POL 460 Special Topics: American Planning and Politics

While planning can be studied from a number of perspectives, such as the aesthetic (design), economic, environmental, fiscal, and social welfare perspectives, it is the political (sometimes described as 'behavioral') that is the perspective of this course. This course provides a broad overview of the methods and procedures used to develop policies and then implement plan and programs through a combination of implementation and regulation. Topics covered include plans affecting economic development and the environment, sustainable growth, growth management tools, transportation access and mobility, and urbanization in the United States and around the world.