11.304J Site and Urban Systems Planning, Spring 1997
Prof. Kristina Hill, 10-485, tel. 253-7305, khill@mit.edu

M-W, 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Recommended text: Site Planning, K. Lynch and G. Hack, 3rd Ed., 1984.

Grading:


February

W 5		
Introduction to course.
Infrastructure as the context of site planning.
*Ch. 2 and 11, and pp. 13-28, Hack and Lynch

M 10		
Site Description and Analysis:  an overview of issues and methods
- Project 1 handed out.  
*Southworth, M. "Walkable Suburbs?  An evaluation of neo-traditional 		
suburbs at the urban edge," Journal of the American Planning Association, 	
Winter 1997.
 
W 12		
Walking field trip in Cambridgeport
Topic:  documenting the urban design "fabric" of a neighborhood
* excerpts from Great Streets, by Allan Jacobs

T 17		
Streetscapes:  An in-class design charrette
*Barker, "On the Nature of the Environment," Journal of Social Issues, 		
vol. 19(4), pp. 17-38, 1963.
*excerpts from W. Whyte, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, 1980.

W 19		
Field trip to Quincy Market, Boston.
Topic:  documenting the use of public spaces.

M 24		
Student presentations:  Project 1, "Comparing urban fabrics"
* excerpts from P. Calthorpe, The Next American Metropolis (1994), M. 		
Hough, Cities and Natural Processes (1995), and I. McHarg, Design with 		
Nature (1969).

W 26	
Urban ecology and site planning.
*Ch. 8, Earthwork and utilities, Hack and Lynch

March

M 3		
Topography, soils, and water -- making connections
*Ch. 7 and 9, Hack and Lynch
- Project 2 handed out.

W 5		
Road and lot layout
*excerpts from W. Marsh, Landscape Planning: Environmental 			
Applications (1991).

M 10		
Water runoff and site storage calculations

W 12		
Project 2 "pin-up"

M 17		
Photoshop workshop -- Mac lab

W 19		
Photoshop workshop -- Mac lab
*Ch. 4 and 12, Hack and Lynch

March 24 - 28 Spring Break


April M 31 Site programs and planning strategies *W. Morrish, "Beautiful infrastructure," On the Ground: The Multimedia Journal on Community, Design and Environment, vol. 1(2), Winter/Spring 1995. * excerpts from M. Hough, Cities and Natural Processes (1995). W 2 Infrastructure and "new" urban objectives M 7 Project 2 review W 9 Shadow diagrams, and design for commercial areas - Project 3 handed out. M 14 Parking lots -- design and functional issues (in-class design charrette) W 16 Wrap-up parking; Transit-Oriented Developments (TOD's) and tradition M 21 No class (Veteran's Day) W 23 Sacred space and site planning (guest) M 28 Day 1. Predicting pedestrian movement -- Space Syntax software (Mac lab) W 30 Day 2. Predicting pedestrian movement -- Space Syntax software (Mac lab) May M 5 Project 3 review. W 7 Evaluating TOD design -- Mac lab M 12 Future trends in site planning and urban systems (guests) W 14 Wrap-up discussion: issues, skills needed, roles for planners