Sometime around 10,000 years ago, our 200,000 year-old species began building and inhabiting permanent settlements. Most of us are born and live out our lives in one form of settlement or another. How well does this new, built environment cater to the needs of humanity? How can these settlements better respond and adapt to changes in technology, culture, economy, and the environment? Can human settlements be improved in isolation, or does progress require planning at the scale of the regions and nations in which our communities are embedded? These are the questions and challenges faced by the planner.
This introductory-level course provides a strong foundation in the field of planning through an overview of planning history, tools, and evolving and competing theories. Students then study and query these components through fieldwork, team blogging, and an intensive application of computer simulation technology. The survey will give you a foundation in the big questions and the big ideas in the field, as well as the different sectors that planners concentrate their efforts. These sectors include diverse fields like transportation, economic development, and environmental planning. They also include fields like housing, community development, and urban design. The simulation technology, Cities: Skylines, will assist you in understanding the complex interdependencies that govern these different planning sectors and together shape the urban environments in which we live.