Course Descriptions
All UA and CP Courses
The following list presents the catalogue of courses taught at the MCP and MUA programs. To find out the course description and whether the course is being offered during the current academic year, click on the course. Courses that do not list a time, date, and faculty are not being offered during the current academic year. For questions on any course, contact Enrique Silva at ersilva@bu.edu.
- + MET UA 301 Introduction to Urban Affairs
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to urban affairs and urban problems, including an overview of prominent theories about the nature and causes of urban problems. We will examine the metropolitan area as a complex system with interdependent institutions and problems and consider present as well as future urban policy options in areas such as housing, transportation, crime, education, environment and economic development. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 401 Supervised Fieldwork
Working with public agencies, community groups, or private organizations, students spend a minimum of 12 hours of work in field placement. Participation in group seminars. [ 4 cr.]
Prereq: approval of program director prior to registration.
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 402 Supervised Fieldwork
Working with public agencies, community groups, or private organizations, students spend a minimum of 12 hours of work in field placement. Participation in group seminars. [ 4 cr.]
Prereq: approval of program director prior to registration.
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 403 Boston Urban Seminar
An opportunity to explore general issues of urban affairs and planning in seminar. Theme changes, but each seminar focuses on Boston. Prominent scholars and professionals active in city and regional issues are invited to participate. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | IND | Silva | SED 206 | W | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM |
- + MET UA 409 Urban Affairs Senior Project
Required of undergraduate urban affairs majors. Students complete a senior project in their field of interest. Individual faculty supervision arranged by the department; project topic and approach arranged between student and advisor. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | DRS | Staff | ARR | - |
- + MET UA 500 Environmental Problems and Policy
An examination of environmental concerns, such as conserving biological diversity, maintaining atmospheric and water integrity, preserving human health and well-being, and sustaining adequacy of food, energy, and natural resource supplies. Emphasis on problem linkages, interdependence of country fate with that of the world as a whole, and the necessity for planned and cooperative future strategies of management. Sustainable development as a global and national strategy. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 501 Undergraduate Directed Study
Limited to a maximum of 8 credits toward degree requirements. Approval by program director required prior to registration. Study of urban and public affairs individually arranged between the student and an appropriate instructor to provide training opportunities not available elsewhere. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 503 Housing and Community Development
Surveys the factors affecting supply and price of urban housing. Examines federal, state, and municipal programs, as well as future policy options, from the standpoint of housing quality and community development goals. Analysis of selected international comparative experience. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | IND | Raitt | MET B02B | T | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
- + MET UA 505 Urban Management
Examination of selected cases in municipal and public management. Organization, financial management, personnel relations, program planning and budgeting, and issues of public and private sector relations. The administration of municipal functions, including health, police, schools, and housing. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 508 Real Estate Development
Various factors affecting location, construction, financing, and marketing of real estate in metropolitan areas. Studies the relationship of public policy to the activities of the private sector, market analysis techniques, evaluation of development projects, and problems of real estate investment. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 509 Urban and Public Finance and Budgeting
Economic, social, and political aspects of state and local government finances. Theory of public finance; revenues, expenditures, and survey of budgetary processes. Planning techniques in capital budgeting and other finance activities. Selected issues: debt, user fees, property taxes, and incentives. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 510 Selected Topics in Urban Affairs
UA510 is the designation for "Special Topics in Planning". The subject matter for UA510 courses changes from semester to semester, and more than one UA510 can be offered in a given semester. For course descriptions, please contact the Department or the Graduate Student Advisor. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | IND | Turchinetz | CAS B25B | M | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
- + MET UA 515 History and Theory of Urban Planning
History, concepts, and methods of contemporary urban and regional planning practice. Governmental, nonprofit, and private settings of professional planning; plans, research, and policy development; uses and implementation of planning. Political analysis of planning issues, such as comprehensiveness, public interest, advocacy, negotiation, and future orientation. Case materials drawn from redevelopment, growth management, land use conflicts, and service delivery. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 521 Environmental Law
Principles and status of environmental law for pollution control and environmental improvement. Impact statements, resource conservation and protection, growth management. Emphasis on air, water, land, and hazardous waste issues. Environmental, economic, and other policy relationships. Case materials and court decisions. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 580 Boston Exper
[ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 590 International Comparative Urbanization and Planning
Examination of a selected country, region, or city in relation to issues of urbanization and development planning. Emphasis on comparative analysis of policy, techniques, conditions, issues, and effectiveness. Topics and international subjects vary. Consult the department for details. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | IND | Silva | FLR 133 | W | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
- + MET UA 603 Environmental Justice, Security and Sustainability
Environmental justice is concerned with the processes through which inequalities arise and are maintained through social, political and environmental decision-making. Resulting actions and policies have been shown to place a disproportionate risk on certain groups at the local, regional, national, and international level, with security implications. This course will look at: the concept of social and environmental justice; the history and development of the US environmental justice movement; racism, resource colonization and the destruction of indigenous and First People’s cultures; the specter of environmental insecurity and the role of a much broadened concept of environmental justice in shaping new sustainability discourses, ethics, policies, and plans for the twenty-first century. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 604 Urban Political Decision-Making: Citizen Participation in the Planning Process
Case studies of political decision-making roles in urban conflict management and resource allocation. Community power distribution, factors influencing change, leadership styles, and relationships to administrators and planners. Selected policy issues, such as redevelopment, education, crime, and service delivery. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 610 Urban Environmental Issues
In the last century, humans have witnessed a dramatic increase in urbanization. A large proportion of the world population now lives in urban areas. In the United States alone, urbanized land areas have almost quadrupled from 18.6 million acres to about 74 million acres between 1954 and 1997 (USEPA, 2003). Urbanization has both direct and indirect impacts on the environment. These impacts includes but not limited to (1) habitat loss, (2) natural resource impacts (watersheds, wetlands, (3) loss of open space, (4) increase surface runoff like flooding, (5) poor water and air quality, and (6) brownfields and Environmental Justice among others. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | IND | Kyei-aboagye | CAS 208 | W | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
- + MET UA 611 Community Development
Examination of community development challenges in several areas, including housing, economic development, community policing, and resident activism. Analysis of past and present strategies for strengthening communities through case studies, actual government and community programs, guest lectures, and related readings. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 613 Designing Urban Space
The role of urban design in the community development process. Examines human behavior, aesthetic foundations of design methods, citizen/client participation, and public policy issues. Analysis of actual community spaces. Student design exercises. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | IND | Dutta-koehle | LCC B03 | T | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
- + MET UA 619 Urban Transportation Policy and Planning
This course will provide students with a broad introduction to important concepts and policy issues in transportation, principally at an urban and metropolitan level. In addition, the course will explore methods planning practitioners can use to analyze transportation problems and propose solutions. The course will use specific examples of planning initiatives (both operations and capital) from transportation agencies within the Boston Metropolitan region. Guest speakers from local, regional, and state transportation agencies within the Greater Boston Metropolitan area will supplement the instructor’s lectures and assigned readings. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | IND | Hassol | MET B02B | M | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
- + MET UA 620 Urban and Regional Land Use Policy and Planning
Techniques of land use planning, including socioeconomic studies, market analysis and needs forecasting, mapping, environment and service impacts, and transportation/land use coordination. Policies for achieving land use objectives: planned unit development, zoning, development corporations, new towns, and land preservation. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 623 Regional and Metropolitan Development Planning
Analysis of regional planning as applied to land use, economic development, infrastructure systems, and other topics. Cases and class projects selected from metropolitan and substate regions, including regional approaches and organizations, economic base, comparative advantage, and growth centers. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | IND | Zizzi | CAS 229 | R | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
- + MET UA 629 Urbanization and the Environment
Interrelationships between physical environment and processes of urbanization. Case studies develop historical perspective on social, economic, and physical aspects of the quality of urban life. Special attention to the preparation of environmental impact statements and assessment of urban environmental quality. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 639 Urban Employment Policy and Planning
Problems confronting managers of manpower and related human services programs. Emphasis on state and local levels, and intergovernmental relations. Techniques of program analysis, management, and control. Planning approaches to enhance and retain urban employment, and improve employability. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 701 Urban Problems and Policy Process
Major problems confronting urban areas and the process of policy formulation and implementation. Emphasis on problem interdependence and systems characteristics. Analysis of problem definitions (housing, crime, poverty, etc.), goals, public/private responsibilities, existing programs, and policy options. Analysis of selected, comparative international experience. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | IND | Carroll | FLR 123 | R | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
- + MET UA 702 Urban Analytical Methods
Use and analysis of quantitative data in public policy development and planning. Basic skills of organization and presentation of numerical information. Introduction to descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, correlation, and regression; computer use. Math review. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | IND | Carroll | FLR 133 | T | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
- + MET UA 703 Urban Research Methods
Examines research techniques useful for urban policy research. Emphasis on survey research techniques, including sampling, survey organization, questionnaire development, and interviewing. Participant observation techniques. Field data collection and analysis. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 704 Urban Economic Issues and Analysis
Basic economic concepts and techniques of analysis necessary for urban public policy development. Analysis of the economic bases of selected current urban problems and evaluation of several policy solutions to common urban problems. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 751 Urban Planning and Decision Theory
The role and process of planning in terms of theory and historical development. Tradition of rational/comprehensive and incremental decision theory: roles and functions, organization, participation, political relationships, and time and information use. Relationships between planning, ideology, ethics, social change, and implementation. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 761 Planning Thesis
Topic must be approved by designated instructor or advisor. For M.C.P. students only. Application of program coursework and independent research to a selected topic individually arranged. [ 4 cr.]
Prereq: approval of program director.
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | DRS | Silva | ARR | - |
- + MET UA 801 Graduate Directed Study in Urban Affairs and Planning
Limited to a maximum of 8 credits toward the degree requirements. Approval by program director required prior to registration. Study of urban and public affairs and planning individually arranged between student and instructor to provide training opportunities not available elsewhere. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | IND | Silva | ARR | - |
- + MET UA 802 Graduate Directed Study in Urban Affairs and Planning
Limited to a maximum of 8 credits toward the degree requirements. Approval by program director required prior to registration. Study of urban and public affairs and planning individually arranged between student and instructor to provide training opportunities not available elsewhere. [Var cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | DRS | Silva | ARR | - |
- + MET UA 803 Special Project
Students prepare an independent project demonstrating application of previous program coursework to a problem situation or policy issue within their area of specialization. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 804 Supervised Fieldwork
Limited to a maximum of four credits toward the degree requirements. Approval by program director required prior to registration. Students spend a minimum of 12 hours working with public agencies, community groups, or private organizations. Seminar participation. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|
- + MET UA 805 The Boston Urban Symposium
The Boston based Urban Symposium will be a thematic Spring symposium, required for students in the Urban Affairs and City Planning programs. The class meetings will weave together the interdisciplinary nature of the urban planning and city planning professions. While the symposium topics will change each spring, professionals and industry leaders will be invited to lecture on their experiences, contemporary challenges to the professions, and major problems confronting the public and private sectors. Recognizing the unique and diverse characteristics of the Boston urban environment, the symposium themes will be drawn from topical issues that involve the greater Boston metropolitan area. The course features a combination of guest speakers and academic case studies that emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of urban planning. [ 4 cr.]
Offered: Spring 2010
| Section | Type | Instructor | Location | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | IND | Silva | CAS B36 | M | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
