Environmental Planning PLNC 5208A

Course description:

This course will examine emerging trends in environmental planning and policy and the basic regulatory framework for environmental planning encountered. The emphasis of the course will be on regulating "residuals" as they affect three media: air, water, and land.Planning framed within the context of environmental concerns. Emphasis on diverse environmental impacts of land use change.Environmental planning is the practice of urban planning framed within the context of environmental concerns. Emphasis throughout the course is placed on a diverse array of environmental impact assessments as the consequence of land use change. Hydrology, ecology, air quality, geology, and soils will be described within a planning context and framed within the concept of sustainable development.Technologies used to measure or assess the scientific disciplines described are described.A comparison among the various technologies as to their relative effectiveness in different settings is provided. Heavy emphasis is placed on the juxtaposition of land uses and the potential effects of future land use change.

Course Aims:

This course aims to:
  • Enhance students’ capability to connect science and technology to real-world problems by explaining how science relates to problems of societal concern, be able to distinguish between sound and unsound interpretations of scientific information; employ cogent reasoning methods in their own examinations of problems and issues, and understand the applications of science and technology in societal context.
  • Provide a description of the history of environmental planning and its origins.
  • Provide a knowledge base for how environmental impact assessments may be made at a regional scale, larger than site planning scale. 
  • Familiarize students with current up to date environmental planning and policy practices within an urban context.

Course outcomes:

The students upon completion of this course would be able to:
  • Describe an environmental system along with an understanding of how an environmental impact assessment may be conducted. 
  • Convey through written work an argument on how to assess environmental resources using scientific information and technology with an element of human interaction important to society at large. 
  • Demonstrate, through test essay response, an understanding of the linkage among policy practices and environmental consequences using methods accepted by the scientific community.