City to City: Comparing, Researching and Writing about Cities

Assignments

WEEK #	TOPICS	ASSIGNMENTS
1	Introduction to City to City	Assignment 1  Can you think of three planning topics that interest you? What do you want to know more about? Is there a problem that you want to see fixed? Can Boston learn from Copenhagen? Can Copenhagen learn from Boston? - Create a 5 minute visual presentation (not too many words please, mostly images) on a planning issue of interest to you. Try to focus on Boston and Copenhagen as you think about your issue. You should pull images from places like GoogleTM image or the various Boston and Copenhagen Web sites available. Students will pick a time to present over the next two classes. - As part of preparing your presentation, you will most likely have a few questions about topics, Denmark and yourself. Write down all of these questions in your research notebook. Then, pull out at least 5 questions for our Guest Jacob Friis from the Royal Danish Consulate, Boston. Due in Week #2
2	What about Copenhagen?	Assignment 2 Make a list of 5 people that you could talk to about your topic idea here in the U.S. Write a paragraph on each person describing their backgrounds. These people can be DUSP faculty, DUSP alumni/ae or other individuals. The instructors can help with suggestions. This is a good time to set up an interviewing time with 1 or 2 of these people. Remember they all have busy schedules and you need to interview at least 1 by Week #5. Due in Week #3
3	What about Boston?	In-Class Exercises (PDF) Assignment 3 Using Boston as your study area, begin researching your topic. Prepare a 2-page, double-spaced proposal that tells the reader the following: - 2-3 paragraphs describing the issue you intend to study in Boston and Copenhagen and the motivation behind studying it.   - 2-3 paragraphs describing the method you will use to discover information about your issue (e.g., library research, observation, mapping, census, etc.). Include citations for at least 3 sources of information (only 1 of these sources can be a Web site). Due in Week #4
4	Workshop/Discussion - Interviews	Assignment 4  - Interview 1 or 2 people in Boston (maybe at MIT) about your topic idea. - Prepare 5 questions for Prof. Ole Madsen, Professor of Civil Engineering and our guest speaker who grew up in Copenhagen. Due in Week #5
5	Guest Presentation by Prof. Ole Madsen, MIT Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering	In-Class Exercises (PDF) Assignment 5 Now that you have written your 1 page proposal and you have interviewed an expert, you need to begin focusing on your research angle when you get to Copenhagen. We can use writing as a way to focus and shape your ideas. Craft a written 2-page paper that discusses the history of the issue as it is being addressed in Copenhagen. Structure the paper as follows: - 2-3 paragraphs on the history of the issue in Copenhagen.   - 2-3 paragraphs on the current thoughts on your issue in Copenhagen.   - 2-3 paragraphs on the method you plan to use to study the issue in Copenhagen. Include at least 3 references (only one of which can be a Web site). Due in Week #6
6	Guest Presentation by Thomas Oles - “A Tourist in Denmark”	Assignment 6 Prepare a list of questions in your research notebook for the planners we will meet. Due in Week #7
Class Trip: Ten day trip to Copenhagen, Denmark
7	Trip De-briefing	Due Today: Turn in your Notebook for Grading Assignment 7 Revise your proposal and your paper into a single 5-page paper. Due in Week #8
8	Research Paper Editing Workshop	In-Class Exercises (PDF) Assignment 8 Begin working on the first draft of your research paper. Try to pull the pieces together. Think about how you will organize the information you have collected. What will the final product look like? Due in Week #9
9	Field Trip 1 - Green Line Extension into Somerville, MA and Medford, MA	Assignment 9 Write a first draft of your research paper (about 10 pages). Due in Week #10
10	Field Trip 2 - Visiting Boston’s Suburbs (Concord, MA)	Assignment 10 Begin preparing your final presentation. Due in Week #11
11	Field Trip 3 - Boston Waterfront Tour	Assignment 11 Prepare your final presentation. Due in Week #12
12	Final Presentations: DUSP Forum	Assignment 12 Complete final version of research paper (15-20 pages). Due in Week #13
13	Wrap Up	Final Papers due.