Urban Design at Scale: Master Planning

Lesson 1 • Ethics and Social Responsibility in Planning

Addresses equity, displacement risk, and the planner's ethical obligations. Frames responsible practice as a foundation for all subsequent work.

Lesson 2 • Scale, Proportion, and Urban Grain

Examines how scale decisions affect livability and identity. Students apply proportion concepts to block, district, and city-wide levels.

Lesson 3 • Defining Master Planning and Urban Design

Clarifies the distinction between urban design and master planning and their overlapping roles. Grounds students in shared vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 4 • Historical Evolution of Master Plans

Traces master planning from classical city-building to contemporary practice. Reveals how historical precedents shape current methodologies.

Lesson 1 • Natural Systems and Environmental Constraints

Identifies topography, hydrology, ecology, and climate as design determinants. Students integrate environmental data into site suitability assessments.

Lesson 2 • Built Environment and Infrastructure Audit

Surveys existing buildings, infrastructure, and utilities as planning inputs. Reveals capacity gaps and reuse opportunities critical to master plan feasibility.

Lesson 3 • Multi-Scale Site Reading

Teaches layered analysis from regional context down to parcel level. Establishes the analytical habit of moving between scales fluidly.

Lesson 4 • Socioeconomic and Demographic Analysis

Profiles population, income, employment, and housing data to understand community needs. Connects quantitative data to spatial planning decisions.

Lesson 1 • Crafting a Compelling Urban Vision

Teaches how to articulate a place-specific, aspirational vision statement. Connects vision to site analysis findings and community values.

Lesson 2 • Goal Setting and Performance Metrics

Establishes measurable goals across social, economic, and environmental dimensions. Students learn to write SMART objectives tied to the master plan vision.

Lesson 3 • Writing the Master Plan Brief

Guides students through structuring a formal planning brief document. The brief becomes the contractual and creative foundation for the master plan.

Lesson 1 • Density, Floor Area Ratio, and Massing

Explains density metrics and their spatial implications for urban form. Students calculate and test density scenarios against infrastructure capacity.

Lesson 2 • Zoning and Regulatory Instruments

Surveys zoning typologies, form-based codes, and overlay districts as planning tools. Students evaluate which regulatory instruments best achieve master plan goals.

Lesson 3 • Open Space and Green Infrastructure

Plans the hierarchy of parks, plazas, greenways, and ecological corridors. Students integrate green infrastructure as a structural element of the land use plan.

Lesson 4 • Land Use Plan Production

Guides the drafting of a formal land use plan drawing and supporting documentation. Students apply all prior concepts to produce a coherent, defensible land use plan.

Lesson 1 • Mobility Hierarchy and Mode Priorities

Establishes a people-first hierarchy placing pedestrians, cyclists, and transit above private vehicles. Students apply the hierarchy to street network design decisions.

Lesson 2 • Freight, Servicing, and Emerging Mobility

Plans for goods movement, last-mile delivery, and new mobility technologies. Students future-proof the movement network against evolving transport trends.

Lesson 3 • Parking Strategy and Demand Management

Addresses parking supply, location, and demand management as urban design tools. Students develop a parking strategy that reduces car dependency without harming access.

Lesson 4 • Street Network Design

Covers grid typologies, block sizes, and street cross-section design for urban contexts. Students design a connected street network that supports multiple modes.

Lesson 1 • Landscape, Planting, and Urban Ecology

Integrates landscape design and ecological planting into the public realm framework. Students specify planting strategies that support biodiversity and climate resilience.

Lesson 2 • Three-Dimensional Urban Form

Translates land use and density decisions into massing, height, and skyline. Students model and test urban form scenarios for visual and functional impact.

Lesson 3 • Street and Block Design

Details the design of streets and blocks as the primary units of urban form. Students apply typological thinking to create varied yet coherent urban environments.

Lesson 4 • Design Codes and Urban Design Frameworks

Produces the regulatory design guidance that governs built form and public realm delivery. Students draft a design code section applicable to a defined character area.

Lesson 1 • Waste, Circular Economy, and Resources

Designs waste collection, recycling, and circular economy systems into the master plan. Students align resource management with sustainability targets.

Lesson 2 • Water, Drainage, and Flood Resilience

Plans potable water supply, wastewater, and sustainable drainage systems. Students design a blue infrastructure network that manages flood risk and water quality.

Lesson 3 • Energy Systems and Net-Zero Planning

Plans district energy, renewable generation, and energy efficiency at the master plan scale. Students develop an energy strategy targeting net-zero carbon outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Digital and Smart City Infrastructure

Plans digital connectivity, sensor networks, and data infrastructure for smart urbanism. Students evaluate smart city technologies against equity and privacy criteria.

Lesson 1 • Governance Structures and Delivery Vehicles

Designs the institutional arrangements needed to deliver and manage the master plan. Students evaluate development corporations, special districts, and community land trusts.

Lesson 2 • Funding Models and Public-Private Delivery

Surveys infrastructure funding mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and grant programs. Students select appropriate funding models for different plan components.

Lesson 3 • Development Economics and Viability

Introduces residual land value, development appraisal, and viability testing. Students assess whether the master plan program is financially deliverable.

Lesson 4 • Phasing Strategy and Sequencing

Develops a logical build-out sequence that manages risk and creates early value. Students apply critical path thinking to master plan delivery.