School of Landscape Architecture and Planning Courses

A studio‐based course introducing the fundamentals of design and its role in the built and natural environments through drawing, modeling and a lecture component.

Typically offered: Fall

Units: 2/2

The course provides an overview of the role of architecture and landscape architecture in the design of the built environment using examples of notable buildings and structures.

Typically offered: Fall

Units: 1/1

This course is broad exploration of individuals from diverse backgrounds who have helped shape the American landscape. Examination of original writings, and built environments including cities, parks, gardens, vernacular expressions, and preserves of wild, scenic, and cultural landscapes will provide the framework for discussion about landscape design as a comprehensive art form and dialog between man and nature.

Gen Ed: Tier 1 Individuals & Societies/150
Gen Ed: Building Connections

Fully Online

Typically offered: Fall

Units: 3

The focus of this course is on sustainable design and planning and is a framework for how we plan, build, and live in our built environments in a way that better balances environmental, social, and economic demands.

Fully Online

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

More than half of humanity lives in cities. This course surveys international cities to help students understand the world’s urban systems, global variations in urban environments, and the diversity in organization and functioning of cities. Using a case study methodology, the class compares and contrasts contemporary paths of urban development. Students gain an introduction to a variety of urban forms and approaches to sustaining the urban environment worldwide.

The class examines the interplay between human activities and land, water, and energy policies that shape the use of urban resources to produce the built environment. Students will be introduced to the tasks and methods of urban planning and consider what determines variations in urban design, land use, transportation, energy use, water consumption, infrastructure plans, economic development, and urban social functions. Students will learn about improving the quality of urban environments by comparing contemporary cities, both industrialized and developing cities.

Gen Ed: Tier 2 Individuals and Societies
Gen Ed: Building Connections

Fully Online

Typically offered: Spring

Units: 3

This course explores effective oral communication within the professions of the built environment with the intent of increasing student understanding of and competency in oral communication in preparation for entry into the world of practice.

Fully Online

Typically offered: Spring

Units: 3

This course engages planning for equitable cities by engaging the historical and contemporary role of urban planning in shaping our cities' built and social environments and the different ways more vulnerable populations experience the city. Thematically, we begin with an introduction to how gender has historically been conceptualized in urban planning; dive into gendered concerns within urban spaces; introduce the concept of intersectionality to understand challenges of those who hold multiple identities; engage the historical and contemporary role of LGBTQ enclaves in community transformation; and end with a unit about regulating sex work in urban spaces.

As we explore the connection between gender/sexuality with urban planning, we continually grapple with who has the power to design and maintain public, the norms of behavior, and the use within them. This includes understanding how urban planning has contributed to our current system of spatial injustice (housing, transportation, etc); the historically male, white dominance in the field; and how urban planning is turning towards a more diverse conception of community and community power.

Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis
Gen Ed: Tier 2 Individuals and Societies
Gen Ed: Building Connections

Fully Online

Typically offered: Fall

Units: 3

This one-credit (1 cu) studio provides exposure to basic elements of digital design communication in landscape architecture as well as an introduction to advanced elements to be taught in greater depth later in the program. Through tutorials and exercises, using several industry-standard computer applications, students will work to increase their knowledge and skill in computer graphic conventions and techniques.

Typically Offered: Spring, Summer

Units: 1

The study of the history of the built environment provides a general understanding on how human societies have adapted the form of the built environment to their unique cultural, political, economic, climatic, and environmental challenges across time. 

Fully Online

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

The study of the history of the built environment provides a general understanding on how human societies have adapted the form of the built environment to their unique cultural, political, economic, and environmental challenges across time. This is the second course out of two courses and they are organized in modules that correspond to different climatic zones. These are: 1. Hot and arid, 2. Hot and humid, 3. Cold and arid, 4. Cold and humid, 5. Temperate and arid, 6. Temperate and humid. This second course includes the last three climate zones (cold and humid, temperate and arid, and temperate and humid).

Fully Online

Typically offered: Spring

Units: 3

Urbanization and cities within the sustainability framework.  Global urbanization, social justice, environmental equity, growth management, "the new urbanism." International cases.  Web based projects.

Gen Ed: Tier 2 Individuals and Societies
Gen Ed: Building Connections

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

This course introduces students to the essential methods of visual communication and ordering systems through a series of interrelated exercises. Techniques such as investigative sketching, freehand drawing, and digital design communication are considered in relation to their potential to reveal the world around us with a heightened sense of awareness. Issues such as place, material, structure and enclosure will be explored empirically and conceptually at a variety of scales and applications. Importantly, this is an interdisciplinary based studio; students enrolled in this course will have the ability to engage in a variety of different design strategies.

Fully Online

Typically offered: Spring

Units: 4

This course exams the history, function, politics and design of parks, gardens and other urban public spaces in American cities.  A typology of public space will be presented and used to examine public life today and how design and public involvement influence the nature of public space. The course will examine contemporary issues in parks and public space such as place-making, environmental integrity and sustainability, diversity and accessibility issues, children and nature, and the privatization of public space.

Gen Ed: Tier 2 Individuals and Societies
Gen Ed: Building Connections
Honors Contract Course

Fully Online

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

The focus of this course is the analysis of capital formation in commercial real estate and examination of the tools real estate investors use to make investment decisions. The course includes sections on capital sources, investor concerns and hurdles, data sources, investment fundamentals and tools, discounted cash flow modeling, and pre-tax equity distributions for a range of partnerships.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

This course will provide an introduction to the past, present, and future of urban and regional planning. The main focus of the course is on developing an understanding of the complex issues associated with urbanization and exploring the ways in which planning principles and tools can be applied to address these issues. We will explore critical issues facing cities and regions, such as urban development patterns, the environment and climate change, economic growth and disparities, and social and racial justice.

Typically Offered: Fall

Units: 3

There is an interest in assuring that real estate development of the future is more socially, environmentally, and economically responsible than in the past. Emerging research shows that responsible real estate development can produce competitive short-term and superior long-term financial returns. This introductory course will review sweeping changes occurring in real estate development.

Fully Online

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

Cities are on the front-lines of climate change as the built environment is impacted by increasing sea level rise, floods, drought, wildfires and urban heat. This course explores the challenges and opportunities of planning and designing the built environment for climate adaptation and resilience. Urban resilience is the capacity of cities and their interconnected systems to survive, adapt, and thrive no matter what chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. Students will learn a range of climate impacts on the built environment, examine different planning and design strategies to increase urban resilience, and explore real world case studies of cities planning for urban resilience. Urban resilience will be considered through a variety of planning and design scales - buildings, landscapes, neighborhoods, cities, and regions. This course emphasizes inclusive planning processes that engage the most vulnerable populations to climate impacts. Guest lectures from researchers and practitioners will also be featured to share their professional experiences in connecting climate science to planning and design efforts.

Typically Offered: Spring

Units: 3

This course provides students a review of the legal principles that inform and regulate the due diligence and entitlement process that is the basis of every successful real estate transaction.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

Course examines the theory and practice of comprehensive and strategic planning for urban and regional development. The tradition of strategic planning in corporations and other public and no-for-profit organizations, leading to the "situation change" criterion, is studied. In a parallel manner, the even older traditions of comprehensive planning, leading to the appropriately comprehensive criterion will be studied. When possible, students will be able to do hands-on planning at either the comprehensive or strategic planning levels.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

The objective of the course is to introduce real estate development students, and those from other majors and programs, to construction management as a component of the real estate development process.  The course will introduce students to the fundamentals of building construction, project budget estimation, project management, scheduling, and project leadership.  The course will focus both case analyses and discussions of best practices.  Industry experts will provide insight and help guide the course substantively.  The course will ask students to analyze decisions made by real estate developers about construction management and communicate clearly about construction management and its role in mitigating risk and enhancing project returns.

Fully Online

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

This course focuses on the examination and evaluation of plants effectively used in landscapes of the Southwest. Emphasis is placed on strategies useful for plant identification and appropriate plant selection for a variety of landscape uses. Field studies will be the primary mode of instruction whereas classroom lectures provide support material for the field work.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 4

This course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of urban design and urban form and the role these play in placemaking in cities, towns and suburbs. The course will cover the work of urban design theorists, variables that impact a community's sense of place, challenges and opportunities in modern city design, and methods to design more livable and sustainable cities.

Fully Online 

Typically Offered: Spring 

Units: 3

The emphasis of this course is the understanding and subsequent use of principles of landscape ecology. This will be accomplished through the study of how spatial heterogeneity in landscapes influences various ecological processes in natural and created landscapes.

Typically Offered: Spring 

Units: 4

This two-credit studio exposes students to basic and advanced elements of media design communication in landscape architecture and planning. Through tutorials and exercises, using several industry-standard computer applications, we will work to increase our knowledge and skill in computer graphic conventions and techniques.

Typically Offered: Spring

Units: 2

This course examines 20th and 21st century prominent design figures that have shaped the profession of landscape architecture. Through case reviews of built works including significant gardens, urban designs, recreational areas, corporate landscapes, restored natural sites, heritage sites, waterfront projects, resorts, etc., we will explore the evolution of design ideology and theory in applied landscape architectural practice.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

Studies relating to design determinants for development of outdoor space. Lectures and exercises dealing with individual design criticism, including topography, hydrology, climate, and vegetation. Final project summarizing and applying all criteria to a realistic development project is required.

Typically Offered: Spring 

Units: 3

This course will introduce the concepts and techniques used in the growing field of human use management in outdoor recreation settings. The focus is on the sociological dimensions of the recreation experience and an understanding of the principles, practices, and dilemmas of outdoor recreation management in natural areas.

Fully Online

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

The goal of this course is the advancement of students’ knowledge and capabilities regarding Green Infrastructure concepts and the issues and techniques involved in implementation of Green Infrastructure. The course provides an overview as well as more in-depth coverage of the science, practical context, and creation of Green Infrastructure. The built environment of arid regions is emphasized, with Tucson Case Studies providing practical focus to content and learning objectives. The term Green Infrastructure, as used in this course, aligns with the following EPA description: “Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage water and create healthier urban environments... at the scale of a neighborhood or site, green infrastructure refers to stormwater management systems that mimic nature by soaking up and storing water.”   The course features lectures, interactive discussions and presentations, and guest presentations and tours led by experts in their fields. Students take a series of quizzes, a mid-term and a final exam, along with a number of homework assignments / exercises. A special research report is required of Graduate Students.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

Transportation planning in relation to urban development; techniques and procedures for developing long-range regional plans.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

Transportation and Land Use (T&LU) is an elective course to satisfy the Transportation Concentration requirements for the Masters in Planning program within the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA). The objective of this course is to introduce planning students, and those from other majors and programs, to concepts and methods used in the arena where transportation planning and land use development intersect. This course will discuss various theories related to linking transportation investments, land use, and travel behavior, and will consider policy approaches used to address urban planning issues such as congestion, automobile dependence, and planning for infrastructure investments.

Typically Offered: Spring 

Units: 3

The two emphases of this course are on 1) landscape planning theory and 2) the use of computer-aided spatial analysis techniques within a GIS to solve landscape resource-based problems and develop alternative planning and design solutions. Students will learn techniques in planning and regional landscape resources: visual simulation, computer map overlay, resource modeling, application of research into automated decision-support systems, solving problems through the use of automated spatial modeling and analysis.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 4

An overview of the interdisciplinary paradigms, principles, programs, and players in the field of heritage conservation ranging from local to international contexts.

Fully Online

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

This course focuses on the complex linkages between human and natural systems. Environmental planning utilizes methodologies which are systematic, iterative, and transparent and relies on integrating a wide spectrum of contemporary environmental issues in order to achieve more sustainable land use outcomes. As an interdisciplinary course, it draws from the fields of planning, geography, design, land use law, public policy, economics, natural science, and engineering among others.

This course aims to equip students with a broad knowledgebase which focuses on landscape components and processes. Further, students will develop the necessary land use analysis and management skills in order to help guide land use decision making, engage stakeholders, and minimize/mitigate conflict between natural and built systems in an effort to produce more sustainable land use patterns and plans.

Typically Offered: Spring

Units: 3

This course facilitates student exploration of key concepts and issues related to how transportation systems impact cities and communities. Students will explore ways that transportation systems--both in the United States and around the world--effect urban growth and development, economic performance, public health outcomes, social equity and social justice, and the natural environment. Students will have the opportunity to explore topics of interest in more depth through an individual research paper.

Typically Offered: Spring

Units: 3

A case-oriented approach to site selection, rezoning, financing, architectural design, economic feasibility, and other facets of the land development process.

Offered Online 

Typically Offered: Spring 

Units: 3

Geodesign is a rapidly evolving approach which integrates geographic science into the planning and design process. The burgeoning development of Geodesign is resultant from the ongoing innovations in geographic information and geospatial technologies, and to explore their applications in landscape planning and design.

Typically Offered: Spring 

Units: 3

This course is all about answering questions and solving problems in urban environments. Students will get to choose what content to study during the course, i.e. transportation, the environment, social equity, etc. For undergraduate students, their topic can inform the development of a senior capstone in subsequent semesters. Graduate students can use the work from this class to advance their thesis or professional project work.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

Examines methods to document buildings, districts and cultural landscapes and methods to interpret historical and architectural significance. Focuses on historic built environments of Greater Southwest including semester-long service-learning project applying documentation and interpretation methodologies. Enrollment Requirement: LAR 471F

Typically Offered: Spring 

Units: 3

Public participation is both ethically and legally a fundamental component of planning decision making processes. This course explores a wide variety of public participation methods and tools, what to expect from working with the public, and how to handle disputes that arise.  Students will be given a variety of public participation tools and then utilize them as a team in a real life public participation project over the semester. This course is designed for undergraduate and graduate students with no prior background or experience in the fields of public participation, negotiation, or dispute resolution.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

Examines contemporary competition between environment, resources (water, energy), social equity, and economic viability in the community development and revitalization arena. Public policy, planning initiatives, design strategies and technical solutions that bridge the conflicting agendas are analyzed. Field investigation of contemporary cases. Appropriate for students specializing in planning, architecture and landscape architecture.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

This course is designed for advanced undergraduate students seeking careers in urban/regional planning, architecture, real estate development, and related fields.

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

This course explores the practical methods used in urban planning from policy analysis to survey development and administration to comprehensive plan making. 

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 4

This course serves as a primer for the analysis techniques and data sources used to segment real estate markets, quantify demand, and evaluate competing supply. This course considers the balance of demand and supply as a key component to responsible real estate development.

Fully Online 

Typically Offered: Fall 

Units: 3

This 2-credit course examines landscape architecture from an historic and contemporary perspective as reflected in theory and practice. Through case reviews of built works including significant estates, gardens, urban designs, park systems, corporate landscapes, restored natural sites, heritage sites, waterfront projects, resorts, etc., We will explore the evolution of design ideology and application of theory in the practice of landscape architecture.

Typically Offered: Spring 

Units: 2

Review of the principal legal devices available to implement planning decisions on community design (official map, subdivision control), the use of land (nuisance, covenants and zoning) and housing needs (including urban renewal). Special attention will be paid to the significance and legal effect of a comprehensive plan and to the social and economic effects of planning decisions.

Typically Offered: Spring

Units: 3

Course reviews preservation policy and jurisdictional issues within community development context, addresses complex social equity considerations associated with historic designation, examines economic incentives, and explores preservation philosophy, cross cultural values and emerging trends.  Gain skills to connect technical and policy requirements of historic preservation with pragmatic social and economic concerns of community development.

Typically Offered: Spring

Units: 3

This course is designed to advance students' knowledge of the industry leading data and software required to succeed in real estate development and finance.  Drawing on tools from CoStar, Real Capital Analytics, ARGUS, and Site To Do Business, the class illustrates use of the programs in the context of solving real estate development and finance problems.

Typically Offered: Spring

Units: 3

Studio-based projects covering various aspects of professional practice.

Typically Offered: Spring

Units: 4

Students will be exposed to a diverse assemblage of career opportunities in the profession of planning. This will provide them with a foundation for developing a successful career in planning.

Typically Offered: Spring

Units: 1

A seminar in the theory and practice of international planning and the institutions which participate in planning globally. The system of  multi-lateral agencies developed in the post World War II period is examined as is the growing nonprofit and self-help movement worldwide, composed of other public and not-for-profit organizations, known as NGOs, CBOs, grass roots organizations, and local popular movements. The practice of international development planning will be surveyed through a series of recently published materials and guides to international planning by practitioners. Two seminar papers will be required on the practice of international planning.

Typically Offered: Spring

Units: 3