Submitted by Kevin J. Krizek, Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning and Public Affairs and Director, Active Communities/Transportation Research Group, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, and David M. Levinson, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota.
Networks and Places: Integrating Transportation, Land Use, and Urban Design was designed to provide students with an overview of land use and transportation in the United States. The "lab" component of the course provided an outlet for the students to apply their learned knowledge and explore the connections between transportation and land use through analysis and planning practice.
In this version of the course, the students worked in small groups to plan and design a "land bridge" over urban highways. This course has a strong emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of planning, reflecting the need to work across professional boundaries to achieve the best community outcomes. The course combines an applied studio component with substantial classroom instruction.
Professors Krizek and Levinson, a planner and an engineer respectively, ground the work in the community and demonstrate the need to build bridges between the community and the various professionals involved in the planning process.
See more examples of course prospectuses that teach smart growth concepts at colleges and universities.
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