CP 4030: The City and Its Technology
Purpose
The purpose of this course is to provide undergraduate students in civil engineering and other majors with an understanding of the social, political and economic context of their decisions. The course will focus on the technology of cities - urban infrastructure systems - and their role in determining the location, timing and character of urban development. Students will be exposed to the institutional arrangements for planning, management and finance of these facilities to augment their engineering knowledge of how these systems are designed and how they function. The linkages between infrastructure planning and broader growth management tools and objectives will also be covered. Particular techniques, such as impact fees and capital improvements programming, will also be addressed. By the end of the course students are expected to know how the technological systems they design influence urban development and affect society.
Text
George Rainer. 1990. Understanding Infrastructure: A Guide for Architects and Planners. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Grading
Midterm (40%), Final Exam (40%) and homework assignments (20%).
Lecture Schedule
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Current Technology of Cities
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Historical Development of Urban Systems
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Urban Development Economics
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Economic Impacts of Infrastructure Systems
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Infrastructure Needs for Global Competition
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Environmental Impacts of Infrastructure Systems
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Institutions for Managing Infrastructure
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The Politics of Service Allocation
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Mid-Term Exam
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Evaluating Infrastructure Needs
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Infrastructure Financing Mechanisms
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Development Impact Fees
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Capital Improvements Programming
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Life Cycle Costing
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Coordinating Multiple Systems
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Technology for Sustainable Development
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Telecommunication Impacts on Urban Form
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Linking Growth Management and Infrastructure Planning