This course provides a framework for the completion of a Distinguished Major Thesis, a treatise containing an exposition of a chosen urban and environmental planning topic. A faculty advisor guides a student through the beginning phases of the process of research and writing. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Distinguished Major Program.

Elective courses offered at the request of faculty or students to provide an opportunity for internships, fieldwork, and independent study.

Finance is a critical element in determining whether a real estate development project goes forward and whether the project actually looks and performs in accordance with the original design and social/economic objectives. In this course, students will learn the fundamental analyses of real estate finance and develop an understanding of the ways finance impacts upon project completion and architectural and community outcomes.

A series of one-credit short courses, whose topics vary from semester to semester.

Worldwide urbanization processes will increase in the next years reaching a rate of 75% until the middle of the century. Shrinkage, stagnation and rapid growth will be simultaneous phenomena and to achieve urban sustainability it will be important to innovate analytical methods and urban design frameworks. Discussions, lectures, and readings in combination with an urban design group project will introduce students to contemporary urban design methodologies.

This course introduces graduate and advanced undergraduate students to current issues in the field of transportation planning and policy. It addresses all modes of transportation (auto, walk, bike) and considers multiple scales (national, state, regional and local). Through the analysis of key topics such as congestion, air quality, social equity, and security, we will gain an understanding of how decisions about the transportation system

Individual study directed by a faculty member. Prerequisite: Planning faculty approval of topic.

A seminar exploring how racialized inequalities have shaped American cities North & South, past & present, and the influence of racialized urban structures on the idea & experience of race in America. Topics include the effects of segregation, redlining, urban planning, redevelopment, white flight, ghettoization & neoliberal development on the form & culture of American cities & structures of inequality in the US. Graduate level will have additional requirements.

Required first semester course that introduces students to spatial analysis and representation through selected computer-based applications. Emphasis on 2D analysis and representation, use of secondary data and development of visualization techniques, and ways to communicate data and alternatives to a public audience.

Examines sustainable communities through environmental, social, economic, political, and design lenses. Using case studies of cities, towns, and development projects from around the world, students will have the opportunity to reflect on principles of sustainability and innovative applications used by planners and designers from across the globe and that span multiple geographic scales.