PLAN 5430-1 Course Description

Communities and Approaches to Land Development Instructor: Fred Missel
E-Mail: fmissel@virginia.edu
Phone: (434)531-1930
Office: UVA Foundation
Office Hours: By Appointment

Overview

Comprehensive Land Development and Site Feasibility provides an introduction to the fundamentals of the urban and suburban land development process.  The course will begin with a variety of case studies and discussions relating to the more subjective subjects relating to land development.  These subjects form the foundation of strong, understandable and livable communities.  The class will analyze multiple community styles and typologies both historic and contemporary.  Discussions will include why the community is or is not successful.  Students will be asked to identify characteristics that make a strong community and will be asked to critique existing developments using those criteria.  Other foundational topics to be discussed include sustainability, livability, and pros and cons of design guidelines and standards implementation. 

Based on this analysis, the course will use broader community characteristics and development trends to identify a specific neighborhood and propose a development opportunity within that setting.   The course will also offer practical interaction with many land development related disciplines and key professionals which are involved in the various processes of strategic, sensitive, sustainable, well-designed and economically sound land development.

The primary foci of this class will be on community design and analysis, physical site characteristics, master planning, market and financial analysis and development team interactions.  A financial overview will be provided including a review of various types of financing structures, and pro forma development models.

Similar to the real world approach to project design and development, students will be placed into teams where the focus will be on interdisciplinary communications and decision-making.  Specifically, your teams will be representative of a consulting group, which will be in the position of presenting a final and comprehensive proposal to a panel of experts.

Following a series of interactive discussions and presentations, students will be asked to analyze one or two local properties to identify development feasibility, highest and best use, pros and cons and unique characteristics of each.  Teams will be asked to produce a conceptual master plan and implementation strategy with basis in market and financial fact.  The final presentation will layer subjects from all disciplines into one comprehensive document.

Class format will be a combination of interactive discussions, guest presentations, readings, assignments and team projects.  The intent is to establish a flexible class atmosphere to react to given variables while still maintaining structure and direction.  Strong emphasis will be placed on self-directed team work.