Designing Cities
10:762:315 - 01
Bloustein School – Civic Center EJB - Room 261
Fall 2011
Monday 4:30 to 7:30
Assoc. Professor: Anton C. Nelessen
Office Info
Phone: 848 932 2809
Office: Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ
E mail – nelessen@rutgers.edu
I can also be reached at cell 908- 500 3406
TA
Brittany Ashman
513 652 3772
Brittany.Ashman13@gmail.com
Redesigning Cities …for the 21st Century
The Course Overview, Grading and Reading Assignments
The future will be more urban with more people living in or dependant upon cities. How do we
regenerate cities to make them more livable, safe, enjoyable and healthy in your lifetime?
This course has been designed for those students who wish to have a base exposure to
current successes and challenges of cities– informed as to what is possible, exposed to
processes and standards that are feasible and reaching into the future. This course is
about setting the goals and exploring the opportunities and formulating policies to
create a healthy, competitive, green, low CO2 sustainable future for the cities and
suburbs. This course is a required course in the new Sustainability Certificate and an
excellent introduction to urban planning, transportation and urban design which are
follow up courses in City Planning and Public Policy. The opportunities will be
confronted with the new realities of political partisanship, resource depletion,
population increases, climate changes, toxic migration, energy transformations, public
and mental health issues and the growing disparity between rich and poor. Whether
you are majoring in engineering, social science, planning, public policy or public health or
other majors, this course will set planning and design goals and standards for you to
participate in the regeneration of cities in the future. The course will start with an
exploration of larger cities and end with specific characteristics of cities that make them
places people want to live and work.
The course will focus on plans and policies, current and historic, that have applied to
make cities more mobility balanced, sustainable and livable to meet the challenges
economically and perceptually of the near and longer term future. The course will be
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more oriented towards the possible exposing you to a wide range of city and urban
development types, infrastructure and civic places, internationally and nationally, that
reflect the positive and some times negative planning, design, public policy and public
health applications of urban environments. This course is designed for those who are
not observers of cities or have not traveled extensively or have not directly experienced
and studied the functions of a broad range of cities but wish to know more to be able to
have a voice in the future. The course has been specifically designed as an in-class
pedagogical experience to prepare you to formulate your vision for future cities, which is
the final assignment.
To prepare this final presentation, each week there will be a focused lecture, with
videos, movies, reading, case studies, response discussions and short papers. In
response to six of the weekly presentations and topics, six short individual response
papers are required based on the lectures and presentations. These papers will be
critical to formulate you final presentation and to help me understand what you
understand and how your thought process is evolving.
Most of you are part of the Millennial generation and as such will be the controlling
majority after the baby boomers (born up to 1954) become older and die off. Your
vision for the future will become the reality of the future. That is why is it so critical that
this urban future be explored now while you are in your formative years. The goal is to
help you set you own personal vision as to what the city will be in the future.
To keep the class interesting, there will be a number of focus groups discussions, one
midterm exams and as stated earlier a final powerpoint presentation focusing on one or
more design and/or policy recommendations. You will have the opportunity to present
your ideas, policies and approaches to making cities more healthy, sustainable,
environmentally responsible and livable in the future within the context of emerging
constraints. The final powerpoint report, or as an alternative video, will require images
of good urban areas and/or new sustainable applications that will be developed and
researched during the semester.
Much of the material presented in the class has been generated from 50 years of award
winning and many time controversial professional experience as an urban designer,
public participation facilitator, visionary, film maker and professional planner. It will
include completed projects from large redevelopment to new towns. There are no guest
lecturers.
This course will be an ideal prerequisite course for who want to explore future
professional involvement with designing the future. It is particularly important for those
majors in planning, public policy, transportation, American studies, engineering,
urban/architectural design, land planning, financing, landscape architecture, urban
redevelopment, geography, and public health.
GRADES
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Your grade for this course will be based on the following breakdown:
Class attendance/participation/discussion 5 %
Response Papers and Assignments
35 % Seven papers at 5% each
Photographic Assignment
10%
Exam
20 %
Final Powerpoint/Report/Presentation
30%
Assignments and exams will be graded from 0 to 100 points.
Grade distribution for each assignment as well as the final grade will be based on the 1
to 100 scale. The final grade will be the average of all grades by proportion as indicated
above.
91 to 100
A Exceptional
84 to 90
B+ Very Good
79 to 83 %
B Good
74 to 78 %
C+ Better than Average
69 to 73 %
C Average
64 to 68 %
D Poorly without merit
63 % or lower F Failure
All assignments are due as assigned and at deadline posted. It is absolutely imperative
that assignments be handed in on time. No excuses unless approved by Professor at the
time of assignment. A late assignments, will be graded as normal and than reducing 25%
after the first week, 50% the second week and 90% after the third week.
I will not give incompletes for the course unless there is an extraordinary documented
excuse. If you receive a low grade on any assignment, you can resubmit it up to two
weeks after it is returned. The final grade will be an average of the two grades. For the
final grade, unexcused incompletes will be given no value and will be reflected in your
final grade. No T grades will be given.
For the response papers, I will be looking for clean short answers to the questions; an
understanding of the concept; understanding of the potential impact on the future
design of cities and your personal interpretation of any future change.
The future will not wait for you, nor can you waste the money spent for this course- my
time and energy or yours. We need every person we can to focus on this critical and
exciting problem and prospect.
Academic Integrity
Please review the University’s Academic Integrity Policy
http://academicinterfirty.rutgers.edu/integrity.shtml
You cannot use someone else’s intellectual property without proper attribution.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in breach of academic integrity and
potential dismissal from the university.
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Absences
Students are required to attend all classes during the semester, including those where
other students are making presentations. According to new university regulations,
students missing a class for any reason are required to notify the instructor in advance
and to report the date and specific reason for their absence on the new university
attendance website: https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ . The Rutgers reporting system
then automatically sends an email to me. Rutgers University now requires us to include
this absence reporting requirement on all course syllabi.
Class attendance: 2 points from your average grade level at the end of the semester will
be deducted for each classes missed without permission of professor) e.g your final
average is 91 which is an A, if you missed one class then 2 points are deducted giving you
a 89 or a B+.
Please note: My policy for missed exams is to provide the opportunity to take the same
exam outside of class time as soon as possible after the initial exam is administered.
Because of the likelihood that the questions on the exam will be discussed with those
students that have taken the exam, there will be a 7 point penalty which still allows a
student to receive an A on the exam.
Reading for the Course
Books:
The Post Carbon Reader- Managing the 21st Century’s Sustainable Crisis edited by Richard
Heinberg and Daniel Lerch
Visions for a New American Dream: Process, Principles and Ordinance to Plan and Design
Small Communities. by Anton Nelessen
This book is available at the Rutgers Book Store or is available from the Planners Book Service –
The Millienals
Highly Recommended
Millenial Make Over by Richard Winograd and Michael D. Hais
New Urbanism Best Practices Guide, Robert Steuterville, Phlip Langdon published by
New Urban News
Generations: The history of America’s future, 1584 to 2069 by William Strauss and Neil
Howe
Green Urbanism: Learing from European Cities, Timothy Beatley
Ecocities: Rebuilding Cities in Balance with Nature by Roger Register
The End of Growth: Adapting to Our New Economic Realities, by Richard Heinberg
[Lownload]
Charter for the New Urbanism - From the congress for the New urbanism
Living Building Challenge 2.0 A Visionary Path to a Restorative Future
International Living Building Institute Nov 2009
Videos: Throughout the course there will be YouTube videos recommended for review
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Meeting with Professor: You will be required to set up one, one half hour meeting with
Professor Nelessen during the course of the semester. Ideally this should happen after
week five thereby allowing you to respond to the course material and discuss your
thought on your final presentation.
Course Structure
WEEK ONE
Characteristics of Great Cities – creating places not spaces
Introduction and opening comments
How I became and Urban Designer Planner - Visions for Interesting, Exciting and Beautiful
Safe and Efficient Places to Live and Work for Everyone.
Overview of Course
Review of student’s backgrounds and previous courses related to topic
Your role in the future of cities
In-class Assignment: Completion of Place Exposure Form
LECTURE: – Types of Urbanism within the context of one of the greatest transitions in history
- What are the Characteristics of Great Cities? - Cities are the greatest manifestation of
human culture and values-- Tokyo, Shanghi, Dubai, Low income Communities of Rio and
Mozambique
READING ASSIGNMENT: Charter of the Congress for the New Urbanism.
Introductory Essay and Critical Definitions. by AC Nelessen
ASSIGNMENT: Response Paper 1 Biography of My Past – due next week
WEEK TWO
In Search of Sustainable World Urbanism – Ten principles
DISCUSSION - Essay and definitions from previous week assignment
Why it is critical to have an informed public to evolve an acceptable and sustainable future of
cities and regions?
LECTURE : The Transects/Smart code
In-class visual exam: The Transect test
LECTURE/PRESENTATION: Sustainable Urbanism – Redesigning Cities and Saving the Planet: Ten
principles,+ ULI
IN-CLASS DISCUSSION - Response and discussion of the Future Policies Questionnaire return at
end of class
READING ASSINGNMENT: Post Carbon Reader – Foreward thru page 40
Chapter/paper on Engrams
Visions for a New American Dream - Preface to page 41
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316 Designing Cities - Fall 2009
ASSIGNMENT/DISCUSSION OF FINAL PRESENTATIONS “Recommendations to Improve Cities in
the Future” The first part of this assignment is due at week seven of this course. Presentations are
limited to two persons. For this assignment prepare a paragraph on the topic of your choice in which you
define the topic is and present why you have chosen it. Prepare and outline of the presentation.
The final presentations will be made the last two weeks of class. Presentations limited to 12 minutes. each must make one half of the presentation. Final powerpoint or video must be submitted before a grade
will be issued.
WEEK THREE
How Urban Evolution has Impacted the Modern City - Understanding the Past - How, why and
where
LECTURE/Power point - Historic Urban Evolution The Engrams of Urban Design
Presentation: Movie The World of Tomorrow – Video tape
FOCUS GROUP- In class assignment - Issues and Opportunities Form – return at end of class
READING ASSINGMENT: Planning the Future: What Americans Want, National Association of
Realtors
Visions for a New American Dream - Page 80 to 103
VIDEO ASSIGNMENT: UTube The Shock of the New- 3p4 Trouble in Utopia
ASSINGMENT: Response Paper Two - due next week
WEEK FOUR
Livable Cities - In search for human scale
LECTURE: Scale- Ben Thompson
Cognitive Mapping- A Walk Through Stade, Germany: Understanding the Components of
Urban Form
Pedestrian Experience in Brussels
Oslo- a City that Embodies all the Principles of Good City Design
READING ASSINGMENT: The Post Carbon Reader – Pages 295 to 335
ASSIGNMENT- Response Paper Four -due in one week
WEEK FIVE
Suburbia- the American Growth Pattern- is continuation possible and rational?
LECTURE - End of Suburbia
In class focus group (New)
READING ASSINGMENT: The 25% Rule
Post Carbon Reader pp??
Visions for a New American Dream - Chapter 7 : The Ten Design Principles for Planning and
Designing Small Communities
ASSIGNMENT- Response Paper Three - due next week
WEEK SIX
Implementing the Future: Form-based Building and Site Planning Code
-Small Communities- the DNA of urbanism
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LECTURE/presentation: The 10 principles to Plan and Design Small Communities
Agricultural Urbanism- video
Case Study: Robinsville Town Center /Housing and Street types /TDR
READING ASSINGMENT: Post Carbon Reader Pages 347 to 362
Transit Dependant Development –a paper by A. Nelessen
ASSIGNMENT- Field Work Using the 10 design principles, record three images/videos that
capture each of the 10 design principles as they apply to towns and/or cities cities. (due in four
weeks, week ten of the course)
WEEK SEVEN
Outline of final presentation due
Streets and Transit ,How great streets, transit and bicycles transform the character of the city.
LECTURE :
Great Streets Street type/ sections, Blocks and Networks- Streets are the most important public
places
The Transit Based City - video
The Bicycle Based City-;Considered Normal - video
ASSIGNMENT : Response Paper Five - due in one week
VIDEO ASSIGNMENT: Review:
San%20Francisco%20on%20film%3A%20Days%20before%20the%201906%20Quake%20%20CBSNews
URL: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-20075062-10391709.html
READING ASSINGMENT:
WEEK EIGHT
Pedestrians are the heat beat of the city.
Parks and Public Places: Positive People Interacting
LECTURE/PRESENTATON
Social Life of Small Urban Spaces- video
Public Spaces: Holocaust Memorial Park, Gugenhiem Museum, Highline, Paley Park
READING ASSINGMENT: Post Carbon Reader Pages 429 - 454
ASSIGNMENT: Response Paper Six - due in one week
WEEK NINE
Urban Revitalization, Regeneration, Redevelopment and Infill : Using our resources wisely
LECTURE: Redevelopment, Rehabilitation and Revitalization
The Unified Theory of City Design: Three Transit Transects
First review of team topics/presentation
READING ASSINGMENT: to be assigned
ASSINGMENT- Response Paper Seven - due in one week
WEEK TEN
Image study of the ten principles due
Plans for Revitalization, Regeneration, Redevelopment and Infill - Using what we
have - making cities safer and more livable
Lecture: Case Studies
Small Town Redevelopment / Revitalization – Culpepper, VA
East Trenton, NJ
316 Designing Cities - Fall 2009
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Suburban Redevelopment / Revitalization – Overland Park, Kansas – Austin, Texas
WEEK ELEVEN
Plans for Revitalization, Regeneration, Redevelopment and Infill - Using what we have
- making cities safer and more livable
Lecture: Case Studies
Urban Redevelopment Bayfront, Jersey City, NJ; Hudson Place, Hoboken; Journal Square,
Jersey City, NJ Midtown Atlanta, Georgia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
WEEK TWELVE
Final Exam
WEEK THIRTEEN
Presentations
WEEK FOURTEEN
Presentations
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