PLANNING, POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY.

Catalog description

Far from studying neutral phenomena and attempting to solve objectively defined problems, the planning profession is permeated with conflict and dilemmas of normative and political nature, such as how to plan and for whom. “Planning, Politics and Public Policy” sets out to study planning as a profession deeply imbued in a complex socio-political context dominated by social, political, technical, cultural, organizational, and economic disparities. The course reviews both theoretical and practical aspects of urban planning and their relationship to the politics of policy-making process. It, finally, inquires about the role of urban and regional planning in a democratic governance context. The substance of this course will be presented through lectures, class discussions, guest speaker talks, field work assignments and group work and presentations.