Huxley College of the Environment

Department of Environmental Studies

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

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plan-ning the application of

knowledge and foresight to action.

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Inquiries for admission

Visit us at http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~huxley/

 

URBAN | planning

planning and environmental policy

 

 

Major Advisors

Professor Nicholas Zaferatos  |  Professor Paul Stangl

 

A Bachelor of Arts degree program of study and applied research in the interdisciplinary field of URBAN PLANNING and ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.

The mission of Huxley College is to pursue programs of environmental education, research, and community service that reflect  the broadest possible view of man in a physical, biological, social, economic, and cultural world.  This mission reflects an underlying philosophy that responsible solutions to environmental problems require an academic program that is global in its frame of reference, interdisciplinary in its concept, innovative and experimental in its work, and problem-oriented in its studies."

Huxley's URBAN PLANNING program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to solving complex problems that face the local, regional, national, and global community.  Our objective is to devise effective approaches to build sustainable societies.  Program fields of specialization include growth management, environmental policy, sustainable development, land use law, environmental dispute resolution, natural resources management and impact assessment with minors in geographic information systems and environmental science.

WHAT IS URBAN PLANNING?

The goal planning is to further the public welfare by creating equitable, healthful, efficient, livable, and sustainable communities for present and future generations.  Planning is about developing our urban communities in a manner that sustains our natural environment.

 

PLANNERS WORK WITHIN A HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.

Through this collaborative process they help to define the community’s vision for itself.  Planners work with many types of communities--small villages, large cities, suburban towns, counties, Native American reservations, regions, states, and federal agencies.  The planner helps the community look at the options it has for development and change. Through the analytical planning process, planners consider the physical, social and economic aspects of communities and examine the connections between them.  They analyze issues such as transportation, land use, housing, recreation and open space, natural and cultural resources, community services, population, and economic development. In addition to generating their own data, planners draw upon the work of others to create a comprehensive overview of the community. Once planners have conducted their analysis, they develop strategic alternatives for solving problems in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. These alternatives guide future development based on community goals and systematic analysis.

 

The Plan consists of alternatives presented in a formal document. Plans can take several shapes, from comprehensive plans to habitat conservation plans. Plans are presented to community officials, who review, revise and adopt them for action.  Once the plan is adopted, the planners job focuses on the implementation of the plan, coordinating work among many groups. The tools of planning implementation include both regulatory programs as well as initiative strategies.

 

WHAT DO PLANNERS DO?

The planning process  involves the performance of a number of roles.  Some planners function primarily as technical analysts or researchers, others as managers, designers, program developers and educators, others as agents of social change.  Some planners focus in singular capacities; most, however, will perform several roles at different stages of their lives. In order to develop strategies to make plans work, planners must be technically competent and creative and show both pragmatism and an ability to envision alternatives to the physical and social environments in which we live.  Planners work with the public to develop a vision of the future and to build on that vision.

Planners often function as facilitators and mediators among conflicting community interests, using their professional judgement to help identify the best resolutions to the issues creating conflicts.  Planners analyze problems, visualize futures, compare alternatives, and describe implications, so that public officials and citizens can make knowledgeable choices.  Planners design and manage the planning process itself, in order to involve interest groups, citizens, and public officials in stimulating and thought-provoking ways.

 

WHAT SKILLS DOES A PLANNER NEED?

The Planner attains competency and understanding about:

 

+ physical design and the way in which cities work.

+ interdisciplinary knowledge about present and future community trends and natural systems functions.

+ plan formulation and the process by which they are adopted.

+ techniques for involving a wide range of people in making decisions.

+ local, state and federal government policies and programs and processes for making political decisions.

+ social issues and the impact of decisions that effect communities and environments.

+ advocates of the disenfranchised segment of the community and for environmental sustainability.

+ the legal foundation and techniques for land use regulation.

+ interaction between the environment, economy, transportation, health and human services, and land use regulation.

 

URBAN PLANNING CONCENTRATION COURSE STRUCTURE  |  85 Credits

 

+ Huxley Common Core Requirements | 16-23 credits

  • - Foundation course — Ecological Processes. One of the following: Esci 302, 310, 325

  • - Foundation course — Applied Environmental Science. One of the following: Esci 321, 330, 333, 361a, 463

  • - Approved capstone course

  • - Internship / Research / International Studies: Estu 498a, 498b, 498c or 498d | 10-15 credits

+ Planning and Environmental Policy Major Requirements | 16 credits

·          Estu 304, 369, 436, 466

 

+ Urban Planning Requirements |  40 credits

·          Estu 369, 370, 380, 443, 444, 470(a), 470(b), 472, Egeo 314, 363, 462.

 

+ Planning Track Electives | 8-13 credits

·       Elective courses selected under faculty advisement in one or more of the following areas: community/sustainable development, natural resources management, urban studies, environmental policy (number of credits needed to equal 85 total credits for the major)

 

* Estu 498 Internship | Foreign Studies | Research | Thesis -- requires students to submit a proposed scope of study and prior Advisor approval of a student / advisor contract. Emphasizes applied research and/or practical experience in planning agencies or comparable pre-professional preparation.

 

(See the official WWU catalog for program requirements and course descriptions).