An online Course on Mastering the art of site planning

The course is organized into 10 one-week units, each containing 3-6 video learning modules. Each module is presented by an expert in the areas.

The topics covered during each week are:

1. Introduction: site values; exemplary greenfield and urban sites.

2. Site analysis: natural site analysis; the man-made context of sites; infrastructure capacity; development regulations and policies; sites as property; integrating site knowledge.

3. Site planning methods: planning processes; users, stakeholders, and the public; economic value of sites; design methods; digital media for design; creating a site proposal.

4. Site infrastructure: storm-water management; complete streets; pedestrian realms; water supply and disposal; energy for sites; intelligent infrastructure.

5. Site concepts and performance: place-making; subdivision and site assembly; scoring site performance; impact assessment.

6. Residential sites: a history of residential sites; typology of housing forms; housing and community design; dense residential sites.




7. Places for commerce and work: prototypes for shopping; future workplaces; innovation zones; planning for e-commerce.

8. Places for recreation and culture: Landscape structure; urban public spaces; human development and play; cultural districts.

9. College and university planning: types of universities; campus form and communication; new campuses; networked campuses; planning for adaptability.

10. Planning communities: mixed-use development; new communities; the future of communities; concluding remarks.

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Students will be examined in 4 quizzes about their comprehension of the materials covered.

In addition to viewing the modules, students will have the opportunity to prepare a site plan in three stages: a site analysis (3 weeks); a program and concept plan (4 weeks), and a detailed plan for part of the public domain of a site (3 weeks.)

The course will provide basic data on two sites that may be used for this exercise. Alternatively, students may select a site in their own community and use it for their project. Or if the course is being taken in parallel with a university-level studio or workshop, the results may be submitted for grading and feedback.

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