An introductory course outlining life in urban environments. Attention will be devoted to urban growth in general, race relations, housing, transportation, government administration, and education and specific role that planning has in influencing urban life.

This course is a survey of the development of cities throughout history. Particular attention is paid to the form of development, politics, arts, aesthetics, economics, and culture of cities. Through lectures and class discussions, we will examine the American city in an effort to understand the basis for attempts to improve the urban environment.

A survey course which examines factors that contributed to developments in housing in the past from the public and private sectors of society.

This course is designed for majors and students interested in public and professional practices that direct the development of cities. Students will acquire knowledge of the issues, approaches, and impacts of public policy making on city development. Equally, they will learn the practices exercised by professions to implement policy mandates in a plural environment.

The environment is a vital component of communities¿ economies and quality of life as well as of public health. Students who complete this course will gain an understanding of the major environmental concerns in the United States, including those involving protection of natural assets as well as those involving protection from natural and man-made hazards. Students will also become familiar with the major federal environmental regulatory policies and their effects at the community level.

This course provides students with the essentials of community development and the skills of local capacity building that are needed in order to foster sustainable community development. It is not designed to give you answers on how to achieve sustainable development, but rather to expose you to a variety of elements and viewpoints about it. The course will broaden your horizon about what community development is and how it is pursued; it will reevaluate your assumptions and stereotypes about the world, how it works and what can be done to make things better. The course emphasizes that community building begins with the process of locating assets, skills and capacities of residents, citizens associations, and local institutions. The major thrust is on rebuilding community by releasing individual capacities, the power of the local associations and organizations and capturing institutions.

Students must have taken at least three semesters of coursework at JSU, are in good standing, and have approval from program coordinator and agreement from a specific faculty member who will guide their independent study. This course will be individualized and will deal with selected topics in the study of Urban Affairs. Within the first three weeks of semester, student should have a proposed scope of work on file with the faculty member.

This course entails supervised field work with private, public, or nonprofit organization related to his emphasis or minor.