Gateway: Planning Action

Calendar

SES #	TOPICS	CASES	KEY DATES
1	Unit A. Course introduction, role and dilemmas of planning, learning from theory and context (cases)	Rebuilding Los Angeles (RLA)
	Discussion section	Led by teaching assistants (instructors)
2	Case retrospective and “questions for reflective planners” (what’s the use of theory?)	RLA re-analyzed, plus planning’s traditions and dilemmas overviewed, transition to briefing case and exercise	500-word writing diagnostic (essay) due
3	Unit B. Decision case and team briefings	New Orleans recovery: Case introduction and teams
	Communication workshop: Oral briefings
4	Case discussion, including guests
5	Case prep
	Required team dry-run briefings
	Final team briefings
	Discussion section	Preliminary debrief of New Orleans / briefing experience, preview of Unit C
6	Unit C. Planning history and theory: Planning as social reform through expert design	Public housing redevelopment in Boston Guest lecturer: Prof. Lawrence Vale
7	Planning as social reform through expert design (cont.)	Guest lecturer: Prof. Lawrence Vale
	Discussion section
8	Planning as interest-group politics	Sustainability planning and politics in Curitiba, Brazil
	Debrief your briefing (6 teams)
	Discussion section
9	Planning as interest-group politics and citizen participation	Curitiba neighborhood planning scenario
	Debrief your briefing (other 6 teams)
10	Planning as facilitation	“A Towering Dilemma” (resource conflict)
	Student-led discussion section		Exam distributed
11	Planning as facilitation (cont.)	Micro-settings
12	Planning styles in conflict	Transportation planning
	Discussion section		Exam due
13	Unit D. Planning ethics	Land takings in fast-growing economies Guest lecturer: Prof. Annette Kim
14	Planning ethics (cont.)	Guest lecturer: Prof. Annette Kim
	Communication workshop: Professional writing	Types of memos, audiences, content
15	Multi-level planning: Means and ends	Case: Energy, environment, and development in modern India Guest lecturer: Prof. Balakrishnan Rajagopal
16	Multi-level planning: Means and ends (cont.)	Guest lecturer: Prof. Balakrishnan Rajagopal
	Discussion section		Draft decision memo due
17	Planning and cultural diversity	Siting cultural facilities in Australia
	Discussion section		Final decision memo due the day before Ses #18
18	Planning and cultural diversity (cont.)	Two cases: Culture, power and communication
19	Participatory planning revisited	Redevelopment and historic preservation in Singapore’s Chinatown
20	Participating the grassroots and “grasstops”: Planning and civic capacity	Case: Managing sprawling growth in the American West
21	Participating the grassroots and “grasstops”: Planning and civic capacity (cont.)	Case: Slum redevelopment in India
	Discussion section
22	The planned city, 21st century style	Guest Lecturer: Prof. Dennis Frenchman
23	Rethinking New Orleans recovery planning
	Discussion section		Observation memo due the day before Ses #24
24	Planning together debrief	Assignment debrief and implications
25	Final class	Course review and looking ahead (your planning education and career)