Course Objectives

This course explores the ways in which cities plan for growth and asks how cities can shape their future in a way that minimizes the harm to the environment while also meeting the needs of their residents. The course will introduce students to standard city planning tools (the general plan, zoning ordinances), as well as innovative tools that cities are using to manage their growth in an environmentally sensitive way. The course focuses on local planning practices in California but considers examples from elsewhere in the U.S. and the relationships between local, state, and federal policy. The objective of the course is for students to acquire a basic understanding of local and regional planning with respect to law, policy, and practice.