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SYLLABUS:
INTRODUCTION TO PLANNING, POLICY, AND HEALTH 832:101:03
SPRING 2015
Course Time:
Location:
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Friday 9:50 AM to 12:50 PM
Civic Square Building Room 112, College Avenue Campus, 33 Livingston Avenue
Dr. Alan Cander Email: alan.cander@rutgers.edu
Civic Square Building Room 259
Monday 4PM to 6PM, Thursday 11AM to 1PM, or by appointment
INTRODUCTION
In the United States, in 2015, we tend to take our water and sewer supplies - and our health - for granted!
We assume that our water will always be clean and safe, that our toilets will always flush, and that our
plumbing and sewer systems will not fail. However, what would happen if our water and sewer systems
failed? What would we do if we did not even have public water and sewer systems or safe septic systems?
What would we do if we lived in an area with little or no access to decent physicians, nurses or medical
care and no public health initiatives and no funding or money to start any? Similarly, consider the
following:
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What if your only means of transportation was with your own two legs or by horse?
What if there were 12 of you living in three tiny rooms in a tenement with no heat?
What if your neighborhood was so congested that you could fit more than 200,000 people in a
single square mile? Under those conditions, New Brunswick would contain over one million
people! What would life be like?
What if your 10-year old child worked in a dangerous, dimly-lit factory and could not go to
school because your family needed the money and there were no laws prohibiting her from
working.
What if you and your spouse worked 12 hours per day, seven days every week, all year - every
year - just to make rent?
What if you were 31 and - because of tuberculosis, cholera, typhus, and influenza - and
unrelenting stress - your life expectancy was 48?
What if you had never even seen a toilet?
In such circumstances, does a government "owe" its citizens anything?
In fact, well into the late 19th century many Americans had to worry about getting sick because they
lacked virtually all of the above. Indoor plumbing was a luxury. When nature called one made a trip to
the outhouse and the black widow spiders that frequented them. Comprehensive medical care was still in
its infancy and knowledge about the origin and spread of many common infectious diseases was relatively
primitive. Cities were filthy, congested, and disease-ridden. Life was unimaginably harsher than it is
today.
In this course, we will learn how public health-related policies and urban planning have addressed the
provision of basic water and sewer services to maintain a reliable public health system from before 1800
until the present. We will look at historical and modern examples from the United States and other
countries, including developing ones, to showcase the many factors that determine public health outcomes
and the associated challenges facing planners and public policy makers. We will also look at the urban
redevelopment/urban renewal process in the United States. The readings provide interesting, relatable
means to explore these factors, practices, and challenges.
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LEARNING GOALS AND SAS CORE CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS
SAS CORE CURRICULUM LEARNING GOALS
 Societal and Historical Analysis Goal h: Understand the bases and development of human and
societal endeavors across time and place.
 Social Analysis Goal m: Understand different theories about human culture, social identity,
economic entities, political systems, and other forms of social organization.
 Social Analysis Goal n: Apply concepts about human behavior and social behavior to particular
questions or situations.
SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES
 Gain an understanding of the history of American public health initiatives
 Understand the primary arguments favoring public sector intervention in health matters
 Ascertain the difference and importance of both preventative and curative health systems
 Gain an understanding of the environmental, infrastructural, political, financial and sociocultural
(class, gender, race) norms that determine health outcomes relative to preventative health policies
 Gain an understanding of the historical successes and continuing challenges in health care
delivery systems
 Become familiar with the different actors shaping public health systems
After completing this course, you will understand:
(a) the core subject matters and dynamics of the fields of planning, public policy, and public
health, and how they intersect; and
(b) methods of analyzing planning, public policy, and health policy issues, including analysis
and evaluation from the perspective of the six key factors that drive public policy
formation:
(1) science
(2) elected officials and their staff
(3) other stakeholders (business, media, not-for-profits, the public)
(4) money (costs and benefits)
(5) ethics and morality
(6) practicality (time and flexibility)
in addition, you have satisfied the relevant Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum
Requirements.1
KEEP UP WITH THE READINGS
All required readings are on our class SAKAI SITE UNDER RESOURCES. You MUST complete
all of the readings prior to each class meeting in order to understand the lectures and our class
discussions. I will call on students to discuss the readings. The readings are often challenging, but they
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Successful completion of this course satisfies three of the 28 SAS Core Curriculum Learning Goals. Under Goal "h",
which is a background "social and historical analysis goal," you will be "able to understand the bases and
development of human and societal endeavors across time and place." Successfully achieving Goal "h" will aid in
satisfying Goals "m" and "n," both of which are "social analysis goals." With the satisfaction of Goal "m" you will
be "able to understand the different theories about human culture, social identity, economic entities, political
systems, and other forms of social organization"; with the satisfaction of Goal "n," you will be "able to apply
concepts about human and social behavior to particular questions or situations."
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are almost always interesting and often eye-opening. I welcome, and expect, your questions. That
enriches the learning.
WHAT TO CONCENTRATE ON IN THE READINGS
Keep in mind the following when reading the materials:
 What problems or issues are explored?
 Who are the important actors or players?
 Who is shaping policies and plans and what organizations and institutions are involved?
 Who benefits from policies and programs and who does not?
 What societal and sociocultural factors - such as race, gender, religion, cultural norms, politics,
social class, and financing - are influencing or shaping policies and outcomes?
HOW YOUR GRADE IS DETERMINED
A=90-100; B+=87-89; B=80-86; C+=77-79; C=70-76; D=60-69; F=59 and lower
30% ................ Three letter-graded, one page, single-spaced Reflection Papers
25%................. Midterm Examination (in class)
15%................. Class attendance and active participation
30% ................ Final Examination (in class portion plus take-home essay portion)
REFLECTION PAPERS
Per the schedule of readings and assignments in this syllabus you will be writing 5 one-page, singlespace, 12-point font Reflection Papers. The 1st and 5th are graded only check+ (good to great),
check (satisfactory to decent), or check- (unsatisfactory) are due in hard copy in class. The 2nd,
3rd, and 4th are letter graded on a 100-point scale and due BOTH IN CLASS IN HARD COPY
AND ON SAKAI by 9 AM on the due dates, which are indicated in the SCHEDULE OF
READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS contained in this syllabus. All Reflection Papers are to be written
with a focus on that week's readings but may refer briefly to our prior readings, if you find them useful or
relevant. One page means a maximum of one side of a page. In these papers, there are no right or wrong
answers, but I want you to do the following:
 Spend about 3/4 of the paper synthesizing what you believe to be the main themes, narratives, and
arguments from that week's readings; and
 Spend about 1/4 of the paper intelligently providing your own substantive thoughts and opinions
about the readings, which can include agreement, disagreement, shock, anger, disgust, sadness,
etc. - but make sure you explain what about the material evoked that response from you.
 Write at the college level.
Your grade will be based on the totality of the following factors: content that shows your grasp of the
material and related planning, policy, or public health concepts and the quality, clarity and flow of your
writing (including word usage, grammar, spelling, and paragraph and sentence structure because those are
components of all writing that affect clarity and content).
MIDTERM EXAMINATION
The Midterm is entirely in class and will consist of short answer questions and essays. It is graded on a
100-point scale. I will provide a Midterm Study Guide well in advance of the exam.
FINAL EXAMINATION
The Final will consist of an in-class portion with short answer questions and smaller essays and a takehome essay section. The Final is graded on a 100-point scale and will draw heavily from the second half
of the semester. I will provide a Final Study Guide well in advance of the exam.
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NO EXTRA CREDIT
There are no extra credit opportunities in this class.
ATTENDANCE, ABSENCE, LATE PAPERS, MISSING AN EXAM
 I take attendance. Please come to class and please be on time.
 Unexcused absences and chronic lateness will affect your Attendance and Class Participation
Grade, which clearly makes sense. Remember, we only meet once a week so if you miss class
you miss a lot. You are responsible for getting the notes from another student.
 The only excused absences are documented personal illness or personal or family emergencies.
If you are legitimately sick and miss a class or know in advance that you will miss a class please
use the RU absence reporting website, which is located online at http://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/.
Any unexcused absences will negatively affect your Attendance and Class Participation Grade.
 Each day a Reflection Paper is late will cost you an entire grade. So an A paper will
automatically fall to a flat B and a B paper will automatically fall to a flat C. Once again, I will
only make exceptions for documented personal illnesses or documented personal or family
emergencies. After one week has elapsed, the Reflection Paper will receive a permanent
zero grade.
 You must show up for and take the Midterm and Final on the dates and times posted in the
syllabus. Failure to do so, unless - once again - you have a documented personal illness or
documented personal or family emergency - will result in a grade of zero for those
examinations and you will be in danger of failing the course.
CLASS PARTICIPATION
Class attendance and class participation counts for 15% of your grade. Class participation means
ACTIVE participation. Showing up for class is important, obviously, but you should at least occasionally
raise your hand to join the discussion, ask a question about material you found difficult or intriguing, or
answer a question I pose. I strive to establish a dialogue with the class to facilitate active participation
and enhance learning.
RULES OF THE ROAD/CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE - INCLUDING CELL PHONES
 Read the entire Syllabus. You are responsible for its contents.
 Raise your hand to ask a question, provide an answer, or make a comment.
 Be civil and polite to your fellow students during discussions and throughout the class period in
terms of demeanor and through your use of language.
 There really is no such thing as a dumb question in my classes. This may be a cliché but I mean
it. You are here to learn and think critically! If you do not understand the material ask away!
 Cell phones must be turned off or silenced during class except during breaks. I pads and
laptops may only be used for note-taking purposes or to look up something pertaining to the
class discussion or class materials. If I catch you violating this rule I will ask you to shut off
your appliance. If you persist, I will ask you to leave the class and you will receive a zero
for class attendance for the day. Aside from general rudeness, this behavior is terribly
distracting to your fellow students and that I cannot, and will not, allow.
 You may not do homework or reading for other classes while this class is in session.
 You are welcome to eat small, unobtrusive snacks and drink beverages while class is in session.
Please eat full meals before class starts.
CHECK THE CLASS SAKAI SITE FREQUENTLY
Like most professors, I post announcements, including changes in schedule, on Sakai under
Announcements. You are responsible for reading and understanding the content of these
announcements.
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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
I expect you to know, understand, and live up to Rutgers' standards of academic integrity on
http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/academic-integrity-at-rutgers. See also http://www.plagiarism.org. If
you have a question about these standards, please ask me. Here is a rule of thumb: if you think you may
be doing something academically dishonest, you probably are. I use TurnItIn on Sakai and if I catch
violations of academic integrity/plagiarism you will receive a zero grade for the assignment. Please
do not plagiarize.
SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Jan 23
Rousseau
Sorauf
Jan 30
Wilford
Wirka
Greenberg
Fox
Johnson
Feb 6
Reflection Paper 1 on Johnson/Ghost Map readings due in class in hard copy; graded
Check+, Check, or CheckFeb 13
George pp, 1-13
Melosi Ch. 7,8,9
George Ch. 3,7,9
Feb 20
Reflection Paper 2 on George/The Big Necessity readings due on Sakai by 9AM AND in
class in hard copy; graded on 100-point scale
Midterm Study Guide handed out
Feb 27
Sennet and Cobb
Mar 6
Midterm Examination (in class)
Mar 13 Dr. Cander's lecture on Urban Redevelopment/Urban Renewal, Eminent Domain and
Comprehensive Planning
Film: The Pruitt Igoe Myth - excellent film on socioeconomic impacts of urban renewal,
public housing programs, and suburbanization in St. Louis in the 1950s and 1960s
Mar 20 NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK
Mar 27 Fullilove
Reflection Paper 3 on Fullilove/Root Shock readings due on Sakai by 9AM AND in class
in hard copy; graded on a 100-point scale
Apr 3
Klinenberg
Heron
Geronimus and Thompson
Apr 10
Reflection Paper 4 on Geronimus and Thompson due on Sakai by 9AM AND in class in
hard copy; graded on a 100-point scale
Apr 17
Chaplin
Malone and Hinman
FAO
Associated Press
Dugger
Farmer
Apr 24
Mutatkar
Reflection Paper 5 on Farmer and Mutatkar due in class in hard copy; graded Check+,
Check, or CheckFinal Exam Study Guide handed out
May 1
Who Report
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May 7
May 10
Marmor
Hill
Reddit
In Class Portion of Final Exam
Take Home Portion of Final Exam handed out
Take Home Portion of Final Exam due on Sakai by 5 PM