MIT Department of Urban Studies + Planning
GATEWAY: PLANNING ACTION
Course 11.201
(Fall 2015)
*DRAFT*
Website
https://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/11/fa15/11.201/
Class
Meetings
Monday/Wednesday: 11AM-12:30PM, Room 9-354
Required
Discussion
Sections
Friday: 12-1:30, 1-2:30, or 2:30-4PM
Recommended
workshops
(will be
videotaped)
Writing Workshop: Essays and Argumentation
Tuesday, October --th, 7:00-8:30PM
(Class will begin by 11:05PM and end promptly at 12:25PM)
(See your Discussion Group assignment and meeting location online)
Speech Workshop: The Oral Briefing
Friday, October --th, 1-2:30PM
Writing Workshop: The Professional Memorandum
Tuesday, November --th, 7:30PM-9PM
Faculty
(head) James M. Buckley - buckleyj@mit.edu
Office hours (Rm 9-521): Tues 11:15 am -12:30 pm or by appt.
Assistant: Harriette Crawford - hcrawfor@mit.edu
(writing) Cherie Abbanat, Rm 9-367, 324-1570, abbanat@mit.edu.
Office hours: by appointment.
Guest faculty
Mariana Arcaya, Larry Vale, Jinhua Zhao, Ceasar McDowell,
Lawrence Susskind, and others TBA.
Instructors
Our doctoral student teaching assistants and how to reach them:
Aditi Mehta, aditim@mit.edu
Laura Delgado, ldelgado@mit.edu
Daniel Gallagher, dgv@mit.edu
Zach Lamb, zlamb@mit.edu
Faizan Jawed Siddiqi, fjawed@mit.edu
3/15/16
11.201 - GATEWAY: PLANNING ACTION
MIT DUSP: Fall 2015
Overview. This course introduces incoming students in the Master in City
Planning (MCP) program to the theory and history of planning in the public
interest. The course provides an introduction to the major ideas and debates
that define what the field of planning considers “planning theory” as well as a
condensed global history of modern planning. In this class, we will combine
background readings on the development and practice of planning with
challenging real-world cases to highlight several aspects of planning: the
persistent dilemmas planners face, the power and limits of planning practice,
the roles in which planners find themselves in communities around the globe,
the multiple disciplines that define planning and inform the work of planners,
and the political, ethical, and practical challenges that planners face as they
try to be effective.
In addition to the general focus on planning history, politics, and ethics,
Gateway: Planning Action adds several opportunities to strengthen hands-on
professional competencies, especially in oral and written communication,
planning process design, and negotiation.
Primary objectives. The primary objectives of the course are:
1. To familiarize students with the field of planning, broadly defined—its
modern history, promise, and challenges—providing, in the process, a
language and set of reference points that help define the (narrower)
profession of city planning and the many fields it touches;
2. To introduce incoming students to the Department, including distinct
specializations, the domestic and international elements of our work,
and bridges across these;
3. To strengthen core competencies essential to effective practice,
including problem analysis, effective teamwork, and communication
skills (written and oral);
4. To begin to make 60+ individuals with varied backgrounds, goals, and
expectations an effective learning community grounded in mutual
respect, informed inquiry, and more; and
5. To help students begin to develop a workable theory of practice to
guide their professional development and lifelong learning.
3/15/16
2
11.201 - GATEWAY: PLANNING ACTION
MIT DUSP: Fall 2015
Course Content. The course is in three parts of roughly 4-5 weeks each.
Part A introduces the core dilemmas and major modes of planning action as a
story of the evolution of modern planning since the rapid rise of industrial
cities in the 1800s. Part B uses three contemporary and very multidimensional cases, in the U.S and abroad, to show what distinct modes of
planning do to shed light on problems and generate possible solutions. For
each case discussion, faculty from all of the DUSP program groups will be with
us in the classroom to help us explore planning as a multi-discipline. Part C
uses cases as well as role-plays and other exercises to introduce the purposes
and practices of stakeholder analysis, planning process design, and
negotiation and facilitation. It also requires students to consider important
issues introduces of ethics for planning professionals.
The course format and requirements emphasize the development of practical
competencies and professionalism – but in the context of applying big ideas
and questions. As in planning practice, much class time will be interactive,
calling on you to be an active learner.
The written assignments emphasize fluency with concepts (especially in Part
A) and also professional judgment (especially in Parts B and C). The weekly
Discussion Sections give you a structured “small learning community” to
complement lecture, discussions, and other types of exchange in the largeclass setting, where the entire MCP class has a chance to discuss issues with
far-reaching implications for planning and for each of your careers.
Course Structure. The course meets as a large group and in small
discussion sessions in order to provide different settings for learning.
Main Sessions. The main class meetings will combine lecture presentations
and student responses. While lecture presentations will often present some
new material, the majority of information will come from the assigned
readings, and students are expected to know the main points and general
arguments of the assigned works. Students will be called on to present key
aspects of the daily topics, not just as a test of individual knowledge or recall
but as a method of building your capacity to think critically about the course’s
key themes, to recognize the assumptions behind your arguments, to help
you practice making arguments about critical planning issues, and to help you
learn how to learn more systematically from cases (from specifics to general
principles).
Discussion Sections. The Friday discussion sections (“recitations” in MIT
lingo) are an extension of the main class meetings and therefore are
required for students. Our fantastic team of doctoral student instructors
prepares the discussion sessions carefully to bring out the key issues in each
week’s topics. These sessions are crucial to help you learn effectively in a
course that moves quickly, has a very multi-faceted agenda, and hosts a large
3/15/16
3
11.201 - GATEWAY: PLANNING ACTION
MIT DUSP: Fall 2015
group of students who do not share a common reference point for planning’s
roles or a common educational background pre-DUSP. The discussion
sections proceed at a pace that ensures comprehension regardless of how
much background preparation, of any particular type, you bring to the MCP
program; they offer you a chance to ask questions you might not ask in the
main class meetings; and they give you a chance to build useful working
relationships with a smaller group of classmates as well as your section
instructor.
Etiquette. Effective planning practice requires careful listening to differing
points of view, informed comment and response to these ideas, and the ability
to critically appraise one’s own ideas in response to those expressed by
others. The classroom serves as a forum for practicing these skills as we
learn the basics of the field. Our discussions should therefore reflect a
commitment to a few ground rules and norms:

Listen actively: listening to understand, checking assumptions, building
on others’ ideas, not simply awaiting one’s turn to talk;

Respect with challenge: promoting mutual respect, being as inclusive
as possible, but being willing to disagree thoughtfully where it will
support a better discussion or bring important ideas and differences
into view;

Assume responsibility: in our case, for the work of making the
classroom an effective place for learning, which means being more than
a spectator; and

Consider others: We expect you to attend all classes and to be on time.
Please ensure that cell phones are turned off or silent and that portable
music players are turned off and put away. Note-taking on a computer
is fine, as is audio recording the class session if that helps you. Web
surfing, multi-tasking, and other diversions are not permitted.

Keep an open mind: Many of the topics we touch on are sensitive,
because city planning inevitably involves questions of race and
ethnicity, class, sex and gender, personal and political values, and so
on. We want to encourage everyone to speak their mind in our
debates, but it is easy to have misunderstandings when these tricky
issues come up. If you feel offended or concerned about remarks in
class, please feel free to speak up during the conversation or outside of
class with the instructor or one of the TAs.
3/15/16
4
11.201 - GATEWAY: PLANNING ACTION
MIT DUSP: Fall 2015
Assignments. There are four specific course assignments. We have
scheduled the graded assignments—as best we can, within constraints—not to
conflict with other assignments in the fall core curriculum (economics, GIS,
and the program-group intro courses). The assignments include:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
a nongraded, 500-word writing diagnostic, which builds
directly on the summer modules for incoming students;
a take-home midterm essay addressing major questions on
planning theory and history (Part A of the course);
a team briefing (roughly 30 minutes) addressing a case
presented in Part B; and
a planning observation brief, in which you attend,
systematically observe, and critically summarize—in a
memorandum prepared to professional standards—a public
planning event in the Boston area or elsewhere, in Part C. Note:
You will submit a draft of the final memo, receive feedback, and
have the option to revise before resubmitting.
Assignment Due Dates
1.
2.
3.
4.
Writing Diagnostic………………… Sunday, Sept. 7 @ 8 pm
Midterm Essay…………………………Friday, Oct. 16 @ 8 pm
Team Briefing Document………Per group instructions
Planning Observation Brief…. Draft: Sunday, Nov. 22 @ 8 pm
Final: Thursday, Dec. 10 @ 8 pm
Evaluation and feedback. We emphasize the latter as much as possible:
giving you feedback on your work so as to sharpen your thinking and writing
skills. We will identify strengths as well as areas for improvement. The
course also includes evaluation (numerical scoring and letter grading), of
course. The instructors (teaching assistants) do much, but not all, of the
grading and feedback, with teaching team collaboration to enhance
consistency, strive for a constructively critical tone (which includes candid
assessment of shortcomings), and ensure detail in evaluation.
Grading. Your grade will be computed as follows: (a) take-home midterm
essay (30%); (b) oral briefing (30%); (c) planning observation brief (20%);
and (d) effective class participation, including discussion sections (20%).
Late submissions. We routinely grant extensions for genuine emergencies
(contact section TA), but in fairness to your colleagues, unexcused late
submissions (exams or other assignments) will be penalized, with points
deducted according to how late you submit. Details are on each assignment.
3/15/16
5
11.201 - GATEWAY: PLANNING ACTION
MIT DUSP: Fall 2015
Professional communication. Several of the course assignments, along
with special skill-building instruction and resource materials, are designed to
make you a more competent communicator in a variety of planning contexts.
Our work together will include workshops on professional speech and
writing, with a focus on informing and persuading decisionmakers,
constituents, or clients.
Based on the writing diagnostic, the teaching team will encourage some
students to work intensively on writing skills with Prof. Abbanat. She is
available, throughout the semester, as a writing coach, and so are staff at the
MIT Writing and Communication Center (see its website). Be sure to contact
them with adequate notice, i.e. well in advance of assignment due dates. Our
instructors can sometimes review drafts too.
Course materials. Reading assignments (other than the Hall reading) will
be available on the Stellar course website, along with the assignments, slides
and other material presented in class, occasional handouts, announcements,
the syllabus, and key updates. For most class sessions, we will provide a
study guide with a specific, brief prefatory narrative and study questions for
you to contemplate (though you are welcome to go beyond them).
3/15/16
6
11.201 - GATEWAY: PLANNING ACTION
MIT DUSP: Fall 2015
COURSE TOPICS
Date
Wed 9/9
Topic
1. Course Introduction: Surveying the field
[Writing Diagnostic Due: Sunday 9/-- @ 8 pm]
A. Planning History and Theory: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives
Mon 9/14
Wed 9/16
2. Planning as a response to the industrial city
3. Planning as Utopia
Mon 9/21
Wed 9/23
4. Planning as a Profession
5. Planning as Modern, Comprehensive, and Universal
Mon 9/28
Wed 9/30
6. Planning as Power vs. Planning as Populism
7. Planning Nature: Regulation and Sustainability
Mon 10/5
Wed 10/7
8. Planning as Science
9. Planning as Interest-group Bargaining
Mon 10/12 10. Planning as Communicative Planning and Deliberation
Wed 10/14 11. Planning as Contemporary Practice
[Midterm Essay Due: Friday 10/-- @ 8 pm]
B. Planning as multi-disciplinary: Problem framing and solving through
case studies
Mon 10/19 12. Case I: Healthy Cities (Mariana Arcaya)
Wed 10/21 13. Case I: Healthy Cities (Mariana Arcaya)
Mon 10/26 14. Case II: Chicago (Larry Vale)
Wed 11/28 15. Case II: Chicago (Larry Vale)
Mon 11/2
Wed 11/4
3/15/16
16. Case III: China (Jinhua Zhao)
17. Case III: China (Jinhua Zhao)
7
11.201 - GATEWAY: PLANNING ACTION
MIT DUSP: Fall 2015
C: The Practice of Planning: Governance and Ethics
Mon 11/9
18. The planning process: design and decision-making
Wed 11/11 No Class – Veterans’ Day
Mon 11/16 19. Engagement and agenda-setting (Ceasar McDowell)
Wed 11/18 20. Engagement and agenda-setting (Ceasar McDowell)
Mon 11/23 20. Planning ethics: Fair outcomes, fair process
Wed 11/25 21. Professional planning practice
[Planning Observation Draft Brief Due: Sunday 11/-- @ 8 pm]
Mon 11/30
Wed 12/2
22. In-class consensus building exercise
23. Exercise debrief (Larry Susskind)
Mon 12/7
Wed 12/9
24. Stakeholders, interests, representation, negotiation (Larry Susskind)
25. Last Class: Review and look ahead
[Planning Observation Final Brief Due: Thursday 12/-- @ 8 pm]
3/15/16
8