CRPL 470/870:  Environmental Planning and Policy

Course Description: 
This is an introductory level course for environmental planning and policy. This course will cover a broad range of topics associated with environmental planning and policies. Environmental planning aims to merge the practice of land use planning with the concerns of environmental protection. The course will focus not only on single media (e.g. air, water, waste) or species approaches, but also on planning for entire environmental system and related environmental policies in the United States. This course is intended for undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in solving the practical problems associated with environmental planning and is open to students in all departments, including Community and Regional Planning, Landscape Architecture, Natural Resources Management, Wildlife and Fisheries, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Public Policy, Agricultural Management, Rangeland Ecology, and others. The course will be problem-based, where students will have the opportunity to apply the principles of environmental planning to realistic problems and settings. The content will prepare students for the interdisciplinary, complex, and conflict-driven problems they will have to address when working in the environmental arena.

Course Objectives:

  • To understand the principles and practices of environmental planning and policy 
  • To identify the major human, institutional, and process-based issues in environmental planning 
  • To identify planning tools and techniques 
  • To understand the components of a high-quality environmental plan 
  • To be able to draft an effective environmental plan 
  • To be able to analyze the effectiveness of an environmental plan
  • To understand the research frontiers in environmental planning and policies 
  • To understand environmental impact of globalization and climate change

 

 

 

CRPL 495P/895P:                 GIS Application in Environmental Design 

Course Description:
This course provides an introduction of contemporary theories, principles, and methods of environmental survey and analysis in the field of landscape architecture. It helps understand the critical environmental elements, their interrelationships, and human interactions in landscape planning. This course emphasizes synthesizing Geographical Information System (GIS) spatial analysis skills and environmental analysis knowledge into a coherent concept for practical applications. By the end of the course, it is expected that students will have the ability to use GIS to perform environmental spatial analysis and site analysis for landscape planning.

Course Objectives:
This course will not only teach the fundamental knowledge of environmental survey and analysis, but more importantly, it will help the students develop practical problem-solving abilities in using GIS skills for landscape planning in the future. More specifically, the course objectives are listed as: 

  • To develop a comprehensive understanding of environmental survey and analysis theories, principles, and methods
  • To build up practical GIS application skills in environmental survey and site analysis
  • To understand the interrelationships between nature, built environment, and human interventions 
  • To provide an overview of the history of environmental analysis and site analysis
  • To learn the knowledge to observe, document, analyze, and describe site conditions
  • To understand technical, legal, regulatory and ethical determinants in site design 
  • To develop ability to responsibly and effectively manipulate site conditions within a design scenario

 

 

 

CRPL 495/895:  Environmental Impact Assessment

Course Description:
This class provides an overview of environmental impact assessment in the United States. This course explores how to conduct environmental impact assessments, environmental impact analysis, review of environmental impact statements, and use of various regulatory review processes. It emphasizes the significant environmental legislation - National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA applies to all federal agencies and most of the projects and decisions. This class introduces the background and implementation of the NEPA, and explains the preparation of environmental impact statements (EISs). This class covers the major themes of environmental impacts assessment, including air pollution, water quality, land resources, cultural resources, archaeology, traffic, noise, transportation, and so on. This interdisciplinary class fits students in all departments, including Natural Resources Management, Environmental Studies, Civil Engineering, Wildlife and Fisheries, Planning, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Public Policy, and others.

Course Objectives:

  • To understand historical context of U.S. environmental regulatory policies 
  • To understand the NEPA contents, processes, methods, procedures, and applications 
  • To learn the critical themes in environmental impact assessment 
  • To improve environmental analytical skills by using new technologies
  • To gain general familiarity with environmental assessment terms, issues, literature, information resources, policy, and procedures 
  • To learn team work to conduct environmental assessments 

 

 

 

CRPL 802:                    Planning Theory

                                         Course Description:

Planning theory is critical knowledge foundations for planning practitioners and scholars. This course provides an overview of the literature on planning theory. By reviewing recent planning theories, the course will provide students with an understanding of the political, organizational elements that contribute to effective planning.

Course Objectives:
The purpose of this course is to identify the major planning theories and principal planning theoretical issues that face planners. The outcome of this course is expected to be the development of a students capacity to apply the critical planning theories in their future planning decisions.