COURSE DESCRIPTION

CRP980Y is the second in the series of CRP 980 core courses. It provides an introduction to essential regional planning methods -- the tools and techniques planners employ to evaluate an urban region's historic development, current characteristics and probable future trends. The course has three main objectives.

• To develop a basic understanding of key theories of urban and regional growth,
• To acquire a set of techniques for analyzing the spatial, demographic, and economic structure of regions, and
• To apply the techniques to study the regional development issues in the Austin region.

The course begins with an introduction to the core concepts and theories describing urban regions, going beyond intuitive, graphic depictions. The second section introduces a set of regional analytical methods that are useful to evaluate the performance of a region. Students will develop an understanding of the theoretical foundations, the appropriate applications, and the limitations of these methods. In the third section of the course, students will learn forecasting techniques, with a focus on the theoretical foundations and mechanics of population analysis and projection techniques including extrapolation, symptomatic approaches, and cohort-component models. Finally, the students will be introduced to an emerging regional planning method: Scenario Planning. Students will apply the techniques learned to study the future growth scenarios of the Austin region.

TEXTBOOKS

1. Malizia, Emil and Edward Feser, Understanding Local Economic Development, (New Brunswick: CUPR Press, 2000).
2. Richard E. Klosterman, Community Analysis and Planning Techniques, (Rowman & Littlefield, 1990). (paperback)
3. Class Reader with additional materials (available from UT's Blackboard)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Students are expected to do all of the assigned readings and participate in class discussions. Students will be evaluated on the basis of a mid-term exam, 8 homework assignments, and their contributions to the class (e.g., class attendance, participation in class discussion) over the semester.

1. One midterm exam - 20% of final grade,
2. There will be eight homework assignments - 40% of final grade.
3. Final policy and planning report on economic, demographic, and spatial growth trends of the Austin region (detailed instruction to be distributed) - 30% of final grade.
4. Contribution to the class (e.g., class attendance, participation in class discussion) - 10% of final grade.

Letter grades will be assigned based on the points that students will have received by the end of the semester: A: >=90; B: <90 and >=80; C: <80 and >=70; D: <70 and >=60; F: <60.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Exceptions to this rule include involuntary absences due to illness or family emergencies. In all cases the responsibility for making up missed work rests solely with the student.