City & Regional Planning Curriculum
The Master of City and Regional Planning students pursue a 48-credit hour program.
Since late Fall 2005, the program has focused its energy on developing two concentrations. These are "Urban Design and Sustainable Cities" and "Transportation and Infrastructure Planning." The first specialization will draw from graduate programs in Architecture and Landscape Architecture, as well as the City and Regional Planning program in terms of specialized courses and faculty expertise. The second will draw from courses and faculty expertise of the Graduate Transportation Program in the School of Engineering. We are considering developing new electives as well as revising our old electives to cater to these specializations. The effort has already been initiated and is expected to take a definite shape by Fall 2008.
Click here to download the Master of City and Regional Planning Recommended Curriculum Sequence
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
CREP 501 Principles and Practices of City & Regional Planning
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This is a required introductory planning course designed to expose students to the principles, practices, and theory of City and Regional Planning. The course is an overview of planning theory and practice in the United States. The course integrates contemporary theory and practice from a historic perspective so that the students will learn why the planning profession evolved and how it has changed in the United States over the recent past. They are then expected to extend this knowledge to Baltimore. The course incorporates issues of ethics and diversity as they relate to planning theory, practice, and education.
CREP 502 Graphics and Geographic Information Systems for Planners
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This course is designed for the student who has had little or no experience in graphics, mapping techniques and basic application of geographic information systems in planning practice. Course content will familiarize students with methods of mapping techniques, and spatial analysis using the-tools of geographic information systems.
CREP 506 Urban Land Use for Planners
Three Hours: 3 Credits
A geographical analysis of the evolution, form, and function of the internal structure of the American city. Analyzes comprehensive, environmental, and infrastructure planning in the context of societal, governmental and technological trends including geographic information systems. Incorporates planning theory and practice in describing the competition over community's future land use pattern.
CREP 510 City & Regional Planning Studio I
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This course allows students to utilize methods and techniques of basic data collection, synthesis, and analysis in the process of formulating development plans and programs. The primary objective of the studio is to expose each individual to the comprehensive and neighborhood planning process.
CREP 511 Quantitative Analysis for Planners
Three Hours: 3 Credits
The course teaches students to use quantitative methods of reasoning to solve problems they may encounter as urban planners, and present their conclusions in a clear and logical manner. They also acquire "hands-on" experience in using computer software such as SPSS as a tool for quantitative data analysis. They learn how to interpret and present statistical results, and apply them to practical solutions, such as evaluating policies, or making policy recommendations.
CREP 512 Urban Economics
Three Hours: 3 Credits
The course acquaints students with the basic concepts in urban economics and their application to urban planning and public policy questions. The course also examines some current urban issues from an economic perspective.
CREP 513 History of City & Regional Planning
Three Hours: 3 Credits
The course looks at the history of city and regional planning in the United States through the contributions of specific individuals and events that helped shape the profession. Students examine the major principles, events, outcomes, and design elements, among others, of development periods in planning history. The historical context for each period as well as significant outcomes, and applications are addressed. The course also examines certain spatial, cultural, and political factors, issues, and conditions associated with the history of the city and regional planning profession in the United States.
CREP 514 Principles of Urban Design I (Urban Form)
Three Hours: 3 Credits
Part 1, Urban Form, deals with the origins of public policy as it has evolved from issues in spatial structure. Attention, through careful illustration, is directed towards the components of urban form and who manages them, what they manage, and how they manage segments of the built environment. The course objectives are to recognize urban design as the discipline that integrates physical design with the power of policy making to shape the large-scale public/private environment.
CREP 515 Principles of Urban Design II (Implementation)
Three Hours: 3 Credits
The course provides an understanding of the implementation process of an urban design project. Students develop parameters and principles of urban design, which can be executed within public sector initiatives, and policies, and regulations that influence the quality of the built environment. Students learn how to translate such issues into a community urban design plan.
CREP 520 City & Regional Planning Studio II
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This course provides an advanced, team-oriented planning project assignment to be addressed in a realistic fashion with faculty support and guidance and usually with ''client'' interaction with an agency and/or community groups.
CREP 521 Computer Applications for Planners
Three Hours: 3 Credits
The course provides students with a sound understanding of basic microcomputer hardware structure, operating systems, and software application packages currently used in planning agencies. More important, it provides an opportunity to learn how to use these packages to solve real world planning problems. The student is introduced to spreadsheets, database management, computer mapping, chart making, geographic information systems, and statistical analysis.
CREP 522 Land Development Law
Three Hours: 3 Credits
The course is designed to add specialized information to the student's general understanding of the land development process in the field of planning. The course provides students with an awareness of the legal aspects of planning and how the legal organization and system effects planning. Attention focuses on the major legal principles, which apply to public and private use of the physical environment, and especially the land development process. Students also become acquainted with the legal framework, legislative and administrative processes regarding public response, review, and input on development rules and regulations.
CREP 524 Public Facilities Planning
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This course will investigate the factors contributing to alternative locations for activities/facilities as determined by transportation, land use patterns, performance standards, etc. The economics, spatial context, and patterns of location of public facilities will be considered.
CREP 526 Urban Transportation Planning
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This course explores the various issues in urban transportation. The transportation planning process will be analyzed through the use of major transportation studies. This will include data collection, problem analysis, plan foundation, evaluation, and implementation.
CREP 532 Municipal Finance and Budgeting
Three Hours: 3 Credits
Students seek to examine the theories of municipal financing as they interface with urban planning. Particular emphasis is given to federal, state and municipal services and methods of evaluating municipal effectiveness.
CREP 533 Planning Administration and Management
Three Hours: 3 Credits
Theories of planning process are compared with concepts of organizational structures, functions, and processes. National, state, regional, city neighborhood, and corporate structures will be examined.
CREP 534 Public Policy Analysis
Three Hours: 3 Credits
Techniques useful in data collection, problem analysis, client analysis, impact analysis,
program evaluation, systems analysis, etc. are covered. Each student is asked to make
application to real programs or issues of public importance.
CREP 537 Program Development and Implementation
Three Hours: 3 Credits
Students use case study situations to deal with the realities of urban planning practice. Research and program proposals, specific sets of programs, studies of marketing feasibility and social needs will be examined.
CREP 539 Housing and Land Development
Three Hours: 3 Credits
The intent of this course is to examine the land development process and the impact of economic forces upon those who develop land as well as those who seek to protect it and control urban growth. Economic theories, land use planning concepts and elements of the development process will be explored.
CREP 542 Environmental Planning
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This course surveys the current and potential issues surrounding urban and regional development activity on the natural environment.
CREP 546 Environmental Evaluation Techniques for Land Planning
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This course exposes the student to the use of various physical maps, aerial photographs, including a range of other geographic information systems to undertake land suitability analysis for land use planning.
CREP 550 Regional Scale Planning-Land Planning Studio
Six Hours: 6 Credits
This studio will deal with large-scale regional development in the Baltimore metropolitan region. The course will address the many facets of city and regional development including financial, social, and environmental concerns. Proposals of criteria for development, land use programming and physical built form will be dealt with on an area-wide basis.
CREP 552 Site Planning for Planners
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This course introduces planners to the principles and practices of site planning. The course will cover site analysis, layout of major site features (buildings, roads, parking areas, ecology, etc,) and design of outdoor spaces for pedestrian use.
CREP 553 Landscape Resources for Planners
Three Hours: 3 Credits
Basic principles governing ecosystems will be studied to understand the role of natural factors as determinants of land use. Planning devices for resource protection, conservation, management and development will be examined. The aim is to develop a responsibility with the student to protect our landscape resources, and to appreciate the influence physical features have on man-made environments.
CREP 560 City & Regional Planning: Land Planning Workshop
Six Hours: 6 Credits
This workshop will introduce students to land planning and community design. Projects undertaken will be those having impacts reaching far beyond site boundaries. The student will develop programming, planning and design for large or complex sites taking into account natural and cultural features, market and economic conditions, user needs, and public policy. Strategies for project implementation, phasing, and maintenance will be addressed.
CREP 714 BES Internship for Planners
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This seminar is designed to accommodate students involved in various work-study relationships in different agencies and community organizations. The course will discuss and analyze the diverse experiences of the students within the framework of the professional built environment process.
CREP 788-789 Supervised Research for Planners
Three Hours: 3 Credits
These courses are designed to enable students to participate in research areas of their
competence under the supervision of faculty. Students are required to submit research findings orally in a seminar and to submit a written research proposal and report to the graduate faculty.
CREP 794 Professional Project in City and Regional Planning
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This course aims to give students the competencies to conduct a real life planning project, write an individual professional report, and make a professional presentation. Each student executes a detailed study of a planning project typical of planning practice.
CREP 797 Thesis Guidance
Two Hours: 2 Credits
Thesis guidance provides students who have not completed their thesis in the assigned semester, a mechanism for continuing their work under faculty supervision. Prerequisite: Permission of the Department Chair.
CREP 799 Thesis Seminar In City & Regional Planning
Three Hours: 3 Credits
The student applies selected planning concepts and methods to an important substantive area and conducts research under careful supervision.
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
ENST 515 Socio-Spatial Patterns of Human Settlement
Three Hours: 3 Credits
The course will explore the policies on, and patterns and conditions of human settlements, from a crosscultural perspective. Historical as well as the current situation in various Latin American, Asian, and African countries will be covered. While the major focus is international, where appropriate, domestic examples will be provided and students can to do their research on domestic topics. Prerequisites: permission of instructor or Department Chair.
ENST 738 Seminars in Built Environment Studies
Three Hours: 3 Credits
This course is designed to examine, in greater depth, particular subject areas of the built environment, i.e., Theories of Architecture, Behavior and the Built Environment, Ecology and Design, Design Theory and Criticism, Culture and Design, Open Space Planning and Design, Photography of the Built Environment. Prerequisites: Permission of the Instructor and the respective Department Chair.
