URBS 502—Urban
Analysis
Term: Fall, 2006
Lead Instructor: This course is team-taught by many members of the department. Dr. Filipovitch will be lead instructor for this class.
Office Hours: Tony’s office hours are posted here.
Text:
DANDEKAR, HC. 2004. The Planner’s Use of
Information, 2nd Ed.
Outcomes:
This course is designed to develop the skills needed to gather, analyze, and
present information for resolving applied problems in local government and
community settings.
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Communicate orally (using powerpoint & graphics) and in writing (memos, issue papers, research reports, and case studies).
- Solve practical problems using (and modifying) spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel is the department standard).
- Gather and organize data (using focus groups, sampling frames, surveys & questionnaires, and benchmarking)
- Analyze data using statistical tools (descriptive, nonparametric, and parametric)
- Frame a question and arrive at a solution using nonstatistical quantitative tools (forecasting, benefit/cost, and GIS)
Course Calendar:
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Week |
Topic |
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Assignment |
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8/29 |
Introduction to course & conventions used in course |
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Basics |
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9/5 |
Oral communication (powerpoint) & Graphics |
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9/12 |
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9/19 |
Written Communication (memo, issue paper, research report, case study) |
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Gathering Data |
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9/26 |
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Survey & questionnaire design |
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10/10 |
Sampling (random, stratified, area—point, area, line) |
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10/24 |
Benchmarking (note change of date) |
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Statistical Analysis of Data |
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10/17 |
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10/31 |
Nonparametric statistics (chi-square, t-test) |
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11/7 |
Parametric statistics (correlation, regression, ANOVA, Logit) |
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Other Quantitative Analysis |
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11/14 |
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GIS for urban analysis |
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Postlude |
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12/5 |
The politics of urban affairs practice |
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Requirements:
Classwork
This is primarily a case-study and discussion class, although we may indulge in the occasional lecture and demonstration. You are expected to do the reading assigned from the text and linked to the course calendar, and be prepared to discuss them in class on the assigned date. Attendance at all class meetings is presumed.
Memos
Graduate students will submit a memo for each unit, applying the tool to a concrete problem and interpreting the application of that topic. The memos should follow the format described in “The Basics.” The body of the memo should be 1-2 pages, although there may be attachments. Memos should be sent to the instructor on e-mail.
Course Expectations:
Attendance & Class Participation:
Students play an important role in educating and challenging each other. This can only happen if there is consistent attendance. We expect you to attend, and we may take the class roll. Unexcused absence (prior notification is required—even if the lead instructor is not available, voice mail and e-mail always are) can result in loss of points toward one’s grade. You are paying for this class—make sure to get your “money’s worth.” Most importantly, this is an excellent foundation of knowledge for future activities, and it is a chance for you to learn, teach, and grow with others.
Grading:
Undergrad Grad
4 tests (@ 25 pts.) 100 100
13 Skills memos (@ 5 pts.) 65
The final grade may be based on a curve, but students can
expect an A if they achieve at least 90%, a B with 80%, etc.
Other Matters:
Extra Credit: In general, we do not encourage extra credit in this class. We would rather that you put the extra effort into your regular assignments.
All assignments are due on the assigned date. Partial credit may be given for assignments that
are less than one week late, unless other arrangements have been made in advance.
Written reports are expected to be free of grammatical, spelling, and content
errors. They should be submitted in typewritten, standard formats (APA,
MLA, URSI Style Sheets). You must familiarize yourself with the
University’s Academic
Honesty Policy. We encourage you to
draw on the ideas of others—but you must also identify when you do so (you gain “brownie points” for citing the
work of others!). Plagiarism is a
serious breach of academic behavior and will result in an F for the course.
We will help you in whatever manner humanly possible. However, once the semester is over, there is not a great deal we can do. If there is something that you don’t understand, are having problems with, or need help on, please get in touch with us as early as possible.
Every attempt will be made to accommodate qualified students with disabilities. If you area student with a documented disability, please contact us as early in the semester as possible to discuss the necessary accommodations, and/or contact the Disability Services Office at 507-389-2825 (V) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY).
Each unit includes its
own bibliography. The following is a
list of general references about the use of quantitative data (some are
classics), and might be useful for several of the units:
ALONSO, W. (1964) "The historic and structural theories of urban form: Their implications for urban renewal," Land Economics, 40, 227-231.
APPLEBAUM, W. (1952) "A technique for constructing a population and urban land-use map," Economic Geography, 28, 240-243.
ARROW, K., et alii
(n.d.) Urban
Processes.
ATKIN, R.H., J. JOHNSON & V. MANCINI (1971) "An analysis of urban structure using concepts of algebraic topology," Urban Studies 8(3): 221-242
CADWALLADER, M. (1996) Urban Geography: An Analytical Approach. NY: Prentice Hall.
CARTWRIGHT, T.J. (1993) Modeling the World in a Spreadsheet.
CHAMBERS, J.C., S.K. MULLICK, & D.D. SMITH (1975) "How to choose the right forecasting technique," On Management. NY: Harper & Row.
CHAPIN, F.S. (1968) "Activity Systems and urban structure: A working schema," Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 34, 11-18.
CHAPIN, F.S. & R.K. BRAIL. (1969) "Human activity
systems in the metropolitan
COLEMAN, J. (1973) The Mathematics of Collective Action.
FARRAH, M. (1969) Neighborhood
Analyses.
FILIPOVITCH, A.J. (1987) Urban Analytical Tools.
FORRESTER, J.W. (1969) Urban Dynamics.
GOLDBERG, M.A. (1972) "An evaluation of the interaction between urban transport and land use systems," Land Economics, 48, 338-346.
GORDON, S.I. & R.F.
HAUSER, P.M. (1965) Handbook for
Social Research in Urban Areas.
ISAACS, R.R. (1963) "The neighborhood theory: An analysis of its adequacy," Sociometry 26 (2), 230-246.
KLOSTERMAN, R.E. (1994) "An introduction to the literature on large-scale urban models," Journal of the American Planning Association, 60(1), 41-44.
KLOSTERMAN, R.E., R.K. BRAIL & E.G. BOSSARD (1993) Spreadsheet Models for Urban and Regional Analysis.
MARCH, L. & P. STEADMAN (1971) The Geometry of Environment.
MEYERS, D. (1988) "Building knowledge about quality of life for urban planning," Journal of the American Planning Association, 54 347-358.
NELSON, H.J. (1955) "A service classification of American cities," Economic Geography, 31, 189-210.
OTTENSMANN, J.R. (1985) BASIC Microcomputer programs for urban analysis and planning. NY: Chapman & Hall.
PUTMAN, S.H. (1972) "Intraurban employment forecasting models: A review and a suggested new model construct," Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 38, 216-230.
SHEVKY, E. (1955) Social Area Analysis.
SIMPSON, B.J. (1985) Quantitative
Methods for Planning and Urban Studies.
SWANSON, C.V. & R.J. WALDMANN (1970) "A simulation model of economic growth dynamics," Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 36, 314-322.
© 2006 A.J.Filipovitch
Revised 23 August 2006