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Planning for Developing Areas

The Planning for Developing Areas specialization prepares students for the challenges of guiding economic and social development in the context of increasing globalization, commonly defined as the increasing interconnectedness of people, places, and institutions worldwide. Development planners work in urban and rural developing areas around the world. For example, they may facilitate community participation in development projects, work to strengthen the capacities of non-governmental organizations to deliver services and mobilize resources, implement the decentralization of government services to medium and small towns, help shape donor policies and practices in the area of gender and development, or design sustainable development strategies at the international, national, regional, or local levels.

Coursework in the specialization is tailored to build the capacity of each student to investigate various development situations and to identify critical opportunities to influence the development process. Courses address cross-cutting issues such as globalization, democratization, gender and development, and sustainable development. They provide students with an understanding of the legal and institutional context within which planners operate and of sector-specific issues and strategies. The latter include regional economic development, microenterprise development, housing and infrastructure, capacity-building particularly among non-governmental organizations, and the role and impact of population growth and distribution. Students also develop skills in the preparation of development plans, in the design, management and implementation of development projects, and in participatory planning and research.

Coursework

The specialization consists of two required and two elective courses. The required courses are:

URP 5610: Introduction to Development Planning
URP 5616: Project Planning in Developing Countries

Two elective courses should be chosen from the following list:

URP 5424: Sustainable Development Planning in the Americas
URP 5540: State and Local Economic Development Planning
URP 5541: Gender and Development
URP 5611: Strategies for Urban and Regional Development
URP 5612: Planning for Urbanization in Less Developed Countries
URP 5613: Rural Development Planning
URP 5614: Population and Development
URP 5615: Infrastructure and Housing Issues in Less Developed Areas
URP 5619: Special Topics in Development Planning

Courses which may be used as electives with permission of the advisor include:

ECO 5015: Economic Development
EDF 5625: Education and Economic Development
ECO 5025: Economic Development Policy and Programming
INR 5507: International Organizations
INR 5037: Development, Dependence, and Inequality
PAD 6838: Government Administration in Developing Nations
SYD 5425: Urbanization and Population Distribution
SYP 5446: Sociology of National Development

Concentrations

Students are encouraged to select a concentration in a particular issue area of development. Concentrations can be in one of the other Department specializations (such as Environmental Planning and Natural Resource Management or Housing and Community Development) or can consist of two thematically selected courses from the list of electives, plus two additional related electives from within, or outside the Department. Examples of appropriate concentrations include national development, development administration and finance, and others. Students should consult with an advisor from the specialization for the coursework appropriate to different concentrations.

Master's International Program

Students specializing in development planning may coordinate their studies with a two-year service in the Peace Corps through the Master's International Program .