Undergraduate 400-Level Courses
UNST 421, Neighborhoods and Watersheds (6 credits)
Barry Messer, (503) 725-5179, messerb@pdx.edu
This course addresses the health of cities with respect to the community stewardship of its watersheds. Students are challenged in a learning and community development process of discovery and direct involvement. The essential elements of the Capstone focus on the factors that can contribute to the health of Portland's watersheds. Students work with the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services and a neighborhood group on projects that may include "hands on" activities and/or community outreach/education on work involving watershed protection and restoration in Portland neighborhoods. Projects in the past have included such watershed enhancements as wetlands restoration, community gardens, eco-roofs and bio-swales.
UNST 421, Debt Cancellation and the Millennium Development Goals: Grassroots Advocates Changing the Terms of the Debate (6 credits)
Pat Rumer, activistap@yahoo.com
Debt cancellation is one of the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals** that seek to eradicate poverty by 2015. More than half of African nations continue to spend more on debt than health care for their citizens. Sub-Saharan Africa pays almost $1.5 billion in debt services to the wealthy nations and international financial institutions. This course will explore such questions as: What are the origins of the debt burden? Does this debt burden impact South-North migration? What impact do global advocacy networks have on international institutions? Our community partner will be Jubilee Oregon
UNST 421, Implementing "Portland 2030," One City's Vision (6):
The class will work with the Mayor's office, City of Portland staff, and members of the larger community in helping initiate the implementation of the vision for Portland, which has been developed over the past two years. Coursework will include research, interviews, community meetings, drafting ideas and plans, and working with community organizations (government, neighborhoods, nonprofits, businesses) to insure (1) broad public involvement in the vision-implementation process and (2) that the vision's implementation gets off to a strong start. The class will include a brief study of vision-making in Portland as well as the process for community vision-making and implementation in the context this city. All majors are welcome and encouraged to enroll; urban studies is not a prerequisite.
USP 423 Real Estate Development and Finance (4):
Evaluates the new public/private partnerships which are necessary for downtown redevelopment, historic rehabilitation, integrated mixed-use urban centers, urban villages, and new communities. Analyzes the critical conceptual, feasibility, and deal-making phases of the development process, as well as the development and management stages. Examines the new affirmative roles played by both public and private developers, as well as unusual joint development entities. Considers innovative concepts of incremental growth, land and development banking, shared parking, and alternative development patterns. Prerequisites: USP 311 and 428.
USP 424U Healthy Communities (4)
Addresses issues at the intersection of urban policy and planning and individual and community health. Relationships between the ways in which land is used, the transportation choices available, and the health of both urban places and city residents are explored in light of growing concern about increased rates of various health problems. Health consequences of political, economic, and social aspects of metropolitan life are also examined. Movements and programs to create and maintain healthy communities around the world are analyzed. Syllabus 2006
USP 425U Community and the Built Environment (4):
Application of psychological and social concepts to understanding community and its relationship to the built environment and urban design. The use of space in interpersonal relations (personal space, territoriality, privacy); the impact of crowding and density on social relations. The functioning of social networks in the city: types of communities, creating intentional communities.
USP 426U 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. Prerequisite: junior standing. Graduate students undertake a substantial independent project in addition to other course requirements.
USP 427 Downtown Revitalization (3):
This course deals with the growth and revitalization of downtowns and commercial districts. It examines the evolution of downtown core areas, introduces the theoretical explanations for commercial location, and looks at approaches for maintaining activities in older commercial areas. The major emphasis is on the United States, with some attention to the experience of other nations. Graduate students undertake a substantial independent project in addition to other course requirements.
USP 428 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. USP 312 recommended. Graduate students undertake a substantial independent project in addition to other course requirements.
USP 429 Poverty in the Urban Community (3):
This is an introductory course about the nature, extent, and causes of poverty in the United States. It covers a brief historical overview, demographics and trends, explanations of poverty, and anti-poverty policies. We will focus on the social, economic, housing, labor, and urban policies that helped to create large pockets of poverty and social isolation in large urban centers
USP 430 Urban Studies Research Methods (4):
This course introduces students to social research in urban studies. It deals with hypothesis development, research design, and approaches to the measurement of urban phenomena. It also treats the application of quantitative data analysis to typical problems in urban studies and planning. Prerequisites: Mth 243 and 244 or equivalent.
USP 431 Urban Economics (4):
Functions of the urban economy: the market sector and the public sector. Economics analysis of issues such as land use, environmental quality, transportation, housing, income distribution and financing of urban public services. Perquisites: Ec 201. This course is the same as Ec 431; course may only be taken once for credit.
USP 438 Real Estate Law (3):
USP 445 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.
USP 450U Concepts of Citizen Participation (4):
Examination of principles, methods, and programs for giving explicit attention to the perspectives of citizens in the development and implementation of public policies and programs. Sets citizen participation in its historical context with an assessment of its impact to date. Participation from the perspective of both the citizen and the government will be covered as will the variety of approaches for achieving participation goals and objectives. Syllabus 2007
USP 451 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 markets problem solving activities of local governments and commercial development strategies are also explored.
USP 455 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. Current Syllabus
USP 456 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.
Spring Syllabus 2006
USP 457 Information Cities (3):
Focuses on the political, social, and cultural impacts of mass media and information technologies within the urban matrix. Contextualizes the "information society" in historical, institutional, political, economic, and global settings. Topics include flexible production, the segmentation of consumption, alternatives to mass media, the Web, the reorganization of work, the transnationalization of culture, commercial and political surveillance, and the development of urban information infrastructure.
USP 465 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.
Fall 2007 Syllabus
USP 468 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 475 Urban Design Workshop (3):
USP 480 Political Economy of Nonprofit Organizations (3):
Considers theories of altruism, trust, and social capital. Examines the connections between wealth and social responsibility and between elite status and social reproduction. Explores the broad scope of nonprofit activity in the economy, the interdependence of government and nonprofit organizations in the modern state, and the role of think tanks in shaping public policy. Surveys the dramatic rise of non-governmental organizations in developing countries and the future of nonprofits in a global economy.
USP490 Green Economics & Sustainable Development:
Examines prevailing assumptions about economic growth, production, consumption, labor, and leisure. We consider 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.
USP 493 Advanced GIS Applications (3):
Offered as a students-based GIS class. The objective is for students to apply GIS skills acquired in previous GIS courses to a specific real-world spatial problem. Tasks will involve problem definition primary data collection, advanced GIS analysis and presentation of results. This format will give students practical experience in implementing GIS technologies with specific emphasis on planning practices environment. Recommended prerequisites: USP 531 and USP 543 or USP 591 and 592.
USP 499 Real Estate Finance Investments (3):
Application of finance and economics principles to analysis of real estate finance and investments. Emphasis on the development of problem solving capabilities though the use of computer application programs. Special attention is given to risk analysis, alternative mortgage instruments, hedging techniques. and the tax effects of real estate investment. Recommended prerequisites: BA 303 or USP 4/598. This course is the same as Fin 4/599; course may only be taken once for credit.
