PL405 - Planning Studio
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For Spring 2000
(1) The syllabus below was for Spring 1999. There will changes for Spring 2000, but I leave it here for now so you can get some idea of what was done before. In particular, more points will be distributed individuall, and fewer points will be distributed as a group.
(2) Here are some Suggestions to Future PL405 Students from the spring 1999 group:
SYLLABUS - Spring 1999
Course Description/Texts - Format/Projects
- Expectations & Grading
PL 405 - PLANNING STUDIO
SPRING 1998 - CREDIT HOURS: 4
Mon-Wed 6-8pm
SWFS Room 135
Alan A. Lew
Office: SWFS 206
Phone: 523-6567
Hours: M-F 9-10:45am
DESCRIPTION:
This is a four credit hour, project-oriented course. It is the capstone
course in the Public Planning degree program and is open to seniors in that
program. Graduate students may also take this course. All other
students must see Dr. Alan A. Lew for permission to take the course.
PREREQUISITES:
This is a Capstone class for Public Planning. It is open to Senior
Public Planning Majors. Junior planning majors may take this course ONLY
IF they have completed All Other Public Planning Course Requirements (except
for Internship), or will do so during the concurrent semester. Graduate Students
in the M.A. in Rural Geography may also take this class. All other students
are required to have the Instructor's Pre-Approval to take this class.
OBJECTIVES:
The purpose of this course is to focus on a major community planning project
that will bring together a variety of skills and knowledge that students have
learned through their education. Students will learn to:
- Work in a group on a concentrated planning project
- Plan a project to solve a problem
- Find reference and creative solutions to a problem
- Apply sustainable development and infill concepts to development situations
TEXTBOOKS:
(1) Mixed-Use Development Handbook, 1987, Urban Land Institute, Washington,
DC. ($65 from amazon.com)
(2) US Dept. of Energy Center for Excellence in Sustainable Development - Articles
Webpage - free - at http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/overview/ovarttoc.htm
- some 30+ articles, plus links to other sustainable development online e-zines
with dozens more articles
(3) Other Readings: Mostly on the WWW - accessible via the schedule page. There will be one or more readings on reserve.
FORMAT:
Most of the readings, discussion and lectures, if any, will take place during
January. This will be followed by a midterm examination. The remainder of the
semester will focus on the two class projects. The objective of this part of
the course is to simulate the professional work environment. As your instructor,
I will be the director/CEO for the planning organization and you are the employees.
Most of my contact with you will comprise weekly update and assignment meetings.
Class Website and Discussion List: The website for this class is: /courses/alew/pl405
All class materials will be posted on the website, as well as handed out in
class.
In addition, I will subscribe you to the class discussion list: PL405-L - I will use this discussion list to share news and items that relate to this class. You are required to have an e-mail account and you should check your e-mail at least twice a week. You, too, can send messages and questions to this list to the rest of the class. This is an unmoderated discussion list, meaning that whatever you send to it will instantly go out to everyone on the list, so be careful.
PROJECTS:
For Spring 1999, we will be working on two projects this semester. Both
projects will be undertaken in close cooperation with the City of Flagstaff.
We will be meeting occasionally at City Hall once we get into the project phase
of the class.
Project 1 - Southside Infill and Community Development (this is the downtown area south of the railroad tracks to Butler Ave., or so.)
Project 2 - Fourth Street Commercial Infill and Redevelopment (the focus is the Megafoods shopping center and areas around it.)
Participation: For the first part of the class, you will be expected to be able to fully participate in the class meetings by discussing the topics and issues raised in this part of the course in an thoughtful and concise manner. In order to do this, you MUST read and do any assignment that is required prior to coming to class. You will receive a MAJOR point reduction if you do not do an assigned reading or other work prior to the due date. This form of participation will also be expected for the group project work, discussed below.
Assignments: There will be weekly assignment (mostly readings) for the
first part of the class, followed by an as yet unknown number of assignments
for the remainder of the semester. At a minimum, you will be required to submit
a weekly log of your work during the project phase of the class, which you will
then summarize at the end of the semester (as your final assignment).
Writing Intensive: This is a writing intensive course. Therefore, grammar and
clarity of writing will be a part of your assignment grades.
Midterm Exam: The purpose of the midterm exam is to assess how well you know and understand the material covered in the first part of the course. You will be expected to be able to fully participate in the class meetings by discussing the topics and issues raised in this part of the course in an thoughtful and concise manner. This should also be carried over into the exam, which will be entirely short essay in format.
Project Work: The remainder of the course will test how well you can apply, not only the material from the first part of the course, but also what you have learned throughout your planning education. You will be expected to perform in a professional manner by: (1) taking the initiative to accomplish the work that needs to be done by your group; (2) working in a cooperative and supportive manner with other members of your group; and (3) applying the appropriate skills and knowledge that you have gained in your undergraduate degree to the project. A formal presentation of the project will be required at the end of the class.
Hours a Week: The class meets approximately 4 hours a week. You are expected to put in an additional 8 hours a week on this class outside of class time. (This is standard for any university course – for each hour of class time, you are expected to put in about two hours outside of class, except for lab classes. Thus a 12 hour class load is supposed to be roughly equivalent to a 36 hour work week.) The actual amount of time that you put into this class will vary from week to week – however, this is what I base my expectations on for assignments.
Expenses: There will be expenses involved in this project. These will primarily consist of film processing, photocopying and binding (and perhaps transportation). You should expect to spend about $15 a person on these added expenses. Once your are working in your groups, it would be wise for everyone to keep track of group expenditures so that the expenditures are shared equally.
GRADING:
Project Group Grade 35%
Individual & Small Group Assignments 35%
Midterm Exam 15%
Final Exam 15%
90%+ = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
50-69% = D
< 50% = F
Click Here to see a detailed breakdown of the the Spring 1999 Grading system.
Note: The point system used here is a basic guide to your progress. Dr. Lew reserves the right to adjust grades as necessary beyond the point system used (although I seldom do this). The ultimte goal is education, not points. From past experience teaching this class, this is what I am primarily looking for in grading:
CLASS POLICIES:
LATE ASSIGNMENTS and PLAGIARISM - Assignments are due at the beginning of the class (6 p.m.) for which they are assigned. Late assignments will receive a SIGNIFICANT grade reduction. Unless specifically told so, you are required to do your own work. If you try to pass off someone elses work as your own, BOTH of you will receive a grade of "0" points. Depending on the serious of the violation, you may both receive a reducation in your final grade or be expelled from the class. The Geography Department and the University may take additional punitive measures.
NAU Classroom Civility Statement