Urban Planning Research: Analysis, Equity, and Policy
This website serves as the syllabus for PLAN 602, developed by Yuxi Tian as part of the course design.
This course provides a hands-on introduction to data-informed research in urban planning, focusing on the intersection of transportation, land use, and equity.
GIS: ArcGIS Pro, QGIS
Before-class readings: Complete before class, post and prepare for the three discussion questions on the course website.
After-class readings: Review after class; some weeks include short reflection assignments.
Schedule Overview
The course is structured in four progressive stages leading to the final project:
| Week | Topic | Stage | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Urban Systems & Planning Problems | Stage 1 — Theory & Framing | Assign 1 |
| 2 | Planning Theory: Equity, Accessibility, and Justice | Stage 1 | Discussion |
| 3 | Land Use and Travel Behavior & Project Proposal | Stage 1 → 2 - Urban Systems Understanding | Proposal |
| 4 | Data in Urban Planning | Stage 2 → 3 - Data & Methods | Discussion Assign 2 |
| 5 | Exploratory Data Analysis & Interpreting Patterns | Stage 3 | Lab Assign 3 |
| 6 | Spatial Analysis and Mapping for Planning | Stage 3 → 4 Interpretation, Equity & Policy | Lab Assign 4 |
| 7 | From Analysis to Planning Interpretation | Stage 4 | Assign 5 |
| 8 | Planning Interventions and Policy Design | Stage 4 | Assign 6 |
| 9 | Work on Final Project (Office Hours) | ||
| 10 | Project Presentations | Final |
Grading
Grade Scale
Below 60 points = F. Late submissions penalized 25% per day (max 100%).
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
✦ Formulate research questions in urban planning
✦ Apply planning concepts to analyze urban issues
✦ Identify and use appropriate data for analysis
✦ Apply analytical and GIS-based methods
✦ Interpret findings in relation to planning theory and equity
✦ Assess patterns across populations and geographic areas
✦ Translate findings into planning and policy recommendations
✦ Communicate research clearly in written and oral formats
AI Usage Policy
⚠ Important
The use of AI tools for completing assignments is NOT permitted. However, limited use of AI is allowed for idea exploration, such as developing research topics or identifying relevant datasets for the final project.
When using AI for these purposes, students must document:
• The prompts used
• The outputs generated
• How they evaluated and incorporated these outputs
The final submission must clearly reflect the student's own reasoning and development of ideas.
Final Project
The final project is the core component of this course. Students will design and conduct an independent research project that examines an urban planning issue through the integration of planning theory, empirical data analysis, and policy-oriented interpretation.
Project Objectives
✦ Formulate a clear research question
✦ Apply planning concepts or theoretical frameworks
✦ Identify and access relevant data
✦ Conduct spatial and non-spatial analysis
✦ Interpret findings in relation to planning theory and urban systems
✦ Develop actionable planning and policy recommendations
Required Components
The final project must include the following six components:
1. Research Question and Context
Clearly define a planning problem or question
Explain how the theoretical perspective informs the research
2. Theoretical Framework & Literature Review
Review relevant academic literature
Identify key themes, findings, and gaps
Use planning concepts (e.g., equity, accessibility) to frame the research problem
3. Data & Methods
Describe data sources and analytical approach (descriptive, comparative, spatial, etc.)
4. Analysis & Results
Present findings through figures, maps, tables, etc
5. Interpretation
Explain patterns and underlying causes
Connect findings to planning theory
6. Planning & Policy Implications and Recommendations
Propose interventions or policy strategies
Consider equity and feasibility
Helpful resources: UH Writing Center · Citation Builder (APA/MLA)
Weekly Content
Covered Topics
- Course Overview & Final Project Introduction
- Overview of course structure and expectations
- Introduction to the final project and how it develops throughout the semester
- What is a Planning Problem?
- Distinction between technical issues and planning problems
- Urban Systems Overview
- Transportation systems
- Land use
- Built environment
- Introduction to Equity in Planning
- Basic concept of equity in planning
- Why transportation and land use matter for equity
Based on readings, write a short reflection (1–2 pages):
✦ How do transport and land use planning shape mobility and accessibility?
✦ How should those outcomes be judged in terms of equity?
Covered Topics
- Recap: What is the planning problem?
- How to evaluate whether a planning outcome is "fair"?
- (Class Discussion) Equity & Justice in Planning
- Distributive justice (Rawls)
- Procedural justice (Sen)
- Accessibility vs. Mobility
- Key distinctions and their role in planning analysis
- Why accessibility is central to equity
- Applying Theory to Planning Problems
- Using concepts to frame research questions
- Examples of theory-informed planning questions
- • Rawls, J. (1985). A Theory of Justice: Revised Edition (Chapters I–III).
- • Sen, A. (2009). The Idea of Justice (Introduction, Chapters 1–6). Belknap Press.
- Fainstein, S. S. (2010). The Just City (Chapter 1).
- Martens, K. (2012). Justice in transport as justice in accessibility. Transportation, 39(6), 1035–1053. DOI
- Wennink, A., & Krapp, A. (2020). Equity-Oriented Performance Measures in Transportation Planning.
- Pereira, R. H. M., Schwanen, T., & Banister, D. (2017). Distributive justice and equity in transportation. Transport Reviews, 37(2), 170–191. DOI
Covered Topics
- Recap Week 2: Equity and Accessibility
- How do these concepts actually show up in cities?
- Land Use & Travel Behavior
- Relationship between the built environment and travel behavior
- 5Ds Framework from Ewing & Cervero (2010)
- Linking to Accessibility & Equity
- How land use shapes access to opportunities
- Implications for different populations
- What Makes a Good Proposal?
- Key components of a research proposal
- Examples of clear vs. unclear research questions
- (Revisit) Ewing & Cervero (2010). Travel and the Built Environment. DOI
- Urban Land Use Planning Ch 8: Transportation and Infrastructure Systems.
- Chapple (2015). The Challenge of Mixing Uses and the Secret Sauce of Urban Industrial Land.
Write a 2–3 page proposal including: Background, Research Question, Data Plan, Proposed Method, and Expected Outcomes.
Covered Topics
- (Class Discussion) Why include data in Planning?
- How urban systems can be measured using data
- How data supports the investigation of planning questions
- Types of Urban Data
- Demographic data (e.g., census)
- Transportation data (e.g., GTFS, ridership)
- Built environment data (e.g., points of interest)
- Land use and zoning data
- Data Limitations & Planning Judgment
- Missing data
- Bias and representation
- Scale and spatial units
- Introduction to EDA
- Descriptive analysis and data visualization
- Identifying basic patterns and differences
Submit 2–3 pages: Explore data sources connected to your planning problem, create 2–3 initial visualizations, describe expected outcomes, and outline next steps.
Covered Topics
- Bridge: From data exploration to analysis
- Moving from observing patterns to structured analysis
- Analytical Methods in Planning
- Descriptive analysis
- Group comparison
- Cross-variable analysis
- Understanding Relationships in Data
- Identify patterns and differences
- Interpreting relationships between variables
- From Patterns to Interpretation
- Distinguishing patterns from explanations
- Connecting results to planning questions
Guided practice with analytical methods: descriptive analysis, group comparison, cross-variable analysis, and basic interpretation. Complete the lab tutorial first, then proceed to the assignment.
- Andrienko, N., & Andrienko, G. (2005). Exploratory Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Data.
- Freire, J. et al. (2016). Exploring What not to Clean in Urban Data. IEEE Data Eng. Bull.
Submit 2–3 pages: Analytical methods applied to your project dataset, results and visualizations, interpretation related to planning issues, and next steps.
Covered Topics
- Bridge: Why Space Matters in Planning?
- Introduction to Spatial Thinking
- Spatial distribution and clustering
- Geographic patterns and inequality
- Mapping as an Analytical Tool
- Maps as a tool for analysis
- Spatial Analysis for Equity
- Identifying underserved areas
- Linking spatial patterns to accessibility and inequality
Guided GIS tutorial: create maps, analyze spatial patterns, and evaluate accessibility and inequality. Complete the lab tutorial first, then proceed to the assignment.
Submit 2–3 pages: Spatial methods applied, at least 1–2 maps, spatial patterns, equity and accessibility interpretation, and next steps.
Covered Topics
- Bridge: From quantitative patterns to interpreting their significance
- Applying Equity Concepts to Analysis
- Using equity and accessibility as interpretive frameworks
- Distinguishing difference from inequality
- From Pattern to Explanation
- Identifying possible causes of observed patterns
- Linking results to urban systems (land use, transportation)
- Interpreting Inequality in Planning Context
- Who is affected and why
- Structural vs. individual factors
- Linking to Policy and Action
- How findings inform planning decisions
- Preparing for policy recommendations (Week 8)
Submit 1–2 pages: Summary of key findings, equity analysis, interpretation, planning implications, and limitations.
Covered Topics
- Bridge: From Interpretation to Action
- Why planning requires intervention, not just analysis
- Types of Planning Interventions
- Land Use Interventions
- Transportation Interventions
- Accessibility Interventions
- Evaluating Policy Responses (linking back to Week 2 theory)
- Considering trade-offs and unintended consequences
- From Findings to Recommendations
- Translating results into targeted and feasible actions
- Characteristics of strong planning recommendations
- Linking Back to Project
- Preparing for final project integration
- Bardach, E. (2019). A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path.
- Litman, T. (2015). Evaluating Transportation Equity.
- Stead, D. (2021). Conceptualizing the Policy Tools of Spatial Planning. J Plan Lit, 36(3). DOI
Submit 1–2 pages: Key findings, proposed interventions, justification, equity considerations, and feasibility.
In-person office hours during class time. Use this week to finalize your analysis, interpretations, and policy recommendations.
Each student will present their research findings, analysis, and policy recommendations. See the Final Report & Presentation Rubric under Policies & Resources for evaluation criteria.
Policies & Resources
Expand each section to read the full policy details.
Attendance & Participation
This is an in-person class, and students are expected to attend all classes and complete all discussion posts and labs. No cellphones, texting, or social media are allowed. If you expect to miss a class for legitimate reasons, please notify the instructor via email in advance. Excessive absences or disruptive behavior will justify a lower or failing grade (more than 3 unexcused absences). Active listening and constructive contribution are also expected.
Final Report & Presentation Rubric
Report (100 pts):
✦ Research Question Framing (10 pts)
✦ Literature Review & Theoretical Framework (15 pts)
✦ Data & Methods (15 pts)
✦ Analysis (20 pts)
✦ Interpretation & Equity Analysis (20 pts)
✦ Planning Recommendations (20 pts)
Presentation (50 pts):
✦Research Question & Context (5 pts)
✦ Methods & Analysis (10 pts)
✦ Key Findings (10 pts)
✦ Interpretation & Planning Insight (10 pts)
✦ Policy Recommendations (10 pts)
✦ Presentation Quality (5 pts)
Each component is graded on a 4-tier rubric: Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Needs Improvement.
Useful Resources & Software
Statistics Software: SPSS · RStudio · R Tutorial (DataCamp)
GIS Resources:
NCGIA · HoLIS (Honolulu) · Honolulu Open Geospatial Data · Hawai'i State GIS · Census TIGER · USGS · UH Mānoa Library GIS · Esri Community · ESRI GIS Dictionary
Disability Services (KOKUA Program)
If you have a disability and related access needs, please contact the KOKUA Program (Office for Students with Disabilities) at 956-7511, KOKUA@hawaii.edu, or Room 013 in the Queen Lili'uokalani Center for Student Services. The instructor will work with you and KOKUA to meet your access needs. Services are confidential and offered free of charge.
Academic Integrity
Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty are not permitted and are prohibited under the System-wide Student Conduct Code (EP 7.208). Examples include fabrication, falsification, cheating, plagiarism, and use of improper materials. Any incident will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct.
Title IX & Campus Safety
Office of Title IX: (808) 956-2299 · t9uhm@hawaii.edu · Website
Department of Public Safety: (808) 956-6911 (Emergency) · (808) 956-8211 (Non-Emergency) · Website
Basic Needs & Student Success Resources
UH System Basic Needs include food, housing, childcare, mental health, financial resources and transportation. If you or someone you know are experiencing basic needs insecurity, see: UH Basic Needs Resources
Student Success: The Office of the Vice Provost for Student Success provides learning assistance, academic advising, career resources, counseling, and more. (808) 956-3290 · Website
Syllabus Disclaimer
This syllabus is a representation of the current objectives of the course, which are subject to change to enhance class learning opportunities. Any changes will be communicated clearly. It is the student's responsibility to confirm the most recent version is being used.