how urban economies create and distribute wealth and affect citizens' quality of life. Federal, state, and local policies must pursue three broad objectives: 1. raising the area's standard of living; 2. preserving and protecting environmental quality and quality-of-life; 3. reducing poverty and income inequality. This course provides students the ability to analyze and assess alternative policies through the ability to apply analytical methods for assessing policy effectiveness; by examination of evidence of policy effectiveness; by reviewing case studies; and via a student's personal research of specific urban problems. Prerequisites: USP 515 or equivalent courses in economics. Syllabus.
USP 518 Energy and Society (3) - Consideration of the role of energy in human society, including energy and social change, energy and urban form, technologies of energy supply and demand, social institutions governing access to energy, and cultures of consumption. Current social issues involving energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies, and climate change are stressed. Syllabus.
USP 419/519 Population and Society (4) - Survey and analysis of population dynamics (births, deaths, and migration) and society. Examination of demographic concepts, theories, data and measurements, and research. Role of population processes in social life and public policies are highlighted, including population aging, economic development and the environment, urbanization, health and health care, race and ethnicity, and government/social/business planning. Prerequisite: Soc 200. This course is the same as Soc 441/541; course may only be taken once for credit. Syllabus.
USP 520 Applied Demographic Methods I (4) - The first of a two-course sequence. The purpose is to introduce the various basic methods of demographic analysis. The topics to be covered include data sources, population characteristics and change, and measures of mortality and fertility. In addition, the course will help students develop and acquire skills for presenting data. Recommended prerequisite: a course in regression analysis, such as USP 534. Syllabus.
USP 521 Applied Demographic Methods II ( 4) - The second of a two-course sequence. The purpose is to introduce more advanced methods of applied demographic analysis. The topics to be covered are: data sources, internal and international migration, data evaluation, population estimates, and projections. The course will consist of readings, lectures, and laboratory sessions, homework exercises, one examination and one term-long project. Syllabus.
USP 523 Real Estate Development I (4) - Evaluates the new public/private partnerships that are necessary for downtown redevelopment, historic rehabilitation, integrated mixed-use urban centers, urban villages, and new communities. Students will analyze the critical conceptual, feasibility, and deal-making phases of the development process, as well as the development and management stages. The course examines the new affirmative roles played by both public and private developers, as well as unusual joint development entities. Also considered are innovative concepts of incremental growth, land and development banking, shared parking, and alternative development patterns. Recommended prerequisites: USP 515 or USP 598 (may be taken concurrently). Syllabus.
USP 524 Site Planning (3) - This course introduces the fundamentals of site planning in an urban context, as well as contemporary urban design theory and practice. Students will learn the principles of site planning and urban design at the scale of urban centers and specific sites, as well as the synthesis of multiple design decisions made by different actors, at different times, about different properties. The course will explore these topics from various perspectives, including planners and designers, developers and regulators, and others. Slideshow lectures, downtown walking tours, and a term project will use Portland as a living laboratory for how the principles of urban design and site planning are played out in public and private development projects. Students will work in teams to apply class principles to a specific site that is currently slated for redevelopment. Syllabus.
USP 525 Design Analysis in Planning (3) - MURP Core. Approaches to the analysis of design issues in urban planning. The definition of urban space through mass, rhythm, and scale. Design and urban circulation. Planning tools for the implementation of design goals. Syllabus.
USP 526 Neighborhood Conservation and Change (4) - The dynamics of neighborhood development, including economic and institutional factors in neighborhood change; neighborhood definition and image, residential choice; residential segregation; neighborhoods in the political process; and neighborhood conservation strategies. Recommended prerequisite: junior standing. Graduate students undertake a substantial independent project in addition to other course requirements. Syllabus.
USP 427/527 Commercial District Revitalization (3) - Examines the evolution and revitalization of commercial districts over time. It explores the role of commercial districts in contemporary urban regions, and introduces the concepts of commercial district management and other strategies for promoting vital urban centers. Through readings, field observations, classroom discussions, and a series of assignments, students will explore the interrelationships between the built environment, economic trends, and public policy in shaping the commercial districts we see today. Students should learn to understand commercial districts as complex and multifaceted places that are always changing and unpredictable, but often play a crucial role in a community's identity and purpose and in supporting affordability, equity, and sustainability. Syllabus.
USP 528 Concepts of Community Development (3) - An investigation of models and perspectives on community development. Both structural and dynamic concepts related to processes of community-based change will be explored, including methodological approaches for assessing community settings, and the various roles and relationships in a community-based decision environment. Includes required field observation and a substantial independent field research project which examines cases of community problem-solving. Syllabus.
USP 530 Building Community Resilience (3) - Introduction to resilience theory, concepts, and applications in a hazards planning and disaster management. Surveys sociological, public administration, and planning theory literature to understand risk, resilience, and methods to address these at the community level. Syllabus.
USP 531 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Planners (4) - MURP Core. Introduction to principles and methods of collecting, organizing, analysis and visualizing geographic information. Explores types and sources of geographical data used in urban and regional studies and planning with an emphasis on Census data. Provides an overview of principles and components of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a primary tool of spatial data analysis and visualization. Attention is given to practical applications of GIS and to developing essential skills in desktop mapping and spreadsheet software. Syllabus.
USP 532 Data Collection (4) - The acquisition of data for research in an urban context. Emphasis is on the concepts, terminology, and methods related to the use of survey research and secondary data. Recommended prerequisite: USP 430 and/or an introductory undergraduate statistics sequence and USP 530. Syllabus.
USP 533 Planning Methods I (4) - MURP Core. Introduction to applied research in planning with emphasis on problem definition, planning and policy research design, collection and analysis of secondary data, and the use of qualitative observations. Prerequisite: undergraduate statistics course. Syllabus.
USP 434/534 Green Buildings (3) - An overview of contemporary green building practices and the design and development processes essential to their success. Emphasis on strategies that have the highest economic return and/or the greatest environmental benefits. The full lifecycle of the built environment is considered, from planning and design through construction, operation, and the end of use. Syllabus.
USP 535 Planning Methods II (4) - MURP Core. Continuation of USP 533 focusing on statistics, forecasting, interpretation, and presentation of data in the context of planning practice. Prerequisite: USP 533. Syllabus.
USP 537 Economics of Urban Transportation (3) - The transportation system is critical to the functioning of an urban area. The movement of people and goods affects both the productivity and livability of the region. Transportation systems also affect and are affected by land use and location decisions. This course presents the economic analysis of urban transportation. This will include analysis of the effects of transportation systems on land use and location as well as the evaluation of transportation investments. These methods will then be applied to evaluation of various proposals to improve the urban transportation system. Recommended prerequisite: USP 515 or 615. Syllabus.
USP 438/538 Real Estate Law (3) - Provides students with a comprehensive summary of real property from a legal perspective with an emphasis on transactional issues. Includes issues relating to types of ownership, descriptions of property, easements, public and private limitations on use, real estate contracts, forms utilized in transfers, financing and title assurances. The class will enable students to understand the legal framework and the rights and responsibilities of owners and transferors/transferees of real property. Prerequisites: EC 201 (undergraduates). Expected preparation for graduate students: RE 521. This is the same course as RE 438/538; may be taken only once for credit. Syllabus.
USP 540 History and Theory of Planning (4) - MURP Core. The evolution of the urban planning field from its 19th century European origins through 20th century U.S. history. Course addresses the question: why do we produce and implement plans? Specific topics include: philosophical issues and political-organization contexts of professional activity; the place of planning in the political economy of U.S. metropolitan development; and problems of rationality in forecasting, analysis, decision making, and design. Syllabus.
USP 541 Dynamics of Planning Practice (3) - MURP Core. Examination of principles, methods, and programs for giving explicit attention to the perspectives of citizens in the development and implementation of public policies, programs and planmaking. Sets citizen participation in its historical context with an assessment of its impact to date. Examines issues pertaining to working with diverse communities and highlights ethical dilemmas faced by professional planners. Syllabus.
USP 542 Land Use Implementation (3) - An examination of alternative approaches to implementation of plans. Topics include: regulatory tools, e.g., zoning and subdivision ordinances; review functions, e.g., design review and administrative review; and programs, e.g., growth management, capital improvements, community development, housing assistance plans; and political-procedural issues, e.g., permit streamlining, cost impacts. Syllabus.
USP 544 Urban Transportation Planning (3) - Introduces fundamental concepts and methods used in multi-modal urban transportation planning, including problem identification, alternatives analysis, evaluation and decision making, plan implementation, and program management. Exposes students to processes and analytical methods from multiple disciplines, such as law, politics, engineering, sociology, economics, finance, management and marketing. Emphasis on analysis of moderately complex technical information and its interpretation for communication with decision makers. Prerequisite: USP 535 or equivalent coursework in descriptive and inferential statistics and data presentation. Recommended: USP 515 or USP 537 or an equivalent intermediate-level course in applied microeconomics. Syllabus.
USP 445/545 Cities and Third World Development (3) - Critical survey of historical, economic, cultural, political, and urban aspects of Third World development, starting with the colonial era. Historical patterns of integration of the Third World with the emerging world market system. Covers problems of the post-independence period, focusing on urban sectoral issues and policy alternatives. Specific topics include trade, investment, industrialization, finance, technology transfer, political participation, land use, housing, transportation, information infrastructure, population growth, social services, militarism, and cultural conflict. Syllabus.
USP 546 Real Estate Development II (4) - Introduces students to persistent and emerging challenges of real estate development through analysis of case studies. Provides students the experience of developing a comprehensive and unified analysis of a commercial real estate project. Each student will submit a case study with greater specificity showing how the design, development, market, finance, construction, and management of the project are integrated. Students will work closely with industry participants and faculty to develop their analysis as well as alternative strategies for the project at critical stages of its development. Prerequisite: USP 523. Syllabus.
USP 547 Urbanization and Planning in the Global South (3) - Urban planning interventions in many cities in the Global South have been facing big challenges as rapid population growth has led to resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and social inequality. This course develops tools and ideas to understand issues confronting cities in diverse socio-economic, political, and cultural circumstances, and how globalization impacts the local space of cities and regions. It focuses on challenges and opportunities in formulating appropriate planning interventions, and prepares planners to work in the diverse and rapidly changing contexts of the Global South. Syllabus.
USP 548 Public Transportation Planning and Policy (3) - Public transit ridership and investments have been growing for the past two decades as regions around the world grapple with worsening congestion, growing concerns about climate change, health, and social equity, and a reinvigoration of urban living and sustainable lifestyles. This course will introduce students to processes and policies concerning the planning of public transit systems and the development of new transit investments, focusing on buses and light rail. Syllabus.
USP 549 Regional Planning and Metropolitan Growth Management (3) - Explores regional planning in the U.S. today through an examination of historical and contemporary regional planning practice. Begins with an overview of the history of regional planning, including the evolution of thought regarding regionalism and the nature of regions. Examples of regional plans will be used as the basis for examining assumptions, approaches, and methods serving as the foundation for regional planning practice. A synthesis of the findings of the review of plans will be used to draw general conclusions about the field and its prospects. Pays particular attention to the principles, approaches, and methods of growth management generally and with respect to metropolitan regions. Syllabus.
USP 550 Participatory Planning (4) - MURP Core. Examines the principles and methods for creating participatory planning. Demonstrates the linkage between frameworks and concepts such as collaborative planning, deliberative democracy, equity planning, and the co-production of plans and applied work. Considers various processes, techniques, and tools to foster equitable community engagement. Students design a participatory process for clients. Syllabus.
USP 451/551 Community Economic Development (3) - Course sets community economic development within the context of traditional state and local economic development policy and compares their underlying theoretical perspectives. It examines the impact of recent economic, social and demographic transformations on local labor markets and surveys the labor-market problem solving activities of local governments and community-based organizations. Business and commercial development strategies are also explored. Syllabus.
USP 553 Legal Processes in Urban Planning (2) - MURP Core. Covers the legal context within which land use planning and plan implementation takes place at the local level. Requirements for the conduct of hearings, appeals, and evidentiary processes are analyzed; skills for techniques of writings findings and conditions of approval are developed; and questions of ordinance interpretation and liability are discussed. Syllabus.
USP 554 Planning and Housing Markets (3) - Explores the interaction of planning and local housing markets and submarkets. In a market economy, non-public actors build, own, and operate the majority of the housing stock (along with other assets, including other types of real estate, businesses, even ideas). Planning has a role in framing and influencing the decisions and approaches of these actors. . Syllabus.
USP 455/555 Land Use: Legal Aspects (3) - Land use and planning from the legal perspective. Includes historical review of attitudes toward property tenure and ownership; the relationship between local planning and regulations; and current issues and perspectives on land use including emerging state and federal roles. Graduate students undertake a substantial independent project in addition to other requirements. Syllabus.
USP 456/556 Urban Transportation: Problems and Policies (3) - An introduction to urban transportation policy from a historical and political perspective. Historical developments in transportation policy are traced from the early streetcar days up through the present. Federal, state, and local transportation policies are examined for their impact on urban spatial and economic development. An overview of current issues in transportation policy and planning includes transportation demand management strategies, transit-oriented design, road pricing, and alternative transportation modes. The intersection of environmental and transportation policy is also examined, as is the decision-making structure at the local, regional, and state level. Syllabus.
USP 558 Planning Workshop (3, 6) - MURP Core. Organized team approach to a current planning problem in the Portland metropolitan area. Focus on planning practice, field investigation, data analysis, written and oral communication. Work program includes strategies, methods, and skills needed to identify issues and draw together all participants in the search for solutions. Emphasis is on the blending of practical skills with knowledge gained from core-area courses. Two-term sequence, credit for first term dependent upon successful completion of second term. Syllabus.
USP 559 Internship Seminar (1) -MURP Core. A 400-hour internship, or combination of internships, is required for completion of the MURP degree. This Seminar provides students an opportunity to reflect on the internship experience and share personal assessments with peers. Students are required to attend 3 and 2 seminar meetings during the two years respectively of the MURP program (a total of 5 meetings). Students should enroll in USP 559 Internship Seminar for 1 credit during the term of their final workshop meeting. Syllabus.
USP 560 Climate Resiliency Planning (3) - This course aims to examine the response of society to a changing climate, with an emphasis on the practices, processes, and programs that can improve the resiliency of communities to climate-induced impacts. We will investigate what it means to be “resilient”, exploring principles from planning, sociology, engineering, environmental studies, and disaster studies, and other related fields. We will also pay special attention to the interplay between social inequality, poverty, social exclusion and vulnerability to natural disaster. Syllabus.
USP 561 Affordable Housing Development Workshop (5) - Students form teams to create a full proposal for an affordable housing development project, including funding, design, and resident services; when available students will enter project competitions. Two-term sequence, credit for first term dependent upon successful completion of the second term.
USP 563 Real Estate Construction (3) - Reviews the nature and characteristics of the real estate construction process, including materials, cost estimating procedures, budgets, schedules and legal procedures. Emphasis on the selection of building systems and review of the forms of construction contracts and associated documents commonly used in the industry. Reviews lessons learned from case studies. Prerequisite: USP 598. Syllabus
USP 465/565 Pedestrian And Bicycle Planning (3) - Examines the importance of walking and bicycling as means of transportation in a sustainable urban environment. Covers planning, design, implementation, and maintenance of bikeways and walkways, as well as ancillary facilities such as bicycle parking. Focus on the role of education, advocacy and outreach in improving walking and bicycling conditions. Study relevant examples from various cities, with heavy emphasis on Portland's experience. Syllabus.
USP 567 Urban Housing Policies (3) - Review of the history and the role of public policy in the housing sector. Study of past and current trends in the delivery of housing services in urban areas. The basic philosophies related to the supply of housing are analyzed and examined relative to current trends in the delivery of housing services in urban areas. Critical review of the role of the federal government and the construction industry. Equal attention to the role of public housing and the impact of urban renewal. Active participation in discussion and a research paper are required. Syllabus.
USP 468/568 Oregon Land Use Law (3) - The Oregon program is placed in a national context that stresses the broad nature of planning here. Structural relations between state, regional, and local government planning and regulation are analyzed. Legal aspects of the implementation of the various functional statewide planning goals are studied, as are the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals and recent developments in local government land use planning and regulatory processes. Syllabus.
USP 569 Sustainable Cities and Regions (4) - This course explores the questions of whether and how cities can be sustainable -- and how they can continue as places that sustain cultures, economics, and nature. Basic technological and theoretical models of human-nature interaction will be considered, along with visionary possibilities for the future of cities and urban regions, globally and in Portland. Particular attention will be given to global-local interactions and to the strategies, programs, policies, and tools that can deliver sustainable and equitable development and advance environmental justice. Syllabus.
USP 570 Transportation and Land Use (3) - An analysis of transportation and land use interactions in urban areas. The impact of highway and transit changes on travel behavior, locational decisions and urban form are examined. Recommended prerequisites: USP 515 and USP 544. Syllabus.
USP 571 Environmental Policy (3) - Surveys federal, state, and international environmental policy-making with an emphasis on process design. Political and technical objectives for policy, the roles and responsibilities of institutions, federal-state tensions, representation and analysis of stakeholding interests, the role of the media, and environmental justice are key elements. Topical areas include issues concerning resource management as well as pollution prevention. Syllabus.
USP 572 Regional Economic Development (3) - This course focuses on methods of analyzing why regions differ economically, how they interrelate, and why and how they react to changes in economic policies and conditions. Part of the course will be devoted to a study of models of regional structure and growth, such as economic base or input-output, and the strengths and weaknesses of each in modeling the regional economy. The remainder of the course will be concerned with the development of models for use in regional forecasting and/or evaluation of policy changes on regional development. Recommended prerequisite: USP 515. Syllabus.
USP 475/575 Urban Design Workshop (4) - This workshop will explore the use of urban design as an integral part of the planning process through the creation of an urban design plan. Projects in the Portland region will be chosen to familiarize students with the practice of urban design planning and the products of the workshop will be presented to the public. Prerequisites: enrollment in good standing in the MARCH or MURP graduate degree programs or permission of instructor. Syllabus.
USP 576 Feeding the City (4) - Introduction to historical and contemporary efforts to foster more just and sustainable urban food systems. Integrates critical social science perspectives, applied planning literature, case studies, and analysis of policy and planning best practices. Syllabus.
USP 578 Impact Assessment (3) - Empirical techniques employed in measuring the impacts associated with land use change. Topics: goals achievement matrix approaches to impact assessment, trade-offs between community and regional welfare, distance and time in urban analysis, estimating the social profitability of land development, cost-benefit analysis applied to freeway location, techniques for valuation of nonpriced resources, measuring municipal revenue and expenditure impacts, gravity models and transport demand estimation, economic base analysis for employment and population impact assessment, estimating air and noise pollution associated with land development. Recommended prerequisite: USP 515. Syllabus.
USP 579 State and Local Public Finance (3) - This course will focus on the tax burdens, fiscal resources, and expenditure patterns of local governments in metropolitan areas. The impact of revenue sharing and categorical grants will be discussed in relation to state and federal influence on local government finance. The spatial distribution of local government services, transfer payments, and tax burdens will be analyzed. Special attention will be paid to Oregon's complex property tax limitations.Prerequisite: USP 515. Syllabus.
USP 583 Transportation Finance (3) - Much of the current funding for roads, transit, and freight comes from fuel taxes, but increasing fuel efficiency of vehicles and the use of alternative energy sources raise questions about the long-term viability of this revenue source. This course will review existing transportation finance and examine some of the proposals for alternative financing mechanisms. Syllabus.
USP 584 Negotiations in the Public Sector (2 or 4, variable credit) - MURP Core. Overview of the conventional and innovative applications of negotiations in public sector activities and the potential and limitations of negotiation-based approaches to public decision making. Key components include negotiation theory, individual skill development, and a review of the institutional, legal and political context of negotiations. Syllabus.
USP 585 Housing Environments for Older Adults (3) - Explores physical, social, and service contexts related to housing and environments for people across the age and ability spectrums, focusing on older adults. Ecological perspectives and social theories on aging will be examined and applied and students will examine evidence regarding how older adults use, perceive, and are affected by their homes and environments. Topics include housing options, accessible and inclusive environments, supports and services, policies and politics, economics, neighborhood design, and age-friendly communities. Syllabus.
USP 587 Travel Demand Modeling (3) - Understand, analyze and apply travel demand forecasting models from an applied and practical perspective. The underlying theoretical basis of model components will also be covered. Student will become familiar with the traditional four-step travel forecasting process, including model application software package, and interpretation of model output. Prerequisites: an introductory course in urban transportation planning, familiarity with spread sheet software; college-level algebra; and introductory statistics (i.e., regression analysis). Prior experience with DOS is helpful but not mandatory. Syllabus.
USP 588 Sustainable Development Practices (3) - Introduction to analytic and management approaches intended to limit the social and environmental harms associated with most past patterns of development. Builds upon basic understanding of socio-environmental change and provides a foundation for subsequent in-depth studies of particular sustainable development strategies and analytic techniques. Students study a broader range of sustainable development topics, tools and techniques. Syllabus.
USP 589 Theorizing Urban Natures (4) - This seminar examines various ways of understanding urban "nature". Students will contrast dominant ecological frameworks with those used in the social sciences (e.g., urban political ecology, actor-network theory), with attention to the social, political, and economic contexts in which they arose, and implications of each for research, practice, and politics. Syllabus.
USP 490/590 Green Economics & Sustainable Development (3) - Examines prevailing assumptions about economic growth, production, consumption, labor, and leisure. Considers how changes in these basic assumptions might help us design an economic system that includes alternative values such as appropriate scale, community impact and environmental sustainability. Syllabus.
USP 591 Geographic Information Systems I: Introduction (4) - The use of computers in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and mapping. Includes theory of databases related to geographic information management and practical aspects of database design. Students will use a variety of programs for mapping and spatial analysis of geographic information. Each student completes a series of exercises demonstrating a variety of approaches to the analysis and display of spatial data. Recommended prerequisite: Geog 380 or equivalent experience in cartography. Students enrolling in this class must register for a computer lab section. Also listed as Geog 488/588, may only be taken once for credit. Syllabus.
USP 592 Geographic Information Systems II: Applications (4) - Analysis and applications of geographic information systems concepts and technology to land planning and management issues. The multipurpose land information systems concept is used as an organizing device for spatial registration of data layers to achieve data sharing and compatibility among functions. User needs assessment and systems design provides the basis for systems procurement, implementation, and use. Recommended prerequisites: Geog 488/588 or USP 591. Students enrolling in this class must register for a computer lab section. Also listed as Geog 492/592, may only be taken once for credit. Syllabus.
USP 496/596 Affordable Housing Finance (3) - Introduction to the unique challenges of financing and developing affordable housing projects. The challenges and tools for financing rental as well as owner-occupied housing will be covered, and case studies will be used to illustrate the ways in which financing for affordable housing is created and used, and poses unique challenges for investors, jurisdictions, and community-based groups. Expected preparation: USP 312U. Syllabus.
USP 597 Regional Economic Analysis (2) - Reviews analytical tools and data sources and provides hands on training for applying them to questions about regional economies. Includes demographic analysis, regional business structure, analyzing regional economic change, labor market analysis, researching firms, and conducting cluster analysis and economic opportunities analysis. Expected preparation: basic statistics.. Syllabus
USP 598 Project Management for Planners (1) - Project management is the practice of deploying resources, developing schedules and analyzing risks to produce a desired outcome. In this class we will use hands-on case studies to explore the dimensions of project management and build skills for projects typical to urban planning in scope and scale. The course will also address strategies for building leadership and communication skills and promoting equity and inclusion in project development, client engagement and team management. Syllabus.
600-Level Courses
USP 607 Sem: Advanced Planning Theory (3) - This seminar will explore several planning theory-related issues such as the just city, the healthy city, the right to the city, urban planning in a global context, and urban planning in the context of climate change and complexity. PhD students, as well as MURP students who have completed History and Theory of Planning and MUS students are welcome.
USP 607 Sem: Advanced Community Development Seminar (3) - This advanced seminar considers theoretical and policy debates around uneven development and the community organizing/development response. It is open to MUS, MURP, and PhD students who have completed core community development courses. This course is offered in even number years. Syllabus.
USP 612 Community, Planning, and Ethics (3) - An introduction to the history and theory of community development in North America, the theory and practice of urban planning in North America, and to the ethics of civic and business practices linking the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The course will focus on plans as the outcome of political processes with specific consequences for different constituencies within the city. Syllabus.
USP 613 Urban Economic and Spatial Structure (3) - MUS/PhD Core. Provides an introduction to the economic and spatial aspects relevant to the field of urban studies. Provides an overview of existing theories and empirical evidence relating to urban spatial and economic relationships. Examines the impact of federal, state, and local government policies, and changing economic conditions on these relationships. Syllabus.
USP 614 History and Theory of Urban Studies (3) - MUS/PhD Core. Leading thinkers and milestones in the analysis of urban development and urban life. Complementary theories and models of the social sciences. Postmodern approaches. Visionary and critical responses to the possibilities of metropolitan life. Syllabus.
USP 615 Economic Analysis of Public Policy (4) - Introduction to the use of microeconomic analysis in the evaluation of public policy. Intended for entering graduate students with a limited background in economics. Develops basic analytic methods and emphasizes application of the analysis to issues of public policy. Prepares students for advanced classes that use this type of analysis. Syllabus.
USP 616 Cities in the Global Political Economy (3) - Introduction to political theory and the political economy of globalization. Begins with core political ideas from classical economy (Locke, Rousseau, Smith, Mills, Marx, Marshall, Keynes, Friedman, and Rawls) and proceeds to an analysis of the rise of transnationalism and globalization. Looks at changes in the global economy, revolutionary changes to capitalism, the fall of communism, and impacts of the globalization of cities, communities, the state, work, social mobility, welfare, cultural diversity, and the environment. Syllabus.
USP 617 The Sociology and Politics of Urban Life (3) - MUS/PhD Core. A survey of important theories and empirical research about the social structure and political dynamics of urban areas. The impacts of globalization on urban social and political life, the changing nature of community and social relations within cities and suburbs, and evolving patterns of intergovernmental cooperation and conflict within metropolitan regions will be analyzed. Syllabus.
USP 624 Development Project Design (3) - Provides an understanding of architectural practice, the value added by design, the intersection of design with broader community concerns and developer's objectives, and the management of the design process, including tools for decision analysis in all phases of the building design process. Case studies of the major building types will be presented. Expected preparation: USP 523. Syllabus.
USP 630 Research Design (4) - MUS/PhD Core. Principles of research design, including philosophical bases of scientific research, approaches to research, problem identification, problem statement, development of research questions, development of research hypotheses, and the relationship of research hypotheses to modes of data gathering and analysis. The laboratory (630L) must be taken concurrently. Recommended prerequisite: USP 430. Syllabus.
USP 634 Data Analysis I (4) - MUS/PhD Core. Application of multivariate statistical analysis in an urban context. Emphasis on applications of various techniques within the general linear model. Recommended prerequisite: USP 532. The laboratory (USP 534L) must be taken concurrently. Recommended prerequisite: USP 430. Syllabus.
USP 654 Data Analysis II (4) - Takes an applied approach to statistical analysis and research methodology and is the second in a two-course sequence. Provides students with statistical background, conceptual understanding, technical writing skills, computer application, and the ability to apply these skills to realistic data analysis problems and research designs. Topics include simple regression and correlation, multiple regression, and logistic regression. The laboratory (USP654L) must be taken concurrently. Recommended prerequisites: USP 534/634 or an equivalent course approved by the instructor and prior experience with statistical software. Syllabus.
USP 657 Advanced Data Analysis: Discrete Choice Modeling (3) -This course presents the theory and practice underlying the formulation and estimation of models of individual discrete choice behavior with applications to travel, travel related and other choices. The course will provide students with an understanding of the theory, methods, application and interpretation of multinomial logit (MNL), nested logit and other members of the Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) family of models. It will also include an introduction to mixed logit models. Syllabus.
USP 683 Qualitative Analysis (4) - MUS/PhD Core. Study of a variety of qualitative methods of analyzing social science problems with an emphasis on applications to urban studies. Students study the philosophy of academic inquiry, understanding and interpretation of social action. Specific techniques include content analysis, participant observation field observation, ethnography, interviewing and focus groups, among others. Organization, coding and analysis of qualitative data. Recommended prerequisite USP 530/630. Syllabus.
USP 689 Advanced Urban Politics and Sociology (3) - This is an advanced readings seminar focusing on the literature and emerging theoretical and methodological debates in the fields of urban sociology and political science. This course is intended as an intensive seminar for graduate students seeking both greater familiarity and involvement with the literature and discourse in these fields. Prerequisite: USP 517/617. Syllabus.
USP 697 Research Design 2 (4) - PhD Core. Research seminar required for students in urban studies doctoral program; open to MUS and other advanced graduate students. Students apply their substantive background and methodological training to develop all the components of a social science research paper: statement of focused research question, literature review, development of hypotheses, definition of appropriate methodology, design of data acquisition, and pilot testing of data acquisition strategy. Expected preparation: USP 614, USP 613, and USP 617. Syllabus.