The course provides an overview of the development of planning theory and practice and its usefulness in addressing the challenges facing the practice of public planning in modern society.
 

Students will:

1. Obtain a basic understanding of the various planning traditions that presently exist.
2. Develop criteria to classify and evaluate planning theory.
3. Be able to recognize the contributions other professions, disciplines, and fields have made to planning theory.
4. Develop an understanding about the relationship of theory to action.
5. Develop planning theories.
 

• Campbell, S. and Fainstein, S., eds. 1996. Readings in Planning Theory. Malden, MA:  Blackwell Publishers Inc.

• Please check the Department of Political Science and Planning website frequently.  The instructor may post additional support materials for this course as the semester develops.

Format and Attendance

The class will be conducted using a research seminar format. Therefore, attendance is required at all class sessions. Failure to attend class, participate in class discussions and exercises, or complete an assignment by the due date listed in the “Agenda” section of this syllabus will result in an appropriate reduction in your grade. Exceptions to this rule may be made for serious illness, attendance at functions officially recognized by the University, or other compelling reasons. When class attendance or timely completion of an assignment is not possible, the student should notify the instructor as soon as possible, and offer appropriate explanations.

Classroom Conduct

Students engaging in disruptive classroom behavior (e.g., talking about non-class related matters or passing notes to another student during a lecture or class discussion) will receive one warning. The next time a student engages in disruptive classroom behavior, s/he will be dropped from the class roll.

Academic Misconduct

All acts of dishonesty in any work constitute academic misconduct. The University Academic Dishonesty Policy outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
 

Readings and Class Participation

Each student will be responsible for the prompt completion of all required reading assignments. These assignments are listed in the “Agenda” section of the syllabus. Also, students will be responsible for monitoring current events related to community and regional planning through newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals.

Each student is expected to participate in class discussions and exercises. If a student is experiencing difficulty in participating he or she should arrange a meeting with the instructor so that this can be discussed.

Class Presentation and Lecture Notes

Each student will be responsible for leading one seminar during the semester. The student and instructor will determine the topic and date of the seminar cooperatively. The student will be required to lead the seminar discussion and provide each class member with a detailed set of lecture notes and a bibliography. Students are strongly encouraged to use audio-visual aids during their class presentations. A sample format for the notes and bibliography will be distributed to the class. The notes and bibliography are due one week before the class discussion.

Review Essay and Discussion

Each student will write a ten to fifteen page (double spaced, plus bibliography) review essay. The student and instructor will determine the topic for the essay based on class readings and the student’s interest. The paper will be completed in four phases as follows:

1. One page description of the topic
2. Completed first draft of the paper
3. Editing group comments
4. Final paper and discussion

The nature and specific requirements for each phase of the paper will be discussed in more detail during the first two (2) weeks of the semester. The due dates for each phase of the paper are listed in the “Agenda” section of this Document.

The relative importance of each class requirement is as follows:
 

Readings and Class Participation:	20%
Class Presentation and Lecture Notes:	35%
Review Essay and Discussion:	45%