Urban Studies and Planning (USP)

Explanation of Course Descriptions, Symbols, and Terms

USP 200 Changing Cities (Units: 3)

Changing cities in a global world. Multi-disciplinary social science perspectives on city life. Social, cultural, and ethnic diversity. Metropolitan regions. Strategies for creating social justice and environmental sustainability. Experiencing the city.
(This course is offered as USP 200 and SOC 200. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • D1: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

USP 400 Dynamics of the American City (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, B4*, and E* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Historical development and contemporary condition of urban America, city planning, and federal-city relations. Discussion of the dynamics of urban policy-making and class, gender, race, and ethnicity in urban America.
(This course is offered as USP 400 and HIST 489. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

USP 401GW Seminar in Urban Studies and Planning - GWAR (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Urban Studies and Planning majors and minors; GE Area A2; or permission of the instructor.

Introduction to seminal classic and cutting-edge writing on cities, urbanization, and planning. Through the study of how urban scholars have thought about, studied, and written about the city, gain the necessary skills to critically analyze, discuss, and communicate the challenges and opportunities facing today's cities. Focus on writing for a professional audience and gaining practice in written and oral communication skills. (ABC/NC grading only)

Course Attributes:

  • Graduation Writing Assessment

USP 402 Introduction to Planning History and Theory (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

A history of urban planning, primarily in the U.S. from its roots in the 19th century to its development as a contemporary civic endeavor. Examination of the relationship between planning theory and practice based on classic and current readings.

USP 432 Urban Geography (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Geographic characteristics of cities in relation to evolution, morphology, and function. The internal and external relationships of diversified urban areas. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit.
(This course is offered as GEOG 432 and USP 432. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Global Perspectives

USP 433 Urban Transportation (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Emphasis on sustainable and green solutions to mitigate transportation greenhouse gas emissions and expand equity in urban transportation; understanding environmental and social impacts of urban transportation; relationship between transportation and urban form; History and politics of urban transportation; Field observations of transportation in San Francisco. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit.
(This course is offered as GEOG 433 and USP 433. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 456 Urban Community Organizing and Citizen Action (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Social Work and Urban Studies and Planning majors; S W 400, S W 401, S W 402; or permission of the instructor.

History and current developments in community organization in the city. Principles and strategies of developing citizen action organizations. Role of community organizing and citizen participation in urban social programs.
(This course is offered as S W 456 and USP 456. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 470 City in a Global Society (Units: 4)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4.

Urban life and settings in the U.S. and internationally. Analysis of the impact of the global context. Economic, ethnic, gender, cultural, political and technological changes. (This course is offered as SOC 480 and USP 470. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 475 Selected Issues in Urban Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Topics to be specified in the Class Schedule. May include Overview and Analysis of current urban policy and planning issues, Overview and Analysis of analytical techniques appropriate to examine current urban policy and planning issues, and Community engagement activities through applied research and fieldwork. May be repeated when topics vary. (Plus-minus ABC/NC, CR/NC not allowed)

Topics:

  1. Affordable Housing in CA
  2. Homelessness & Public Policy in Historical Context

USP 480 Introduction to Urban Policy and Analysis (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Political and institutional settings for urban politics and policymaking. Concepts and techniques of policy analysis. USP majors and minors must complete the course with a grade of C or better. Approved preparatory course for Experimental College instructors.
(This course is offered as PLSI 480 and USP 480. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 485 San Francisco Political Issues (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Political mobilization and governance. Electoral processes. Economic, ethnic, and cultural conflicts. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 units. May be repeated with permission of the instructor. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as PLSI 475 and USP 485. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 492 Research Methods (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Introduction to the common tools and practices of conducting research in the field of Urban Studies and Planning. Learn the basics of formulating research questions, creating research designs, and collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to address pressing issues facing today's cities. Explore computer-generated analysis and develop communication skills through written reports and oral presentations. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit. (Plus-minus letter grade/RP, CR/NC not allowed)
(This course is offered as USP 492 and PLSI 492. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 493 Data Analysis (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: PLSI 492*/USP 492* or equivalent with a grade of C or better.

Develop research and critical analysis skills to design and execute urban planning and policy research. Learn how to use and interpret quantitative methods of urban data analysis. Use methods of geospatial analysis, mapping, and data visualization to analyze urban planning and policy problems, interpret statistical evidence, and formulate reasoned conclusions.
(This course is offered as USP 493 and PLSI 493. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 511 Critical Analysis of Re-entry and Housing (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Examine the strange, tumultuous, and sometimes cruel period of reentry after incarceration. Explore current approaches to re-entry, focusing on the key element of housing. A critical look at dated and current theories concerning re-integration/integration, examining theories inspired by medical, social, and criminology models. Critically examine current practices of reentry, which tend towards a one size fits all (cookie-cutter) approach. Lecture, 2 units; activity, 1 unit.
(This course is offered as SOC 511, C J 511, and USP 511. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 512 Urban Politics and Community Power (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Political dynamics in the contemporary metropolitan context; bases and distribution of power in urban and suburban areas. Intergovernmental relations and urban political power.
(This course is offered as PLSI 512 and USP 512. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 513 Politics, Law, and the Urban Environment (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Law and the legal system as mechanisms for regulating urban development and protecting the environment; intervention in development and land use; environmental decay, conservation of open space, other related resources. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit.
(This course is offered as USP 513, GEOG 668, and PLSI 513. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 514 Sustainable Development in Cities (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Analysis of development and sustainable development theory and practice, the role international lending institutions, sustainable planning and management of urban infrastructures, and the role appropriate technologies. Case studies of sustainable development planning and policy in Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe, Caribbean, and USA.

Course Attributes:

  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Social Justice

USP 515 Environmental Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Environment (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Examination of environmental justice concepts, research and policies; understanding how toxins and other environmental assaults differentially affect communities and groups in USA and abroad; focus on research, ethnic, class dynamics; environmental justice movements, public policy and planning.
(This course is offered as USP 515 and GEOG 667. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

USP 530 Alternative Urban Futures (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Examines future of cities through analysis of current trends and policies; implications for quality of life and natural resources; planning and policy analysis for future of cities and urban populations; focus on problems and solutions.

USP 555 Urban Anthropology (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; USP 400 or one course in cultural anthropology.

Impact of urban environments upon human behavior cross-culturally. Ethnographic fieldwork techniques, the history and theoretical roots of urban anthropology, and case studies from around the world.
(This course is offered as ANTH 555 and USP 555. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 557 Ethnography of Urban Inequality (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Participant-observation fieldwork techniques with hands-on research projects in inner-city communities in the Bay Area. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit.
(This course is offered as ANTH 557 and USP 557. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 560 Urban Poverty and Policy (Units: 4)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Nature and causes of urban poverty. Theories of poverty and their policy implications. The role of education, employment, family status, gender, race, metropolitan location, global economic restructuring, anti-poverty policies and proposals, and development of policy alternatives. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as USP 560 and PLSI 560. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

USP 570 Urban Health Policy (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

The political economy of the urban health system. A critical review of urban health policy and analysis of alternatives. Politics of health care reform. Particular needs of women and communities of color.
(This course is offered as USP 570, LABR 570, and PLSI 570. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 580 Housing Policy and Planning (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Social, economic, and technical aspects of urban housing; market analysis, housing production, tenant/landlord relations, finance, government regulation, and subsidies.
(This course is offered as USP 580 and PLSI 580. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

USP 603 Public Service Internships (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; concurrent enrollment in PLSI 604; consent of the instructor.

Fieldwork in approved public, private, non-profit, or political organization under the supervision of organization staff and a faculty coordinator. May be repeated on advisement. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as PLSI 603 and USP 603. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 604 Internship Seminar (Unit: 1)

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; concurrent enrollment in PLSI 603.

Analysis of internship experiences. May be repeated on advisement. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as PLSI 604 and USP 604. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 651 San Francisco Bay Area Environmental Issues (Units: 4)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Mission and work of environmental management organizations. Managing our air, water, soil, wildlife, and aesthetic resources. Land use and transportation concepts. Field projects. Lecture, 3 units; laboratory, 1 unit.
(This course is offered as GEOG 651 and USP 651. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-B: Physical Life Science
  • Environmental Sustainability

USP 652 Environmental Impact Analysis (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: GEOG 205 or ENVS 224 or permission of the instructor.

Cultural and physical environmental interrelationships. Evaluating impact proposals. Reconciling resource potentials with human needs, problems of social development impact, and environmental quality protection. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit.
(This course is offered as GEOG 652 and USP 652. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 658 Land-Use Planning (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

The institutions, practice, and methodology of land-use planning. Relationship of planning to socio-economic objectives within the context of market and political forces. The planning process, locational analysis, zoning, and negotiated development. Lecture, 3 units; activity, 1 unit.
(This course is offered as GEOG 658 and USP 658. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

USP 680 Senior Seminar (Units: 4)

Prerequisites: Senior Urban Studies majors; USP 401GW, USP 480 or USP 658, USP 492, USP 493, USP 603, and USP 604; or permission of the instructor.

Capstone Course in Urban Studies and Planning. Apply the knowledge and skills learned in the major by working directly with community partners on real-world research projects. Work in teams with clients outside the university to design and execute an applied research project. Focus on working with clients and designing and executing research projects. Apply theory, methods, substantive knowledge, and analytical skills in the context of a client-serving project. Includes presentations of research findings in oral and written form. Seminar, 3 units; activity, 1 unit. [CSL may be available]

USP 681 Senior Thesis (Units: 4)

Prerequisites: Restricted to senior Urban Studies and Planning majors and minors; USP 401GW, USP 492, USP 493, USP 480 or USP 658, USP 604, or permission of the instructor.

Directed guidance leading to the completion of a senior research project based on intensive individual study of a topic or problem related to urban studies, policy and/or planning. Data gathering, analysis and presentation (oral and written) of original research. (Plus-minus ABC/NC)

USP 685 Projects in the Teaching of Urban Studies (Units: 1-4)

Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and completion of course (or equivalent) in which student will be assisting.

Students serve as instructional aides in order to enrich their knowledge of the subject and the general processes of learning and teaching. Help develop course materials, plan and review course structure and activities, and provide assistance to students in class activities such as writing assignments, research projects, and fieldwork. (Students may earn a maximum of 4 units toward the baccalaureate degree for any course(s) numbered 685 regardless of discipline.) (Plus-minus letter grade only)

USP 686 Field Work in Urban Studies (Units: 1-4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Supervised field research including preparation of policy papers, developing databases on local issues, and applied policy work. Editorial and production work for annual Urban Studies publications: Urban Action and the Alumni Survey. May be repeated for a total of 8 units.

USP 699 Independent Study (Units: 1-4)

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Supervised individual research project of special interest to develop research capability.