The Urban Planning Option is concerned with the spatial arrangements, distribution and interrelationships between socio-economic development projects and programs and community life, and the processes for resolving issues related to them. Students take foundation as well as specialized courses in economic geography, urban geography, urban and regional planning, and community development practices.

Students in this option will be equipped for a wide range of jobs in both the public and private sectors. Among these are city and county planners, transportation planners, economic development coordinators, development program administrators, location analysts, market research analysts, and business analysts.

Course List

In addition to the Core Courses, listed to the left, the Urban Planning Option consists of the following courses.

Required Courses
Geography 373 Urban Geography Physical characteristics, spatial patterns, functions, populations, land use, and livelihood structures of cities. Geography 374 Rural Geography The influence of locational characteristics on the social and economic components of the rural environment.	Geography 388 Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning Historical evolution of urban/regional planning. Theories, ideologies, philosophies, and functional areas of planning. Also primary plan implementation tools. OR Natural Resources 388 Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning Historical evolution of urban/regional planning. Theories, ideologies, philosophies, and functional areas of planning. Also primary plan implementation tools. Geography 389 Urban and Regional Planning Analysis Research methods for urban and regional planning. Design and implementation of citizen surveys. OR Natural Resources 389 Urban and Regional Planning Analysis Research methods for urban and regional planning. Design and implementation of citizen surveys.	Geography 476 GIS Applications in Local Government Administration of land records and emergency management services using GIS technology. Fundamentals of GIS-based network and location analysis in relation to cadastral maps, zoning regulations, health services and emergency service infrastructure.
THREE credits of the following courses:
Geography 370 Transportation and Logistics Survey/analyze spatial aspects of transportation and communication systems. Includes evolution of transport systems, network and flow analysis, routing and logistics analysis, and transportation planning and management. Geography 372 Industrial Location Analyze manufacturing activities from a spatial perspective. Topics include theory and practice of industrial location, manufacturing production systems, industrial districts, and local economic development. Geography 378 Retail and Service Location Analyze retail and service activities from a spatial perspective. Location strategies of retail and service firms, site selection, trade area analysis, store and office assessment methods, and local economic development.	Geography 495 Advanced Urban and Regional Planning Analysis Advanced techniques/methods of urban/regional planning. Social and economic analysis. Includes population analysis, income measures, linkages and flow studies, economy composition analysis, economic base analysis, input-output, project evaluation, and geographic information systems applications. Geography 496 Community Development Practices Processes and interactions between citizens, community officials, and planners in designing, planning, and implementing community development projects. Social and economic development projects and programs.

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