Site Planning Online

The course is organized in 10 one-week units, each containing 3-6 video learning modules. Each module is presented by an expert in the area being covered: Gary Hack, Mary Anne Ocampo, Brent Ryan, Dennis Frenchman, Shail Joshi, Zhuangyuan Fan, Eran Ben-Joseph, Jim Wescoat, Carlo Ratti, Larry Vale, Bob Simha and Tunney Lee of MIT; Dennis Pierprz, Elaine Limmer, Greg Havens and Martin Zogram of Sasaki; and Lynne Sagalyn of Columbia University.

The topics covered during each week are:

1. Introduction: site values; exemplary greenfield and urban sites.
2. Site analysis: natural site analysis; man made context of sites; infrastructure capacity; development regulations and policies; sites as property; integrating site knowledge.
3. Site planning methods: planning processes; users, stakeholders and the public; economic value of sites; design methods; digital media for design; creating a site proposal.
4. Site infrastructure: stormwater management; complete streets; pedestrian realms; water supply and disposal; energy for sites; intelligent infrastructure.
5. Site concepts and performance: placemaking; subdivision and site assembly; scoring site performance; impact assessment.
6. Residential sites: history of residential sites; typology of housing forms; housing and community design; dense residential sites.
7. Places for commerce and work: prototypes for shopping; future workplaces; innovation zones; planning for e-commerce.
8. Places for recreation and culture: Landscape structure; urban public spaces; human development and play; cultural districts.
9. College and university planning: types of universities; campus form and communication; new campuses; networked campuses; planning for adaptability.
10. Planning communities: mixed use development; new communities; the future of communities; concluding remarks.

Students will be examined in 4 quizzes about their comprehension of the materials covered.

In addition to viewing the modules, students will have the opportunity to prepare a site plan in three stages: a site analysis (3 weeks); a program and concept plan (4 weeks) and a detailed plan for part of the public domain of a site (3 weeks.) The course will provide basic data on two sites that may be used for this exercise. Alternatively, students may select a site in their own community and use it for their project. Or if the course is being taken in parallel with a university level studio or workshop, the results may be submitted for grading and feedback.