Neighborhoods remain an important locus of everyday life. In particular, the quality of a neighborhood's housing stock, physical infrastructure, social relationships (both internal and external), environment, and employment and business opportunities have a major impact on the quality of life experienced by its residents. The course focuses on skills, practices and values fundamental to successful neighbourhood planning. The various planning approaches upon which the field is based forms the major component of the course.Objectives: To know the history and theoretical underpinnings of neighborhood planning, community development and community organizing To be familiar with the determinants of neighborhood change and how change can be influenced through community development To introduce the various purposes of neighbourhood planning and design, both as a method for developing an agenda and focus for neighbourhood-based organizations and as a type of physical/environmental planning To introduce planning methods appropriate to these various purposes, including process design and facilitation, data analysis, neighbourhood strategic planning, and graphic presentation techniques To gain experience via participation in an active neighbourhood planning project
At the conclusion of this course students will demonstrate:1. A broad understanding of the purposes of neighbourhood planning and design2. Basic competence to manage a neighbourhood planning process.3. Fundamental Design Skills – Ability to apply basic organizational, principles to the conception and development of neighbourhoods4. Collaborative Skills – Ability to identify and assume divergent roles that maximize individual talents, and to cooperate with other students when working as members of a design team and in other settings.
