Advice l Classes l Design@Cornell l Files

Advice

My monthly advice column for students is available on the Planetizen web site. Important topics include:

• Getting into graduate school in planning: how to decide if planning is for you, find the right program, apply, and decide which offer to take up.
  
• Undertaking the exit project or thesis. Topics include the what, why, and when of choosing an exit option, getting started, troubleshooting common problems, managing your committee, writing a literature review, and actually finishing.
• Making the most of being a student and learning when (not) to email experts.
• Finding online resources to increase your planning knowledge including: general information about the field of planning, images, articles, organizations, faculty blogs, books, more books and movies.
• Developing skills for planning including: writing, reviewing, managing time, and creating a portfolio.
• Finding a job and staying gainfully unemployed if you can't.

For graduate students at Cornell, the Sibley Survival Guide is the key source that can help you answer basic questions.
2009-2010 Guide
2008-2009 Guide
2007-2008 Guide

For undergraduate urban studies students at Cornell the requirements booklet is the main guide. Note the version below is compiled from the same files as the official version but is formatted differently. The official version is still the paper one available in 106 West Sibley.
2008-2009 Requirements Booklet

Classes

Current Classes

Global Cities—An introduction to cities worldwide.

Suburbia—A course examining the history and current situation of suburbia in the United States and around the world.

Introduction to Physical Planning—A broad overview emphasizing site planning, infrastructure, and the physical planning process.

Former Classes

Urban Design Workshop (2008)—An introductory workshop emphasizing basic urban design analysis skills. The class is aimed primarily at graduate students although advanced undergraduates may enroll.

Great Books in Planning: NYC (2008)—A class for students in the AAP-NYC undergraduate program.

Advanced Planning Theory (2007)—A review of planning theory aimed at doctoral students and advanced masters students.

Design@Cornell

There are several ways to gain urban design training at Cornell.

The basic design sequence includes:
CRP 3810/5810 Principles of Spatial Design and Aesthetics (Fall)
CRP 3851/5851 Introduction to Physical Planning (Fall)
CRP 3202/5202 Visual Methods in Planning (Spring)
CRP 3072/5072 Land Use, Environment, and Urban Design Workshop (Fall)
CRP 5073 or 5650 Historic Preservation Planning Workshop; CRP 5075 Real Estate Development Workshop; or LA 7020 Advanced Design Studio (urban design offerings)

More detailed advice about potential coursework is given in the urban design and physical planning section of this page (scroll down):
http://www.aap.cornell.edu/crp/programs/grad/land-use-environmental-planning-and-urban-design.cfm

Those interested in design may also be interested in basic courses in Historic Preservation Planning and in Real Estate.

Historic Preservation Planning
CRP 5620 Perspectives on Preservation (fall)
CRP 5670 Measured Drawing (spring)
CRP 6650 Preservation Planning and Urban Change (fall)
CRP 5650 Fieldwork or Workshop in History and Preservation (fall or spring)

Real Estate
5320 Real Estate Development Process (fall)
6580 Residential Development (spring)
5330 Real Estate Marketing and Management (fall)
6570 Real Estate Law (spring)
5560 Design in Real Estate Development (spring)

Student Group
In addition, the Cornell Design and Planning Student Group is very active.

Files

Essential Information Handout (January 2010 version): A Guide for Students Preparing Written Theses, Research Papers, or Planning Projects