Courses

• MET UA 617: Actionable Sustainability in the Face of Climate Change
  Sustainability generally refers to the ability of "systems" to be maintained such that they remain viable over long periods of time. As much as achieving the perfect sustainable equilibrium may be the ideal, it is important to recognize that there will be competing and conflicting interests, especially within complex hierarchical social, economic and ecological systems, particularly in light of ongoing climatic change. This field intensive course draws on the practices and theories of sustainability and climate change to understand what sustainability can mean in different contexts, and, more important, how nuanced, sustainable solutions can be achieved under varying conditions and in different systems. With an emphasis on the urban environment, the course will consist of projects in which students will identify, analyze, and develop practical proposals to real world issues. This course is intended for a wider audience from a range of disciplines.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• MET UA 654: Geographic Information Systems for Planners
  Geographic Information Systems for Planners provides an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specifically with a focus on applications in urban planning. The role of spatial analysis in local, state and regional planning has steadily increased over the last decade with the infusion of windows-based GIS software such as ESRI ArcGIS. The class focus is to prepare students to feel comfortable communicating with other GIS users, research spatial data, and produce high quality digital maps in an applied learning environment.
• MET UA 655: Connected City
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• MET UA 657: Housing from an International Perspective
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• MET UA 662: Non-Profits and Land Use Planning
  Nonprofits and Land Use Development will explore the unique land use and economic development issues linked to non-profit institutions. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between the tax status and land use patterns of non-profits and their broader impact on social equity, labor markets and community relations. Students will also learn more about the legal controls communities use to regulate development and the important role of community planning and professional planners in the development process.
• MET UA 664: Planning and the Development Process
  This course specifically explores the area where the private and public sectors meet so that the student can develop an awareness of the complexity of dealing with these often competing interests. The objective of the course is to give the student an understanding of the motivations of the private sector in the way they go about creating their products and projects and to leave the student with the tools and knowledge to successfully negotiate the Public Interest with the Private Needs.
• MET UA 668: Post Disaster Planning
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• MET UA 672: Regionalism
  Based on the premise that the old city-versus-suburb view is outdated and does not serve well the planning and public policy objective of creating sustainable living environments, this seminar examines the region as an organic economic and social entity as well as a legitimate planning and administrative unit. Students undertake an in-depth analysis of the issues, challenges and opportunities faced by institutionally fragmented U.S. metropolitan regions while exploring the emerging metropolitanist policy movement which embodies the belief that cities and their suburbs are related, rather than antithetical, and make up a single place.
• MET UA 675: Urban Sustainability
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• MET UA 701: Urban Problems and Policy Responses
  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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• MET UA 715: Planning Law
  In this course we will read and analyze the important U.S. Supreme Court and state court decisions that have shaped and continue to influence zoning, planning, and other land use controls throughout the country. We will see the interaction between court decisions and land use controls and how each has evolved to meet changing conditions and goals. We will also review the structure of the U.S. legal system and how to brief court decisions and create a framework for understanding constitutional requirements on eminent domain, due process, and equal protection from a planner's perspective.
• MET UA 747: Building Conservation
  Theory and practicalities involved in conservation of historic buildings. This course will cover the history and theory of building conservation architectural investigations of building, including documentary, constructional, and finish materials to materials for conservation.
• 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.

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