All Housing Courses
Greening the Neighborhood: An Introduction to LEED-ND
This course introduces the LEED-ND (Neighborhood Development) system with a review of its goals and major users and the business case for undertaking ND projects. Also learn about rating system prerequisites and credit requirements, the certification process, and technical resources available for assembling successful certification submissions.
The DIY Form-Based Code: Publishing and Expanding
In this fourth and final course of the DIY Form-Based Code series, learn to visually communicate publishable form-based code by using SketchUp and InDesign.
The DIY Form-Based Code: Testing and Refining
This third of four courses from the "DIY Form-Based Code" series shows how to use Excel and SketchUp to generate randomization tests, modeling, and refinements for a draft version of a form-based code.
The DIY Form-Based Code: Research and Development
Covering concepts critical to developing the foundation for a code, this course takes a a tour through the creation of a code for the hypothetical city of Wrightville.
The DIY Form-Based Code: An Introduction
Citing standards and design guidelines from SmartCode and The Form-Based Code Guide, this first of several courses introduces a novel, iterative, and testable methodology.
Tactical Urbanism: How It's Done
From unsanctioned crosswalks to city-led "Pavement-to-Plaza" programs, instructor Mike Lydon describes the success of short-term, temporary projects in influencing long-term physical and policy changes in cities across the United States and Canada.
GIS Walkability Modeling
As the field of planning continues to trend toward multi-modal, sustainable transportation practices, tools to model or analyze the walkability of a given area have grown in number and complexity. In this course, students will learn how to apply ArcMap and the Spatial Analyst extension to model walkability. The course assumes students have a working knowledge of GIS and basic familiarity with Spatial Analyst.
Disaster Resilience and Recovery Through Land Use Planning
This course focuses on common planning tools and policies for hazard recovery and mitigation. Disaster Resilience is a product of Texas A&M's Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, focusing principly on storms, hurricanes, water damage, climatological concerns, and flooding in a new era of catastrophes. Topics include social mitigation for vulnerable communities, adoption and implementation of mitigation strategies, and real-world examples of recovery efforts in areas impacted by Hurricane Ike.
Design in Planning: An Overview
In this course, Planetizen brings you an overview of design in planning. Using real world examples from design guidelines, plans, and manuals, city planner Jason Kambitsis looks at how code, practice and guidelines precipitate design and the form of our cities.
Code Drafting and the Law
In our complex legal society, understanding the basis of planning law and governing legislation is a must. The course begins with the building blocks of understanding codes, and goes on to explore how statutory authority and constitutional issues impact your everyday decisions. It concludes with a discussion of contemporary legal, quasi-legal and administrative practices.
Legal Issues for Form-Based Codes
Form-based codes (FBCs) have made a big splash in re-zoning, general plan updates and among land use professionals and stakeholders. Learn what form-based codes are from a legal definition, and the authority for form-based codes. Instructor Mark White evaluates the nuances of due process issues, takings, suburban uses of FBCs and exclusionary zoning.
Tactical Urbanism: An Introduction
Developed in conjunction with other movements, the Tactical Urbanism approach allows a host of local actors to test new concepts before making substantial political and financial commitments. Sometimes sanctioned, sometimes not, Tactical Urbanism features the following five characteristics: phased instigation, meeting local planning challenges, realistic and short term, low risk-high gain, and stakeholder capacity building.
Regional Scenario Planning: An Overview
This first of two courses offers a brief history of regional scenario planning in the late 20th century and beyond, with examples from Portland, Oregon's Vision 2040, Salt Lake City's Envision Utah, and the Chicago Metropolis Plan. Principles of regional planning relating to land use, urban design, and transportation are discussed. Finally, more advanced regional planning topics are touched on, including jobs/housing balance, and the relationship between demographics and regional housing market demand.