PLAN 221 Introduction to Community Development Planning
Introduction to Community Development Planning teaches students about the institutions, history, debates and ideas within community development planning. Students will have learning experiences to become more socially responsible and cognizant of important ideas and institutions for achieving sustainable local development through this course. First students will engage in research to learn about the public and private institutions that local government officials, non-profit leaders and everyday residents use to improve quality of life in geographically-defined communities. Students will develop basic geographic analysis, interviewing and active listening skills. Second, the course introduces students to the ideas, cultural perspectives, historical, structural circumstances and popular movements and conflicts that gave rise to contemporary community development practice. The purpose of Introduction to Community Development Practice is both to give students a basic understanding of this subfield of professional urban planning, and to give students from any background the knowledge and ability to improve the quality of life in their communities.