Urban Design

Urban design is the study of human relationships and their expression in the physical landscapes that are cities. The urban environment is a physical manifestation of social values. Relations that comprise the realm of urban design involve not simply buildings and their creation, but the urban infrastructure, politics, economics, sociology, commerce, and history of cities. Students planning to pursue careers in government, public administration, social work, architectural design, planning, etc., will find their interests served by this minor.

You should meet with the coordinator of Urban Design Minor to work out a program of study. Minimally, your program will include 21 semester hours completed with a 2.5 grade point average. Courses must be taken for a grade (not as credit/no-credit). 

Basic Coursework (10 credit hours)

ARC 211       Introduction to Landscape and Urban Design (3 cr. hrs.)

GEO 201      Geography of Urban Diversity (3 cr. hrs.) ⁵

POL 261       Public Administration (4 cr. hrs.) MPF ⁶

Advanced Coursework (9 credit hours)**

ARC 405.C    Typology and Regionalism (3 cr. hrs.)

ARC 405.Q    Housing Case Studies (3 cr. hrs.)

ARC 422       History of Urbanization (3 cr. hrs.)

ARC 426       Architecture and Society (3 cr. hrs.) ^MPC

ARC 427       The American City Since 1940 (3 cr. hrs.) ^1,2,3

ARC 435        Principles of Landscape Architecture (3 cr. hrs.)

FSW 261       Diverse Families Across the Life Cycle (3 cr. hrs.) ^MPF 4

GEO 451       Urban and Regional Planning (3 cr. hrs.) ^1,5

GEO 454       Urban Geography (3 cr. hrs.) ^1,5

GEO 459       Advanced Urban and Regional Planning (3 cr. hrs.)

POL 364        Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations (3 cr. hrs.) ^1,6

POL 467        Public Budgeting (3 cr. hrs.) ^1,6

SOC 201       Social Problems (4 cr. hrs.)

SOC 347       Comparative Urban Ecology (3 cr. hrs.)

Notes:

* Architecture majors: six of these nine hours must be from outside architecture.
  Non-architecture majors: six of these nine hours must be architecture courses.

^MPC Miami Plan Capstone course.

^MPF Miami Plan Foundation  course.

¹ ARC 1 Thematic course.

² EDL 1 Thematic course.

³ ENG 3 Thematic course.

⁴ FSW 3 and 4 Thematic course.

⁵ GEO 1 Thematic course.

⁶ POL 6 Thematic course.

Concluding Coursework (3 credit hours)

There are three options available as the concluding experience in the minor:

• Independent Study or Field Study (ARC 490 or GEO 477), OR
• Municipal Internship (GEO 340), OR
• Urban Field Experience (GEO 495).

Regardless of which of the possible options is chosen, the coursework must have a clear educational objective within the framework of the urban design minor. It is the student’s responsibility to identify the subject, the extent, and the schedule of work to be performed and how it fits into the individual student’s sequence of courses in the minor. In the case of the first option, the required form must be completed in the appropriate department prior to enrolling under the specific course number. In all cases, a summary paper must be presented at the end of the term which explains how the particular experience (i.e., the field study or the directed study) culminates the coursework undertaken within the minor.

Questions concerning the Urban Design Minor?

Contact the administrator of the minor: Assistant Professor Jeff Kruth, kruthjt@miamioh.edu

rev.: 15 VII 2014