Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment
The Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment (GCPE) is a unique, interdisciplinary alliance of four graduate-level programs with shared values placed on urban sustainability and community participation, defined by the “triple bottom line” of environment, equity, and economy. Each of the four programs—City and Regional Planning, Historic Preservation, Sustainable Environmental Systems, and Urban Placemaking and Management—maintains its independence, degree, and depth of study. Yet students can move among the four programs, coming into the GCPE through one and taking electives in any of the other three, with the further option to follow set tracks for specialized or multifaceted studies.
GCPE also offers linkages to the undergraduate Construction Management program and the graduate programs in Facilities Management and Real Estate Practice, all available at the Pratt Manhattan campus. City and Regional Planning students can earn a joint Master of Science/Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School. Additional opportunities for all GCPE students are available through our close partnerships with the Pratt Center for Community Development, which works with community-based organizations, small businesses, and the public sector to develop innovative strategies toward an equitable and sustainable NYC, and the Spatial Analysis and Visualization Initiative (SAVI), a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-centered initiative that provides students and faculty across disciplines access to GIS and visualization resources.
Impact
Studio coursework emphasizes teamwork and interdisciplinary, integrative thinking as an effective method of acquiring professional skills. The studio typically involves a real client and culminates in a multidisciplinary proposal that is evaluated by an array of distinguished professionals and community leaders. The studios emphasize hands-on work where the students can have an immediate impact on public policy and community action. Faculty are drawn from top practitioners in community development, government, private practice, and civic institutions. Students are prepared to lead in the fields of planning, preservation, placemaking, development, and environmental sustainability.
Students graduate with the technical know-how, collaborative experience, and critical-thinking skills necessary to pursue professional careers and to plan for just, sustainable, and culturally intact urban communities. Alumni play a broad range of leadership roles in private, public, and nonprofit sectors.
Internships and Partnerships
Through internships, partnerships, studios, and directed research, students have ample opportunity to work on real-world and real-time issues. Courses are taught in the evening (except for the Historic Preservation program’s courses, which are concentrated on two weekdays and evenings) in order to give students time during the day for internships and fellowships. Eighty percent of GCPE students take on an internship or fellowship, which deepens their educational experience and provides important networking opportunities.
GCPE’s practice-based interdisciplinary approach to urbanism is deepened through partnerships and close alliances with the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA), the Project for Public Spaces (PPS), the World Monuments Fund, Planners Network, the New York City Council, community boards, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and many other city agencies.
Global Practice
GCPE is responding to the challenges and promises of the increasing globalization of urban issues with courses that run partly or entirely abroad, allowing students to learn about global innovations and practices in place. For example, for the past two years, GCPE students have traveled to Havana, Cuba, to learn from planners, organizers, designers, and architects there and to work together with agencies, groups, and universities to forge recommendations for 21st-century neighborhoods that respect and reflect Cuban heritage.
Chair
Eve L. Baron, PhD
718.687.5641
ebaron@pratt.edu
Assistant to the Chair
Sandy Hetzel
718.399.4340
shetzel@pratt.edu
Caron Atlas
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., M.A., University of Chicago.
David Burney
Academic Coordinator
Dip. Arch., Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh; Dip. Arch., Kingston University, London; M.S., University of London.
Joan Byron
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.Arch., Pratt Institute; M.P.A., Harvard University.
Steve Davies
Professor
M.Arch., University of California, Berkeley.
Mike Flynn
Visiting Assistant Professor
Studied at University of Vermont; M.S.C.R.P., Pratt Institute.
Thomas Grassi
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.Arch., Pratt Institute.
Ingrid Haftel
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., University of Washington; M.A., University of Chicago.
Will Hart
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Vanderbilt University; M.L.A. Landscape Architecture, University of Georgia.
Tom Jost
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.S., Lehigh University; M.S. Arch and Urban Design, Pratt Institute.
Gillian Kaye
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Barnard College, Columbia University.
Setha Low
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.A. Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley.
Jonathan Martin
Associate Professor
B.S.D., Arizona State University; M.R.P., Ph.D., Cornell University.
Jonathan Marvel
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Dartmouth College; M.Arch., Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Claudia Mausner
Visiting Assistant Professor
Ph.D. Environmental Psychology, The Graduate Center, CUNY.
Don Weinreich
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.Arch, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation.
Lisa Ackerman
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Middlebury College; M.B.A., New York University; M.S., Pratt Institute.
Kate Allen
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., University of Alabama in Birmingham; M.S., Columbia University.
Beth Bingham
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S., Pratt Institute.
Glenn Boornazian
B.A. History, Blackburn College; M.S. Historic Preservation, Columbia University.
Carol Clark
Visiting Associate Professor
B.A., University of Michigan; M.S., Columbia University.
Azra Dawood
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.Arch., University of Texas at Austin; M.S., Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ward Dennis
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A. Geography, Columbia College; M.S. Historic Preservation, Columbia University.
Nadya K. Nenadich
Academic Coordinator, Adjunct Associate Professor
B.Arch., Pratt Institute; M.S., Columbia University; Ph.D., Polytechnic University of Cataluña.
Christopher Neville
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Amherst College; M.S. Historic Preservation, Columbia University.
Kate Ottavino
B.A., New York University; M.Arch, M.S., Columbia University.
Theodore Prudon
Adjunct Professor
M.A., M.S., Ph.D., Columbia University; M.S., University of Delft, the Netherlands.
Vicki Weiner
Adjunct Associate Professor
B.A., Drew University; M.S., Columbia University.
Kevin Wolfe
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Holy Cross College; B.L.A., City College of New York; M.A., Clark University; M.Arch., Columbia University.
Bridget Anderson
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Macalester College; M.P.A., Columbia University.
Eddie Bautista
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S.C.R.P., Pratt Institute.
Michael Bobker
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S. Energy, New York Institute of Technology.
Jessie Braden
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.A., University of Toledo.
Esther Brunner
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.L.A., Columbia University.
Damon Chaky
Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Science
Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Carter Craft
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.U.P., New York University.
Raymond Figueroa
Visiting Instructor
Cornell University College of Human Ecology.
Laura Jay
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S., Columbia University.
Elliott Maltby
Adjunct Associate Professor
B.A., Kenyon College; M.L.A., University of California, Berkeley.
Paul Mankiewicz
Visiting Associate Professor
Ph.D., CUNY.
Gita Nandan
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.Arch., University of California, Berkeley.
Marcel Negret
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S., Pratt Institute.
Leonel Ponce
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.Arch., University of Texas at Austin; M.S., Pratt Institute.
Carolyn Schaeberle
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.S. Engineering Science, Smith College; M.I.D., Pratt Institute.
Christopher Starkey
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.Arch., M.E.M., Yale University.
Jaime Stein
Coordinator, Sustainable Environmental Systems
B.S., Millersville University; M.S., Pratt Institute.
Ira Stern
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S.C.R.P., Pratt Institute.
Gelvin Stevenson
Visiting Associate Professor
B.A., Carleton College; Ph.D. Economics, Washington University.
Samara Swanston
Visiting Assistant Professor
J.D., St. John’s University.
Norman Mintz
Visiting Associate Professor
B.A., Pratt Institute; M.S., Columbia University.
Eliza Montgomery
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.Arch, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation.
Signe Nielsen
Adjunct Associate Professor
B.S., Pratt Institute; B.A., Smith College; B.L.Arch., City College of New York.
Suzanne Nienaber
Visiting Assistant Professor
Cynthia Nikitin
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Clark University; M.A., New York University.
John Shapiro
Professor
B.A., Clark University; M.S.C.R.P., Pratt Institute.
Ron Shiffman
Professor Emeritus
B.Arch., M.S.C.R.P., Pratt Institute.
Dana Taplin
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A. Hobart College; M.S. Hunter College; Ph.D., CUNY.
Meg Walker
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Wesleyan University; M.Arch., Columbia University.
Eve Baron
Chair
B.A., M.S., Ohio State University; Ph.D., Rutgers University.
Jenifer Becker
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., University of Wisconsin at Madison; M.S.C.R.P., Pratt Institute.
Bethany Bingham
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., University of Cincinnati; M.S., Pratt Institute.
Michael Freedman-Schnapp
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S.U.P., New York University.
Adam Friedman
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Haverford College; J.D., Benjamin Cardozo School of Law.
Mindy Fullilove
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S., M.D., Columbia University.
Moses Gates
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.U.P., Hunter College.
Eva Hanhardt
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Brown University; M.U.P., New York University.
Daniel Hernandez
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.S., California State University; M.Arch., University of California at Los Angeles.
Georges Jacquemart
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S.U.P., Stanford University.
David Kallick
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Yale University.
Tanu Kumar
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Williams College; M.S., Cornell University.
Frank Lang
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.Arch., Columbia University; M.Arch., University of Pennsylvania.
Matthew Lister
Visiting Assistant Professor
Master of Suburb and Town Design, University of Miami; M.S., MIT.
Alan Mallach
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Yale University.
Michael Marrella
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.C.P. with Urban Design Certificate, MIT.
Mercedes Narciso
Adjunct Associate Professor
B.A., Simón Bolívar University; M.S.C.R.P., Pratt Institute.
Larisa Ortiz Pu-Folkes
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.C.P., MIT.
Juan Camilo Osorio
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.Arch., Universidad Nacional de Colombia; M.S., University of Massachusetts.
Steven Romalewski
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S., Columbia University.
Ronald Shiffman
Professor Emeritus
B.Arch., M.S.C.R.P., Pratt Institute.
Mitchell Siver
Visiting Assistant Professor
Toby Snyder
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.Arch., Clark University; M.S.C.R.P., University of Pennsylvania; M.Arch., Rhode Island School of Design.
Lacey Tauber
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., University of Texas at Austin; M.S., Pratt Institute.
Ben Wellington
Visiting Assistant Professor
M.S., Ph.D., New York University.
Ayse Yonder
Professor
B.Arch., Istanbul Technical University; M.C.P., University of Pennsylvania; Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley.
Presents the basic principles and practices of planning as they relate to the political planning process. Topics include the ethical and legislative basis for planning, approval processes, components of a master plan, components of subdivision/site plan regulations, zoning ordinances, special legislative powers, environmental reviews, capital budget processes, public participation and the role of key government agencies.
This course introduces students to Geographic Information Systems software as used in city planning practice. Students become familiar with and gain experience analyzing data and producing professional maps. The course will be conducted in coordination with the mini-studio project in PLAN 656: Fundamentals of Planning.
This course introduces students to professional writing as used in city planning practices. Students become familiar with and gain experience producing professional written forms, such as the planning report, the opinion piece or letter to the editor and public testimony. They also become familiar with synthesizing data and writing about graphics. The course will be conducted in coordination with the mini-studio project in PLAN 600: Fundamentals: Seminar & Studio.
This mini course is designed for graduate planning students with little or no design experience as an introduction to hand-drawn graphics for planning and design. It strives to combines both a critical understanding of the theories and practice of graphical representation with hands-on skill development.
The course will consist of lectures, readings, in-class demonstrations, and discussion based assignments reviews. Students will be introduced to basic graphic concepts, raster/vector graphics, mapping, screen vs. print composition, graphic voice, weight and emphasis, photo manipulation, storyboarding and presentation technique. Students may use course assignments to fulfill requirements for the corresponding mini-studio.
This course introduces students to methods and tools for visual communication using information graphics. The five-week course will review information graphic types, principles of visual reasoning, graphic design, and methods for story-boarding. In-class exercises will demonstrate methods for creating information graphics using Illustrator, Photoshop, and Indesign and emphasize the integration of these three applications as well as Excel for effective presentation-making. A four-part assignment of documentation and interpretation of urban phenomena will focus on the synthesis of various information graphics in order to generate visual contexts for planning and design actions.
Theories of planning focus on the normative issues that arise in considering why and what we plan. Under this heading are questions of ideology, values, purposes, and principles, including gender, race and class. Theories of planning also involve questions of governmental intervention and public legitimization. Since the process of planning is affected by changes in social, economic, and political contexts, this course examines and evaluates the theory of planning practice in various historical periods.
Presents economic theory and method through the study of selected urban issues, including user charges, externalities and property rights, subsidies and vouchers, public services and efficiency, and the public economy of metropolitan areas. Readings are chosen to introduce economic issues from distinct philosophical perspectives.
Planners must have an understanding of how the legal system shapes the analysis, organization, and articulation of public goals and interests. This course covers the following subjects as they relate to the definition and achievement of concerted social action: the structure of government; the scope of authority of agencies and the substantive and procedural limits on various kinds of private and public actions; the major concepts of the law in which planning programs may be structured and planning disputes resolved; the vocabulary and procedural framework of legal dispute resolution; the ability to read statutes and regulations, find case law, and comprehend judicial opinions; the concepts of constitutional law, common law, case precedents and judicial review; and advocacy and the adversarial process as the basic method of dispute resolution.
by planners in their professional activities. It includes a discussion of various uses and types of data, compilation and reliability of data, population and housing characteristics, population dynamics, methods for estimating population and models for forecasting population.
Covers fundamental concepts and methods in inferential statistics and basic economics most widely used by urban planning professionals. In the first half of the semester, students cover such statistical techniques as elementary probability theory, decision-tree analysis, measures of central tendency and dispersion, hypothesis testing and various correlation techniques. Topics covered in economics include concepts of supply and demand, microeconomics and discounting costs and benefits over time. The course provides necessary preparation for later courses in demographics and public finance.
This course introduces students to a range of theories, frameworks, tools, and techniques related to participatory planning and community engagement. Through a combination of field-based activities and workshops, case study discussions, and conversations with guest speakers, students learn to identify potential stakeholders, choose participation frameworks, match engagement objectives to outreach strategies, facilitate creative exercises, and interpret and translate public input into planning and policy objectives.
This course introduces students to the standard elements of social science research design, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method techniques. Participant learn to identify critical planning questions, articulate a conceptual framework, situate original research within relevant bodies of existing literature/ knowledge,select appropriate methods and sampling strategies, and consider the ethical and scientific contexts of data collection, analysis, and representation.
Introduces students to basic concepts in data management, spreadsheet analysis, digital mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) within the context of planning projects. The uses of selected spreadsheet and GIS packages in various areas of planning, such as land use, real estate, environmental management, transportation and infrastructure planning are investigated. Students get hands-on experience with Excel, MAP INFO, and dBase packages.
The course provides advanced instruction in geographic information systems (GIS) for urban planning applications. Skills covered include database management for GIS, interactive mapping technologies, use of maps to track social and environmental data over space and time, geocoding, advanced cartography, open source computer mapping developments, and 3D applications of GIS. Students develop the ability to analyze data spatially and use maps to represent complex social, geological and environmental phenomena.
The purpose of this course is to introduce students with some familiarity in the use of mapping techniques and data analysis to the most common processes used by professional planners who employ Geographic Information Systems (GIS) --a computer-based technology to aid in the collection, analysis, output and communication of spatial information for display in multi-layered maps. In addition to exploring the dynamics of the processes above, the course will focus its assignments on the development of a mapping project studying the land use, demographic, and/or socio economic trends of giving community in New York City.
Advocacy planning is a major force in community, city, and regional decision-making processes. The evolution, current status and projected role of advocacy in the planning and design domains are considered. Topics include citizen participation in political and developmental activities; changing governmental policies affecting neighborhood housing and commercial programs; work with established and underrepresented community groups; the ideological premises of advocacy and social action; and the relationship of the planner to society and societal concerns. The course incorporates lectures, seminar discussions, guest presentations and student field-related projects. It is a prerequisite for further independent study in the advocacy field.
Housing development, particularly affordable housing, is a key component of planning for sustainable cities. This course will examine the dynamic relationships among social needs, planning & design, financial considerations, infrastructure and environmental issues, and political and social factors. Students will expand their proficiency in professional skills used in housing development, focused on residential real estate development, financing, and financial analysis.
Housing is a universal social necessity that at once plays a critical role in our built environment and acts as a major force in our economy. This mini course is designed to provide a basic introduction to residential real estate development, financing and financial analysis for affordable housing development. It focuses on developing critical analysis of the various constraints which shape housing development projects: economic, physical, legal, tax and market concerns.
This 5-week course will expand students understanding of affordable housing development by focusing on housing for people with special needs and the supportive housing model. It will discuss the evolution and history, current policy implications, and the design and financing of supportive housing. Additionally, it will focus on how we adequately and equitably plan for supportive housing in cities and communities. Students should have a basic knowledge of affordable housing development and finance.
Downtowns are essential for a community's economic and civic health. This course explores multi-disciplinary strategies to revitalize downtowns, whether as small as a rural hamlet or as large as a metropolitan center. The emphasis is on commercial revitalization, but downtown and mixed-use redevelopment are fully ad-dressed. All of the elements of a successful program are covered, including: surveys, market analyses, public participation, access, transit, parking, pedestrians, placemaking, streetscape, facade programs, regulations, and \"main street management.\".
Downtowns are essential for a community's economic and civic health. This course explores multi-disciplinary strategies to revitalize downtowns, whether as small as a rural hamlet or as large as a metropolitan center. The emphasis is on commercial revitalization, but downtown and mixed-use redevelopment are fully addressed. All of the elements of a successful program are covered, including: surveys, market analyses, public participation, access, transit, parking, pedestrians, placemaking, streetscape, facade programs, regulations, and \"main street management.\".
Utilizes planning techniques in the investigation of social problems facing communities. The major focus is cross-cutting themes, such as the social role of government, poverty, privatization, race, class, gender and ethnicity. Topical issues on the public agenda are also analyzed, incorporating issues such as welfare reform and homelessness. Specific issues and topics are selected according to students' backgrounds and interests.
Since World War II, the spreading interstate highway systems and home financing policies have created the ubiquitous American suburb. Metropolitan regions have spread out along transportation corridors absorbing the countryside in a reckless manner. In the 1970s, a new network of global cities tied together by electronic communications began to rise. Examples include command and control centers such as London, New York and Tokyo. Regional growth poles such as St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Reno and Austin began to restructure the old dichotomy between the center and the periphery - or between town and country - and to re-link cities in a new global economy. This class examines the economic, demographic, cultural and political reformulations that have transformed metropolitan areas into global cities and backwater towns into new growth centers.
This course presents the nuts and bolts of land use planning as practiced in the US today and gives students the opportunity to develop/design a land use plan for a small hypothetical city. The focus is on what constitutes a comprehensive plan, principles of good plan-making, where to start, specific steps to take, information needs, and how to choose methods to accommodate a range of community situations.
Especially intended for students concentrating in physical planning, this seminar provides an introduction to the basic principles, latest practices, and tools for three-dimensional visualization and analysis in site planning and design. Understanding that the context of any site is the interrelation of social, economic, historic, cultural and environmental factors, this course focuses on the physical planning of the site by drawing from contemporary practices in ecology, landscape design, zoning, energy efficiency, and resource management and bridging the disciplines of engineering, landscape design, architecture, and planning. The class provides students with both and understanding of the broader implications of site panning and the skills and tools for the planning and design of a singular site and building project.
This is a lecture and workshop exploring programming, planning and design concepts of urban open space. The scope of design projects becomes progressively larger throughout the semester, starting with small recreation areas, corporate plazas and cultural facilities, and leading to the programming, planning and design of pedestrian malls, waterfront rehabilitation and civic scale plazas. In conjunction with workshop projects, lectures with illustrative material are given on the specific issues of site feasibility, site programming, site planning, and design strategies.
This course introduces students to the concept of placemaking: the planning, programming, design and management of people-friendly public spaces. Students will conduct observations and an analysis of a public space, and, when possible, engage the community to elicit ideas for improvements or in hands-on volunteer activities. Readings, guest speakers and class discussions will cover the definition and significance of \"place\" and \"placemaking,\" building social capital and promoting equity through placemaking, finding economically and environmentally sustainable solutions, and the management of public spaces.
Provides the urban planner with a working knowledge of the concepts, technologies, and practices involved in planning, operating, and evaluating present and future urban transportation systems. While the primary focus is on technical transportation matters, technology-policy relationships are noted, complementing the fuller treatment of transportation policy in other coursework within the curriculum.
Students examine equity issues inherent in transportation systems. The main product of the class is a paper on a case study of transportation equity issues in a specific place (a city or metropolitan region, in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world). For example, it could be an analysis of equity issues as they manifest in a specific transportation policy, approach, or mode (e.g. greenways, Transit-Oriented Development, etc.); it could be an examination of how political processes and transportation funding and policies interact (e.g. factors that might shape the next transportation authorization bill.
Transportation planning is about more than just traffic counts and parking policy. This course focuses specifically on planning for pedestrians and cyclists, the importance of public spaces, street design, and public safety.
An introduction to the theory and practice of metropolitan regional planning. Lectures follow the procedures and substantive components of a regional plan. Where appropriate, outside experts drawn from the region's professional pool supplement the course lectures. Students are required to evaluate a plan for a region in either the United States or abroad. This encourages familiarity with the regional planning process and allows comparisons between plans and planning theory. The student also is required to assume the role of a personality involved in a region-shaping issue. A mock public hearing is held with each student testifying as the chosen figure. Reports from the student's own perspective are required.
What will be the fate of America's older industrial cities industrial cities like Detroit or Buffalo, cities that have been losing jobs and population for decades? Can these cities become stronger, healthier as well as smaller places? This course will look at the reasons that these cities are shrinking, how job and population loss affect their economic and physical environment, and their prospects for the future. We will take a particular look at the reuse of urban land, and the opportunities to rethink redevelopment with green land uses as open space and urban agriculture.
The frequency of natural disasters has been increasing over the past two decades. Despite increased investment and advances in hazard-management technology, human and economic losses from disasters have been rising worldwide. This class provides an introduction to planning for disaster mitigation. After an overview of the changing approaches to disaster policy and planning, local and federal planning strategies will be discussed in depth around recent case studies.
This course offers students the opportunity to travel abroad to study the international contexts of physical planning, including urban design, transportation, public space, infrastructure, parks and other aspects of the built environment.
In addition to regular course offerings, students may take up to 12 additional credits as Directed Research. Directed Research may consist of independent study on a topic of interest to the student or an extension of a regular course. Any faculty member may supervise the student.
In addition to regular course offerings, students may take up to 12 additional credits as Directed Research. Directed Research may consist of independent study on a topic of interest to the student or an extension of a regular course. Any faculty member may supervise the student.
In addition to regular course offerings, students may take up to 12 additional credits as Directed Research. Directed Research may consist of independent study on a topic of interest to the student or an extension of a regular course. Any faculty member may supervise the student.
In addition to regular course offerings, students may take up to 12 additional credits as Directed Research. Directed Research may consist of independent study on a topic of interest to the student or an extension of a regular course. Any faculty member may supervise the student.
In addition to regular course offerings, students may take up to 12 additional credits as Directed Research. Directed Research may consist of independent study on a topic of interest to the student or an extension of a regular course. Any faculty member may supervise the student.
In addition to regular course offerings, students may take up to 12 additional credits as Directed Research. Directed Research may consist of independent study on a topic of interest to the student or an extension of a regular course. Any faculty member may supervise the student.
In addition to regular course offerings, students may take up to 12 additional credits as Directed Research. Directed Research may consist of independent study on a topic of interest to the student or an extension of a regular course. Any faculty member may supervise the student.
The neighborhood (as defined by a number of physical, political, and socioeconomic criteria) is the level at which most planning efforts affect citizens. Increasingly, the neighborhood has also become the official focal point for city, state and federal programs in both service delivery and physical development planning and implementation. This studio introduces the student to basic techniques in neighborhood needs analysis and comprehensive planning. Utilizing a neighborhood of appropriate size and type, the students, working in teams, develop an area-wide plan (based on primary and secondary research and needs analysis) providing for residential, commercial and industrial land use and related services and infrastructure. In order to maximize the usefulness of the semester's work, as well as to provide a realistic assessment of plans produced by the studio, written and graphic materials are prepared for presentation to the \"client\" - usually a locally-based nonprofit organization representing the neighborhood under study.
This course combines basic principles and practices of city planning and urban design to a specific topical project. Physical, social, economic, cultural and political factors are considered in order to produce a workable plan and viable design. Projects are selected from actual planning/design situations in urban and/or regional contexts and require documentation and development strategies for political discourse. In addition to typical studio work, there are lectures, site visits, written reports and input from official and community representatives.
Each semester, this studio undertakes a comprehensive land use planning study for a key piece of urban property. The study tests the physical, environmental, social and financial feasibility of developing the area for mixed urban uses. It examines the problems and opportunities that are present in the area and focuses on the development of a number of alternative plans for both short-term (three to five years) and long-term (15 years) futures. The layout, design and character of proposed housing, industry, social services and open spaces are included in the development plan, as are issues of equitable development and the creation of environmentally-sensitive sustainable communities.
This seminar introduces and explores in depth the urban policies and institutions of Third World nations as they relate to the nation's physical and socioeconomic development. Emphasis is on the comparative analysis of current experiences in major metropolitan areas. Planning issues, such as migration, homelessness, and the informal economy are considered in both pre- and post-industrial service societies. Experts on international planning and design are invited as guest lecturers.
The demonstration of an approved scope of work showing the analytical capacities and creative skills expected of a professional planner is the capstone of the program. The demonstration can involve original research, a work-related project or an extension of course-related work. An advisory committee of faculty members judge the demonstration.
The demonstration of an approved scope of work showing the analytical capacities and creative skills expected of a professional planner is the capstone of the program. The demonstration can involve original research, a work-related project or an extension of course-related work. An advisory committee of faculty members judge the demonstration.
If the Demonstration of Professional Competence is not completed in the initial semesters, students can continue working in PLAN-700 for no more than five semesters.
PLAN 900: Advanced Research supports students as they commence individual primary research that makes an original contribution to the field of applied planning. Taken the semester following PLAN 701: Research Design and Methods, this course gives students pathways to ensure completion of the culminating thesis in the student's final semester. It is a prerequisite for PLAN 901: Thesis. The course is open to all CRP students completing the Thesis option and is designed specifically for students contemplating doctoral studies or careers in advanced applied research. A strong emphasis on peer review allows students to complete culminating degree work in a fully supported learning environment.
PLAN 901: Thesis supports students in the completion of individual primary research aimed at making an original contribution to the field of applied urban planning. The course is open to all CRP students completing the Thesis option a nd designed specifically for students contemplating doctoral studies or careers in advanced applied research. A strong emphasis on peer review allows students to complete culminating degree work in a fully supported learning environment.
PLAN 902: Continuing Thesis supports students in the completion of individual primary research aimed at making an original contribution to the field of applied urban planning. The course is open to all CRP students completing the Thesis option and designed specifically for students contemplating doctoral studies or careers in advanced applied research. A strong emphasis on peer review allows students to complete culminating degree work in a fully supported learning environment.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a structure for experiential learning through an internship program. This course allows for career development through internships with a pre-internship preparation (workshop), professional search and selection of internship (through Internship Faculty counseling and career counselor advisement), an on-going live and/or virtual forum to discuss the internship & assignments centered around observation, professional growth & career investigation.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a structure for experiential learning through an internship program. This course allows for career development through internships with a pre-internship preparation (workshop), professional search and selection of internship (through internship Faculty counseling and career Counselor advisement), an on-going live and/or virtual forum to discuss the internship & assignments centered around observation, professional growth & career investigation.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a structure for experiential learning through an internship program. This course allows for career development through internships with a pre-internship preparation (workshop), professional search and selection of internship (through internship Faculty counseling and career Counselor advisement), an on-going live and/or virtual forum to discuss the internship & assignments centered around observation, professional growth & career investigation.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a structure for experiential learning through an internship program. This course allows for career development through internships with a pre-internship preparation (workshop), professional search and selection of internship (through internship Faculty counseling and career Counselor advisement), an on-going live and/or virtual forum to discuss the internship & assignments centered around observation, professional growth & career investigation.
Current Issues in Historic Preservation is a five week seminar (1 credit) taught in a lecture/discussion format with a goal to expose Historic Preservation and other students to the challenges facing practitioners and academicians in the field of preservation today.
This course is intended for students who wish to do independent research at a graduate level in a subject of their choice and acceptable to the graduate faculty and the chairperson.
Today historic preservation professionals find themselves engaged in overseeing projects that require not only strong preservation disciplines but strong project management disciplines. The class will examine the fundamentals of project management and its adaptability to a broad base of historic preservation projects regardless of type or size. The methodology of Project Planning and Estimation will evaluate the use of templates in creating repeatable processes that can be easily ported to project management software. The value of project management methodologies will be examined through a case study.
Explores the basic concept of \"What is Historic Preservation?\" through a study of the route preservation has taken to reach the place it is today. The course presents both the historic development of preservation and the theoretical and philosophical foundations of that development. It then raises some of the fundamental issues concerning the values, assumptions, and practice of historic preservation.
Introduces the student to methods of documenting and interpreting the built environment, emphasizing hands-on involvement through the analysis of a neighborhood in New York City. It stresses research methodology, using library resources, public records, maps, historic documents, images, oral histories, and folklore. The class focuses on the documentation of a New York City neighborhood selected by the instructor with the collaboration of the historic preservation faculty. Historical data is collected throughout the first half of the semester, and students work collaboratively to assemble a comprehensive story of the development of the entire study area. During the second half of the semester, students collect oral histories and folklore from residents of the study area, and explore the interpretations of the history that was uncovered.
All historic preservation efforts take place within the context of accepted definitions of heritage. These definitions have changed dramatically over time; they vary from country to country, and are contested even within the contemporary United States. This course provides a historical and critical introduction to concepts of heritage. The class will be conducted as a seminar, with emphasis on close reading of texts and intensive discussion. Students also have an opportunity to write a research paper on a subject related to current issues in the policy, politics, or philosophy of heritage conservation.
This course explores through lectures and readings the history of world American architecture and urban/city development highlighting the social, cultural, and technological changes that influenced both. It is conceptualized, framed and presented for students studying Historic Preservation. It assumes that students have little familiarity with history of architecture or the city and therefore places emphasis on architectural styles in the context of the development of the city. This course is the second in a two-part series that chronologically covers the broad sweep of the history of world architecture and city development (though each course may be taken independently).
This course explores through lectures and readings the history of world architecture and urban/city development. It is conceptualized, framed and presented for students studying Historic Preservation. It assumes that students have little familiarity with history of architecture or the city and therefore places emphasis on architectural styles in the context of the development of the city. This course is the first in a two-part series that chronologically covers the broad sweep of the history of world architecture and city development. The second semester will focus on the architecture and urban form of the Americas with special emphasis on the United States.
The student learns to look at an existing building to understand and evaluate its performance and to develop the necessary repair and restoration technologies. Typical restoration problems of various building types are studied with case studies involving actual restorations of historic buildings.
Students study the complex issue of changing historic structures and structures within historic districts. New construction, alterations, and additions present preservationists with many challenges, including questions of appropriateness that involve regulatory issues, aesthetics, and preservation philosophy. Adaptive re-use is a related issue, often requiring alterations, but even when it does not change the exterior of a building, the perception of the building can be dramatically changed.
Provide a working understanding of the legal underpinnings of landmark regulation in the United States and its implications, as well as interrelationships between historic preservations and public policy. It raises some of the fundamental issues concerning the values, assumptions, and practice of historic preservation.
The purpose of this course is to (1) introduce the tools a developer uses in order decide whether to undertake a project and (2) explore the public policy implications of the developer's perspective. It is the presumption of this course that good public policy requires harnessing the wealth maximizing instincts and objectives of the developer and that, too often, public policy disregards or undermines these instincts and objectives.
This course provides an overview of the fundamentals of real estate market analysis. The class will consider the general purposes and forms of real estate analysis and will explore in depth some of the specific challenges and approaches to analysis supply and demand for specific real estate product types.
This course examines all aspects of historic preservation tax credit projects, from the application process to a detailed summary of the National Register Criteria for Evaluation and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. The course will also review the planning, structuring and pricing of historic tax credit investments from a tax and finanacial point of view, and will give students insight into the role of the historic preservation consultant in real estate development project.
This course provides an introduction to neighborhood preservation issues both in New York City and in other municipalities across the United States. The proliferation of conservation district ordinances will be examined, along with their administration. To provide local context, we will look at the evolution of zoning as a development tool in New York City. A variety of approaches to land use controls that emphasize protecting the integrity of neighborhoods will be discussed.
The traditional commercial shopping street, whether it is in an urban neighborhood or is the Main Street in a small or large village, represents the heart of a community's economic and social life. As such, it represents a critical area of concern for those involved in the practice of historic preservation, planning, architecture and urban design. Commercial or Downtown Revitalization covers a broad spectrum of issues, including all matters of design (urban design, public space design, graphics, etc.), preservation, planning, organization, economic development, promotion, marketing, retailing, and building a working relationship with all members of the public and private community.
Designed landscape is all around is in the form of public spaces in cities, parks and private gardens. But gardens and designed open space are the most ephemeral of man's three-dimensional creations, and without care and maintenance, they quickly disappear. We seldom think of these places as \"historic\", or view them in terms of Historic Preservation. In this class we explore first hand a diverse sampling of some of the most compelling historic public spaces, parks and gardens in New York City and its environs, discussing how they were designed and built, as well as the issues of maintaining and preserving these spaces, the unique challenges of conservation and restoration, and in some cases, their re-use.
Heritage interpretation is an expanding and increasingly complex field. The discourse that shapes the construction and communication of historical significance and other cultural values is an integral part of historic preservation practice. But this discourse is not limited to traditional historic sites, and extends beyond historic preservation to a range of other fields, including public history and public art. The process of defining, sharing, or challenging an understanding of cultural significance shapes our experience of place, of community, and of identity. This course provides students with an introduction to the range of interpretive theory and practice, as well as an opportunity to engage directly with the interpretive process.
This 5-week course provides students with an introduction to significant questions faces by art museums housed in historic structures; the answers different museums have proposed; and the eventual solutions negotiated by stakeholders. Classes are held at Pratt and in museums throughout New York City. Specific questions related to how museums have expanded (or not) as their collections have grown and changed; how they have adapted their structures (or not) to house art in developing media; what city-wide or neighborhood concerns were addressed in these processed; and how these specific experiences have influenced the broader philosophical nature of museums today.
Policy Analysis for Historic Preservation is designed to help students focus their thinking on preservation issues through research, analysis, discussion, presentation and writing. Throughout the semester students will identify an array of contemporary preservation policy issues, look for information and data that informs their understanding of these issues, and develop methods of assessing potential ways to resolve them. The focus of these activities is giving the student an opportunity to engage in critical thinking: taking in facts and opinions, considering various alternatives to resolve contentious issues, weighing the impacts of the alternatives, understanding the benefits and potential harms of negotiated \"trade-offs\", and arriving at a recommendation.
This course provides a survey of the components that go into the reuse and redevelopment of historic building. These include: building typologies, adaptability of those typologies to uses other than that for which the buildings were designed, the significance of risk form undisclosed conditions and discretionary review, market studies and viability, real estate economics and viability, the incentives to promote reuse and redevelopment, and how to promote enlightened self-interest to achieve preservation objectives.
Visual Documentation of Heritage Resources introduces students to analytical methods for reading and understanding buildings as human-made, three-dimensional objects. Students will learn ways of seeing, describing and documenting buildings through narrative description, photography, measured drawings, field surveys and visual analysis. Students will also learn how to apply their understanding of period styles, materials, methods of construction, alterations over time and other visual clues to support the broader goals and objectives of heritage documentation. The course will comprise multiple assignments culminating in a final project in which students will document and assess a building or set of buildings.
This course is intended for students who wish to do independent research at a graduate level in a subject of their choice and acceptable to the graduate faculty and the chairperson.
This course is intended for students who wish to do independent research at a graduate level in a subject of their choice and acceptable to the graduate faculty and the chairperson.
This course is intended for students who wish to do independent research at a graduate level in a subject of their choice and acceptable to the graduate faculty and the chairperson.
The conservation of historic built fabric is one of the cornerstones of Historic Preservation philosophy, theory and practice. Therefore, an overall understanding of processes contributing to the physical deterioration of building materials and an awareness of methods to stabilize, repair and maintain the built environment is of relevance to all preservation practitioners. This course will explore materials conservation through the lens of materials science, approaching the subject from the comprehensive perspective of architectural preservation, project planning and practice. Materials conservation theory will be connected to professional practice, contextualizing scientific information through case-studies, practical experience and exposure to different professionals involved in conservation processes, providing the student with diverse perspectives to typical material conservation issues.
The field of public history offers a rich set of tools and strategies for historic preservationists. This course will introduce students to methods and approaches, gaining familiarity with historical methodology including the development of historical theme, context, and narrative as well as the use of oral history, material culture, and folklore to gain deeper understanding of place history and significance. It will also explore the ways in which interpretive strategies can be employed to engage and connect with public audiences.
This class provides students with an overview of key elements in international preservation. We look at the work of leading organizations and contemporary case studies to demonstrate how approaches, goals, and sustainable strategies vary. International Charters will be addressed as well as the World Heritage process from Indicative and Tentatative listings to Inscription or At Risk designation. Sustainability, tourism, Modernism, and changing landscapes are also themes that are explored through discussions in class.
The class focuses on the documentation of a New York City neighborhood selected by the instructor with the collaboration of the historic preservation faculty. Studio I is the central focus of the second semester and builds upon the many skills acquired by students in their first semester. This means that history, theory, law, planning, building technology, and materials are all part of the documentation process of the area that students will focus on. This course introduces the student to methods of documenting and interpreting the built environment, emphasizing hands-on involvement through the analysis of a neighborhood in New York City. It stresses research methodology, using library resources, public records, maps, historic documents, images, oral histories, and folklore as well as the interpretation of those findings. Its main goal is to provide students the necessary skills that will allow them to read and document buildings from several different perspectives, such as history, design, material, and evolution through time, through the use of the many tools that are available to preservationists. Studio I provides an important foundation that will be built upon in Studio II. This course also allows students to apply their theoretical knowledge and practice in a real-world setting.
This studio is the program's culmination and provides an opportunity for students to bring together an array of skills and knowledge to address a specific set of challenges based on New York neighborhoods and current issues. The studio begins with classroom and field study and includes meetings with experts and community representatives. This phase of the course is intended to ground students in the neighborhood's history, urban fabric, and current issues. This provides a solid foundation for the second phase, in which the students work in teams under the guidance of an interdisciplinary group of faculty advisors to address the major preservation issues that have been presented. The second phase is carried out under conditions that are intended to simulate the actual conditions of professional practice within the studio context. Students work in multidisciplinary teams and are responsible to private, government, or non-profit clients. Exercises include resource assessments; development analyses; preservation plans; legal, regulatory, and political strategy; and preparing written reports and graphics. The studio ends with students presenting their work to the public.
The Historic Preservation Thesis is the capstone project for students in the MSHP degree program at Pratt. To receive the degree, students must demonstrate the ability to undertake a major preservation project or study, conduct original research and analysis, and engage in dialogue about their project with faculty and professionals from the historic preservation field.
The demonstration of an approved scope of work showing the analytical capacities and creative skills expected of a professional preservationist is the capstone of the program. The demonstration can involve original research, a work-related project or extension of course-related work. An advisory committee of faculty members judge the thesis during the semester.
Examines a range of strategies for planning communities that minimize the use of non-renewable energy sources, maximize recycling and promote healthy living and working environments. Its premise is that comprehensive approaches that consider both human welfare and resource limitations at the local and global levels are required in order to build and maintain sustainable communities. Strategies examined include sustainable production, transportation, infrastructure and distribution policies. Examples are drawn from current community development and preservation practice in urban, metropolitan and rural areas. The course analyzes public policies and private practices relating to the urban environment, and investigates methods for creating a more sustainable future.
This course will consider contemporary environmental economics, applying principles of equity, efficiency and effectiveness to environmental issues. The course will consider several analytical tools (e.g. marginal analysis, cost-benefit analysis, externalities, full-cost pricing, incentives, public goods, risk and alternatives assessment and equity analysis). We will study when markets work and when they don't. Then we will consider various policies that the public sector can use to make markets work, and when they have to be bypassed all together.
Provides a basic framework in environmental law by surveying critical cases, policy decisions and legal history. Regional, national and international issues are addressed with the focus on how inter-jurisdictional problems are resolved. The relationship between legal, constitutional, and political systems in different localities is also considered.
Examines the critical, environmental, ecological, geological, economic, social and health-related components that must be considered as part of the environmental review process under national, state and municipal environmental quality review laws. The tools and techniques for conducting assessments, the different models for interpreting data and the use of mitigating measures are presented through case analyses.
Global Warming and climate change represent among the greatest challenges to global well-being and security and to the future of humans on Earth. This course will examine the science and history of this crisis with a focus on the various policy initiatives and actions being taken globally and locally to both mitigate and prepare for the impacts of climate change. The class will look at case studies from different cities around the world and pay particular attention to New York's PlaNYC, which sets the goal of 30% reduction from current greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Sustainability indicators measure progress toward a sustainable economy, society and environment. The Ecological Footprint Analysis is a type of sustainability indicator that measures how much biologically productive land and water area an individual, a city, a country, or a region requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it regenerates. This course introduces the principles underlying sustainability indicators, including Ecological Footprint Analysis, and will offer students hands-on experience with these tools.
This course introduces students to the theory and methodology and underlying life cycle analysis, a systematic set of procedures for compiling and examining the inputs and outputs of the materials and energy and the associated environmental impacts directly attributable to the functioning of a product or service system throughout its life cycle. Students gain knowledge by applying the technique to a product or system of their choice.
This course examines the environmental planning implications of various practices and technologies relating to solid waste management and prepares planners and architects to identify and promote more sustainable ways of managing solid waste. Particular emphasis is placed on new innovations in solid waste management including recycling, reuse and reduction.
This course examines the environmental planning implications of practices and technologies relating to water management, and prepares planners and architects to identify and promote more sustainable practices for managing both drinking water and wastewater. Particular emphasis is placed on the science of water and on recent innovations in water quality management including bioremediation, watershed planning and a natural waste water systems.
This course examines the unique nature of energy use and planning in urban areas. It introduces students to key issues associated with local energy planning: how cities use energy; the sources of this energy; what alternatives exist; the delivery systems that get energy to cities; the institutional, market and regulatory environment in which urban energy planners operate; and what steps cities are taking to better manage their energy use.
A demonstration fulfilling an approved scope of work showing the analytical capacities and creative skills expected of a professional in this field serves as a capstone of the program. The demonstration can involve original research, a work-related project or an extension of course-related work.
If the Demonstration of Professional Competence is not completed in the initial semesters, students can continue working in EMS-700 for no more than five semesters.
The primary focus of this design/build course is to provide students with the opportunity to not only design but to understand the techniques of construction and implementation, gaining valuable experience and knowledge of the practical aspects of green infrastructure design. The course will contain, in equal parts, learning and design modules with weekend site visits as a requirement for the build focus.
This course will build on the experience of SES 808A Green Infrastructure Research in analysis of natural systems and their ability to manage stormwater. It is designed to help students formulate meaningful research questions, and demonstrate the knowledge to apply green infrastructure innovations to the urban environment. The main purpose is to advance knowledge of basic stormwater management to develop innovative concepts for performance communication, monitoring and maintenance.
Taught by a practicing architect, this course is based upon the growing need to understand the details and reasoning behind rehabbing the existing building stock, and how to address \"green\" design within the content of renovation at several scales and scopes. The course of study will be paired with a cutting edge computer design tool, Seifara, developed to help designers incorporate sustainable approaches and explore deep synergistic outcomes at the early conceptual stage of design.
Focusing on the NYC Watershed, we will look at land uses, sustainable stormwater management practices, and geology within the watershed and examines how they are directly related to the quantity and quality of water \"produced\" in these areas.
This course focuses on the various uses of urban waterfronts and wetlands, including both the upland and the waterways. The course will examine shoreline and water quality conditions, and will consider waterfront developments, working waterfronts and natural waterfronts. The class will concentrate on NYC and New Jersey, examining the environmental, economic and social equity issues involved in waterfront planning, development and preservation.
This course will explore the place and potential of urban agriculture in environmental planning, management, and development. Topics to be covered included fundamentals of a sustainable food system, horticultural principals and techniques, the place of food systems in urban planning, how urban agriculture can be accommodated within the urban built fabric, and contemporary examples of community gardening and urban agriculture locally and in other parts of the country. The principles of stormwater and solid waste management, nutrient and water cycles, and sustainable material sourcing will be explored as well.
This skill building course will focus on the varying formats and voices common to political and advocacy writing. Students will gain exposure to effective writing techniques, appropriate voice and formats for editorials, policy briefs, letters of support, grants and formal testimony.
This is a skills building course that will discuss strategies and tactics for advancing a policy agenda, including negotiation both in the context of building coalitions and in the context of engaging key decision-makers and stakeholders. Effective negotiation is dependent upon developing the leverage necessary to get other stakeholders to the table in a meaningful way. As such, the course will spend a significant amount of time on issue analysis, organizing/coalition-building, and strategy development.
The Sustainable Business Studio course will introduce students to the concepts of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and provide an opportunity for practical experience by working directly with a local New York City manufacturing company to design an EMS based on the ISO 14001 Standard. In the initial weeks of the course, students will learn about the various approaches to EMS through lectures, guest presentations, and readings. During this time, students will gain a more thorough understanding of ISO 14001 in preparation for consultation with the studio client. The remaining two -thirds of the course will be dedicated to the design of an EMS (including a company environmental policy statement, assessed environmental impacts, permitting and compliance, set objectives and targets) and will culminate with an action plan to be delivered to the client for implementation.
This course traces the development of concepts of place and practices of \"placemaking\" and introduces students to major theoretical and primary sources relevant to this new field. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from readings primarily in the history and theory of urbanism, but also in urban planning, architecture, the arts, anthropology, and sociology. Readings, lectures, workshop activities, and case studies illuminate the political, social, and ethical stakes of placemaking, to familiarize students with the history of urbanism as it relates to placemaking and to give students the historical and theoretical knowledge necessary to evaluate placemaking proposals.
This proseminar helps students develop observational, analytical, and projective abilities to understand and map three-dimensional urban form and how various urban systems and infrastructures influence the character and experience of the public realm. The course examines the multiple public and private actors who contribute to the city's public realm. Finally, the course introduces students to approaches and tools for the integration of urban and environmental systems to create ecologically sustainable cities. The proseminar curriculum and assignments complement coursework in the Lab.
This course introduces students to the key tools and methodologies used to plan, regulate, and manage urban space. The course situates urban planning practice today as an outcome of the legacy and evolution of planning as a profession in the United State since the late nineteenth century. The course emphasizes how politics and political power shape and limit what urban planning professionals can accomplish and influence how urban planning objectives are encoded in laws and regulations. The course examines the role of citizen participation and the effectiveness of existing and potential structures for including public constituencies in the planning process.
This course provides an overview of real estate economics and finance and the relationship of economics to public space. The class first examines how financial value is created for property in cities, then reviews how market analysis is conducted, and lastly reviews how the value of a project is understood by both the public sector (economic impact) and the private sector (development pro forma). The course examines how the development process intersects with public realm development and the ways in which public space creates value. The curriculum and assignments complement coursework in the Lab: Observation and Analysis of Public Space.
The proseminar provides an overview of project management in urban development as a foundation for understanding the complexities of the development of the public realm in cities. The course also establishes a foundation of leadership and negotiation skills that students will use throughout the Urban Place making and Management program. The proseminar curriculum and assignments are designed to complement and build upon coursework in the Lab: Observation and Analysis of Public Space. Outputs of course assignments can and should as much as possible contribute to coursework in the lab.
The workshop introduces students to methods and techniques for analyzing the public realm in cities and to the understanding that the design of new public spaces and the development of public space management strategies depend on rigorous analyses of existing urban conditions and the needs and activity patterns of public space users. Students learn to observe public spaces through the use of statistical data collection, interviews, photography, and video. Students learn to analyze spatial characteristics Involving use, circulation, programming, servicing, landscape, etc. Students learn to use conceptual diagrams, mapping, and architectural drawings (site plans, elevations, and sections) to communicate findings.
This course reviews the ways in which political expression and negotiation among constituencies occur in the public realm. The course examines the concept of the \"right to the city\" as a political ideal for the public realm and current trends such as privatization, surveillance, and securitization as expressions of social and economic conflict. The course reviews \"agents of change\" - artists, activists, the government, city planners, and architects - and their strategies for pursuing a public realm that advances an equitable and democratic society. These debates are central to analyzing the political dimensions of placemaking.
This course focuses on the role of the public realm in generating economic benefits for cities and urban populations. The course applies the concept of place capital to a range of case studies of public spaces in cities throughout the world. \"Place capital\" refers to the process through which shared economic wealth is created through the creation and maintenance of public spaces in cities. This course explores the many economic benefits that vital public spaces -whether newly built or restored - generate for the local economy, as well as their wider social, environmental, health, and quality of life impacts.
This course provides an overview of the analytical, planning, implementation, and management skills that project managers use In the development of public spaces. The course examines the role of the project manager in the context of negotiation among the multiple urban constituencies who influence the development of the public realm. The course reviews financial concepts with an emphasis on the instruments for property management and capital projects, including budgets, leases, and contracts. It reviews project management tools for development for each stage of the project life cycle, including bidding, RFP process, approvals, procurement, contracting, leasing, project completion, maintenance, and operations.
The course examines and analyzes the following questions related to citizen participation and the design and planning of the public realm: How can community members plan their neighborhoods and cities? What tools can practitioners and activists use to engage local people in complex planning processes? What are the opportunities and limitations of engaging the public in planning? This course reviews approaches and tools of civic engagement through a combination of academic and popular readings, guest speakers, videos, class discussion and activities, and research. The course reviews the theoretical and practical dilemmas of participation, through cases in New York and elsewhere.
This course surveys recent prominent theories of urban spatial design-ways of reading, understanding, and designing urban space-and asks: What works and what doesn't, and why? It is an introductory urban design course for students from a range of academic and professional backgrounds. Through seminar format discussions supported by visual media, intensive readings of progenitors' original writings (and plans I designs), critiques by respected urban scholars, and case study analyses, the course exposes students to a wide variety of urban spatial theories and typologies.
This lab combines and applies the principles and practices of placemaking to a specific topical project involving an actual planning and design situation. The course considers physical, social, economic, cultural, and political factors to produce a viable design and ensure successful management of a specific public place. Students work as a team to accomplish that goal. The lab includes lectures, site visits, written reports, and input from official and community representatives and stakeholders.
The demonstration of professional competence is the capstone of the Urban Placemaklng and Management program. It demonstrates the rigorous integration of the four knowledge streams of the Urban Placemaking program: design and infrastructure, planning and policy, economics, and management. The demonstration involves the creation of a professional quality development proposal for the public realm with supporting graphic documentation of planning and design, planning and policy strategy, financial analysis, and management plan. The project includes Original research and can be a work-related project or extension of course-related work.
This is a continuing course for UPM students who enrolled in UPM 699 01 but did not complete.
This course examines the role that landscape architecture plays in public space and the elements that comprise the design palette of landscape architecture. The course first addresses the use of plant materials (softscape) by examining plant forms, general characteristics, and physical requirements. The course then addresses hardscape elements of the landscape, including the use of water as ornament, the ground plane, lighting, furnishings, and structures. The discussion of hardscape highlights use, aesthetic, construction, and maintenance considerations. The final part of the course addresses the composite landscape, in which hard and softscape elements are synthesized.
Through readings, lectures, and case studies, the course examines the ways in which ideas about security and insecurity are socially, politically, and ecologically construed with respect to public space, infrastructure, and cities and how the changing conceptualization of security has influenced the practices of designers, planners, and policymakers. The class reviews the extent to which the privatization of endangered public space has created a security creep that is slowly removing vital public plazas from public occupancy. The class examines contemporary design, planning, and policymaking that seek to create a safe public realm (often through the utilization of new technologies).