Music Hall, 925 Bascom Mall, Madison, WI 53706; 608/262-1004; www.wisc.edu/urpl
Professors Born, Chenoweth, Huddleston, Jacobs, LaGro, Marcouiller; Associate Professors Ohm; Assistant Professors Caton Campbell, Stone
Undergraduate students interested in Urban and Regional Planning courses: Contact the Graduate Admissions Coordinator, 112a Music Hall, 265-0509
Faculty diversity liaison: Contact department
The primary purpose of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning is to prepare qualified graduate students to become competent, creative, and effective practicing planners, whether to work in the fields of land use, growth management, environment, natural resources, economic development, or housing. Since its inception as a department in 1962, over eight hundred students have graduated from the program, most of them working for a large variety of public planning agencies as well as for planning consulting firms and most recently for an increasing number of private sector firms. The program is interdisciplinary in nature with faculty members having academic backgrounds in economics, geology, landscape architecture, public administration, political science, and psychology, as well as in planning.
Although the department has no undergraduate program, several of the courses offered by the department's faculty members, as well as crosslisted courses in other departments, are open to undergraduate students in their junior and senior years. Some of these courses satisfy the requirements in social studies or humanities, and some are service-learning courses. The faculty of the department is available for counsel. For information on graduate courses and programs, consult with the department.
All classes listed in the course descriptions section will be offered regularly unless otherwise noted. Please check with the department office for information on specific courses.
305 Introduction to the City. (Crosslisted with Geog) I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (S-I). Analysis of the distributions of cities, their functions, character and relationships with their surrounding regions, and the areal patterns within cities; the spatial variation of population, economic activity, and land uses. P: So st; qualified Fr admitted with cons inst.
306 The Real Estate Process. (Crosslisted with Real Est, AAE, Econ) I, II, SS; 3 cr (S-I). Introductory survey course. Decision-making processes for the manufacture, marketing, management and financing of real estate space. Survey of institutional context, economics of urbanization, historical pattern and structure of city growth, and public policy issues regarding urban environment and business management. P: Econ 101 & Jr st.
311 Industrial Location-Theory and Patterns. (Crosslisted with Geog) I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-I). Principles and theories of industrial location; examination of patterns of distribution of manufacturing activity. P: So st or cons inst.
312 Regional Development and Planning. (Crosslisted with Geog) I, II; 3 cr (S-I). Analysis of the human organization of the environment and an evaluation of those principles of regional science which have been developed to promote more desirable forms of spatial organization. P: So st.
420 Urban and Regional Economics. (Crosslisted with Real Est, Econ) I; 3 cr (S-A). Nature and structure of urban economies; location of economic activity; economic analysis in an urban framework; principles of urban economic development, housing, transportation, poverty and unemployment and municipal finance. Forecasting of economic activity using census and socioeconomic data. P: Econ 101.
449 Government and Natural Resources. (Crosslisted with Econ, Poli Sci, Envir St) SS; 3-4 cr (S-D). Problems of public policy and administration for development and use of natural resources. P: Jr st.
463 Evolution of American Planning. (Crosslisted with Land Arc) I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-I). The nature and cultural significance of contemporary methods for the systematic formulation of public policies for community, metropolitan, and state development through comprehensive planning. Historic roots, recent trends and new directions in American planning concepts, institutions and professional specializations. P: Jr st.
503 Researching the City: Qualitative Strategies. (Crosslisted with Geog) I or II; 3 cr (S-I). Explores, and applies, qualitative methods in the field of urban geography. An introduction to debates around the analysis and interpretation of qualitative data is provided, grounded in concrete urban research. Participation in a three-day field course is required. P: Jr st.
505 Urban Spatial Patterns and Theories. (Crosslisted with Geog) I or II; 4 cr (S-A). Various urban empirical regularities and theories which explain them. P: Geog 305 or cons inst.
506 Historical Geography of European Urbanization. (Crosslisted with Geog) I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Historical geography of urban development in Europe from classical times to the post-Word War II era, with emphasis on changes in built environment, public space and infrastructure, land use, and urban systems. P: Jr st.
520 Community Economic Analysis. (Crosslisted with AAE) II; 3 cr (S-I). Economic theory (location and growth) applicable to community economic development; the role of private and public sector in local economic development, and techniques for economic analysis of community. P: Econ 301 or equiv.
544 Introduction to Survey Research. (Crosslisted with Soc, Journ, Poli Sci) I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Theory and practice of survey research; planning, sampling, questionnaire construction, interviewing, content analysis, machine tabulation, analysis of data; two hours lecture; two hours lab or field work. P: Jr st.
548 Environmental Aesthetics. (Crosslisted with Land Arc, Envir St, ETD) I; 2-3 cr (S-A). Analysis of visual characteristics and aesthetic qualities of physical environments; physiographic factors; functional needs; modes of perception; historical and cultural influences; role of design professions. P: Jr st.
590 Contemporary Topics in Urban and Regional Planning. Irr.; 1-3 cr (D). Examination of special issues or problems in urban and regional planning and development, such as mineral development in Wisconsin or fringe development in Madison. Topic and faculty vary. P: Open to Srs and Grads. Cons inst.
601 Site Planning. II; 3 cr (Z-D). Survey of site planning theory and methods; standards for municipal review of site plans and related design proposals. Topics include architecture, vehicle circulation and parking, pedestrian circulation, stormwater management, landscaping, outdoor lighting, and signage. Intended for students without design backgrounds. P: Sr st & cons inst or Grad st.
613 Water Policy: Politics and Institutions. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (S-A). Conflicting human demands for water in politically and ecologically sensitive situations; resolved, and implemented or frustrated. Urban, local, state, regional, national and international government experiences. P: Jr st & cons inst.
617 Community Development. (Crosslisted with Rur Soc, Soc) I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Social, cultural and personality factors influencing community development, with reference to developing countries as well as contemporary rural communities; consideration of theoretical and operational issues. P: Jr st, intro course in sociology or cons inst.
641 Housing Economics and Policy. (Crosslisted with Real Est, Econ) Irr.; 3 cr (S-A). The economic principles underlying the dynamics of the housing market; filtering, neighborhood decline and abandonment gentrification, tenure choice, mortgage choice, prepayment, mobility, mortgage default, submarket identification, racial discrimination and segregation. Examination of governmental programs affecting the housing market and their objectives and impacts; public and subsidized housing, zoning and land use regulation, rent and price controls, property and income tax policy. P: Econ 301 or equiv or cons inst.
645 Modern American Communities. (Crosslisted with Soc, Rur Soc) I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Intensive study of selected aspects of American society viewed from the sociological perspective in a community context. P: Jr st or cons inst.
668 Green Politics: Global Experience, American Prospects. (Crosslisted with Envir St) I; 3 cr (S-D). An examination of the writings and activities of green parties and movements around the globe in order to assess the potential of an explicit, radical environmental politics for the United States. P: Jr st or cons inst.
671 Energy Economics. (Crosslisted with Envir St, AAE, Econ, Tran P U) II; 3 cr (S-D). The method, application, and limitations of traditional economic approaches to the study of energy problems. Topics include microeconomic foundations of energy demand and supply; optimal pricing and allocation of energy resources; energy market structure, conduct, and performance; macro linkages of energy and the economy; and the economics of regulatory and other public policy approaches to the social control of energy. P: Sr or Grad st and intermed econ or appropriate substitute per cons inst.
677 Urbanism and Urbanization. (Crosslisted with Soc) I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Comparative and historical approach to cities; urban spatial structure, temporal patterns, and population characteristics; the social structure and psychological aspects of urban communities; implications for policy and planning. P: Jr st & intro course in sociol, or cons inst.
699 Directed Study. 1-6 cr (A). P: Jr or Sr st & written cons inst.