UPP 594TOPICS IN URBAN PLANNING AND POLICY:MUNICIPAL SERVICES PLANNINGSpring 2012Syllabus—12/12/11TECHNICAL POINTS:Dates: Wednesday 1/11/12-5/2/12Thursday 6:00 PM until 9:00 PMRoom: TBAInstructor: Robert L. Nelis, Sr.OVERVIEW:Planners and administrators who give planning or land use advice to municipalities must understand that the government’s decisions impact all facets of its current operations and future policies. Planning decisions and operation requirements are inherently interrelated: they are both part of the government’s overall purpose and they hold direct implications for each other. Planning decisions do not sand alone. Anyone planning for municipalities should understand the impacts and consequences of his/her advice as well as how the other functions of government inject their concerns into land use decisions. Directions, discussions, and advice must be realistic in light of their impacts.The purpose of this course is to introduce student to the interaction between planning andthe other operational elements of a municipality and governments with similar responsibilities. This course will acquaint students with the operational impact of land usedecision on various municipal functions such as police, fire, recreation, and public works.Students will learn how planning decisions alter municipal budget requirements and their five-year capital plan implications. All municipal decisions impact a variety of stakeholders; this course will also teach students how to analyze political and administrative feasibility of alternative proposals.1This couse is a practical exercise. The students will work on a volunteer community and analyze its existing as well as future municipal service demands. Students will be required to visit the volunteer community at least once and conduct personal interviews with both its local service mangers as well as similar persons in comparable communities.The exact number of interviews will depend on the data obtained; however three will be expected as a minimum. Student will be required to submit the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of interviewees.This course is intended for students who plan to work for municipalities, counties, and townships; however, it will also offer insights for students who plan to work for regional, state, or federal agencies into the pressures facing governments that make land use decisions.OBJECTIVES:-Familiarization with organizational dynamic of municipalities-Knowledge of interrelationship between planning and municipal services-Projection of population and land uses at build-out-Prediction of various service demands-Prediction of capital facility requirements-Preparation of professional final productASSIGNMENTS:Students will be divided into teams. Each team will be assigned to a municipality the manager of which has volunteered to participate in this program. Each team will complete two assignments. First, the team will project build-out final population and land uses. Based on this product, the team’s second assignment will be to predict the amount of staff required to meet service demands and what capital facilities will be necessary to support them. The final product will be a professional quality written document presented to the participating municipalities.2EXPECTATIONS:Students are expected to read assigned documents and participate in class discussions. Service. The students assigned to particular municipal function will lead the discussion when guest presents a lecture on their service. Discussion leadership of assigned readings will also be required. Students will be asked to critique (not criticize) each other’s ideas and work. The final product must be of a professional quality that will not only be distributed by the receiving manager but also utilized in the municipality’s policy decisions.GRADING:17% Class Participation27% Assignment 1-Population and Land Use predictions56% Assignment 2-Staff and Capital ProjectionsSCHEDULE;Week 1 (1/11) Introduction:-Goals-Basic Tools-Population ProjectionsWeek 2 (1/18) Structure:-Organizational Structure- Informal/Formal Power- Stakeholders-Budgets and Five-Year Plans- Team Assignments (Village and Municipal Service)Week 3 (1/25) Introduction to Participating Municipalities (guest lecture)-Presentation by Managers or Mayors3Week 4 (2/1) Team Presentation of Population ProjectionsPresentation and discussion of eachWeek 5 (2/8) Parks/Recreation (guest lecturer)Week 6 (2/15) Field Research (no class) Visit CommunityWeek 7 (2/22) Police Service Presentation (guest lecturer)Week 8 (2/29) Engineering (Streets, Water, Sewer, Storm) Presentation (guest)Public Works Operations (guest lecturer)Week 9 (3/7) Fire Service Presentation (guest lecturer)Week 10 (3/14) Site Selection/Village Hall Sizing Presentation (guest lecturer)Week 11 (3/21) Others Impact Fees and Economic Development (guest lecturer)-Discussion of what exists and purpose-Economic development ExerciseWeek 12 (3/28) Spring Break (no class)Week 13 (4/4) Ordinances That Impact-Zoning-Subdivision-OthersWeek 14 (4/11) Discussion of “The Option of Urbanism” and related articlesWeek 15 (4/18) Project Status-Questions-Comments-Problems/SolutionsWeek 16 (4/25) Team Presentations of Final Products (Critique)4Week 17 (5/2) Final Exam is the prepared professional quality report delivered to the municipalitySchedule Caveats: Students are expected to ask questions in all classes. Due to guest lecturers schedule changes, some dates might require adjustment. Some subjects may be rescheduled depending on class situations. Readings will be formalized in final syllabus and may be subject to change. Readings will be one assigned book, made available on Blackboard, or handed out.READING LIST:“The Option of Urbanism” by Christopher B. Leinberger, 2009, Inland PressAssigned Articles594