Problems
Occasionally you will be assigned problems from the text books, due in your weekly recitation section. They should be prepared and submitted during the week designated in the table below, as they will provide a good review of the material in the book and a "starting off" point for the weekly sections. They will also be counted as part of your participation grade.
Written Assignments
Three times during the semester you will be required to hand in a written assignment. The assignments are as follows:
1. Written Assignment 1: Operationalizing Planning Concepts (PDF)
Before we can apply any quantitative reasoning and statistical methods to answer policy and design questions, we must first figure out how to turn planning concepts into quantifiable data. For this assignment, you will work with a small group (4-5 students) to discuss possible ways to measure some quality or concept associated with planning questions from a list given to you (e.g. density, health, poverty, etc.). Then, working on your own, you will prepare you thoughts and recommendations in a short paper (3-5 pages, due after Week 4 recitation).
2. Written Assignment 2: Critical Reading of Research Results (PDF)
For the second written assignment you will be given one or more papers or journal articles reporting the results of a quantitative study on a planning, design, or policy topic. In a short essay you will be asked to summarize and critique the paper, as well as pose questions, challenges, and recommendations for further inquiry. (3-5 pages, due after Week 8 recitation).
3. Written Assignment 3: Data Analysis Exercise (PDF)
For the final paper you will pose your own research or policy question, and then gather and analyze data to answer it. (6-8 pages, plus well-documented dataset and log from your analysis; proposals identifying questions and data sources due after Week 10 recitation; final paper due after Week 13 recitation).