One-year Accelerated Stream

With Graduate Program Director approval, you may take certain electives from other graduate programs as described in the graduate academic calendar. Space is limited.

• PL8301 Planning and Designing the Creative City
  This subject investigates the concept of the ‘creative city’ as an emerging urban phenomenon that requires new approaches by planning decision-makers. Through exploring the theories of, and links between contemporary arts and culture, cultural planning, urban regeneration and the rise of the knowledge economy, this course considers means and precedents for the planning and design of creative cities. Students will critically assess how cities shape and are shaped by economic and socio-cultural forces, and in turn, consider means by which a contemporary urban planning agenda can manifest innovative ideas and approaches. 1 Credit

• PL8302 Landscape Urbanism
  Current social and environmental conditions pose significant design challenges to growing metropolitan regions. As a response to these conditions, this course explores theories of urbanism in relation to landscape, which has become a central organizing force in contemporary urban development, and through which the traditional duality of culture and nature is dissolving. The notion of landscape as a complex system and a dynamic, responsive surface is investigated as the basis for understanding and continuously reconfiguring the contemporary city. Through critical analysis of key precedents in large-scale designs, students will consider new modes of practice and emerging strategies to engage directly with the dynamic conditions that characterize today’s urban areas. 1 Credit

• PL8303 Retrofitting Suburbs
  Our current pattern of low density, automobile dependent, single land use urban form is widely recognized as no longer being sustainable. Yet suburban and exurban growth patterns have largely defined urban built form of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Can the suburbs be retrofitted to intensify and diversify land uses, and to meet the social and economic challenges that accompany this growth pattern? Can transit be viable and housing sustainable? Can suburban ecosystems and landscapes be redesigned or regenerated?? This course will respond to these questions through a series of analytical case studies, speculative policies, and creative design projects. 1 Credit

• PL8304 Housing and Redevelopment
  Regent Park, the Toronto Waterfront, Lawrence Heights – these neighbourhoods in Toronto represent the next frontiers for innovative urban redevelopment. This seminar explores current issues and challenges in housing through an exploration of related literatures on homelessness, poverty, and neighbourhood creation, with associated study of precedents in residential building form. This course will examine the past, present and future of housing issues in urban redevelopment with an emphasis on developing new viable housing typologies that are affordable, sustainable, and well-designed for contemporary urban vitality. 1 Credit

• PL8305 Contemporary Urban Design
  This course will assess a number of cities in Canada and elsewhere and the various arrangements of urban form that affect perceptual experiences. Urban design considers the location of structures, open space, movement channels, and methods of implementing public policy decisions affecting urban design. This course will introduce students to the theory and practice of urban design, especially, the contemporary form of urban design through readings, lectures, discussions, and project work. 1 Credit

• PL8306 Heritage and Cultural Regeneration
  Heritage- and culture-based initiatives are essential to urban regeneration programs in Canada. Heritage and culture take on many forms: painting, writing, quilting, pottery, museums, landmarks, sculptures, landscapes, streetscapes, memorials, sport. It is a way for individuals and communities to express and engage themselves with family, friends, and their neighbourhoods, their communities. Culture can be used to renew or revitalize municipalities, regions, even a country. Through case studies in Canada and across the world, literature review and class discussions, the seminar will explore heritage- and culture-based regeneration.1 Credit

• PL8307 Ecological Design
  This course will examine critically and in depth the concepts, theory and practice of ecological design. It will explore the interface between ecological science and land use planning in the context of design for sustainable developments. Through lectures, seminars, and practical exercises tied to specific sites, students will examine how the interdependent and dynamic relationship between ecology and planning can be creatively harnessed in the design of urban landscapes and their built forms. 1 Credit

• PL8308 Design for Diversity
  The course will provide a forum to discuss and analyze issues related to diversity, and, particularly, issues related to inclusive design. Through lectures, examples and seminars, the course will examine diversity issues in design, particularly, the changing roles of the designer in increasingly diverse societies. It will encourage students to respond to questions such as: What are the underlying concepts of diversity that relate to our designed environments? Do we really understand the complexities inherent in these relationships? Is diversity a necessary component of the content, process, and participants in design? What are the consequences of the diversity agenda, particularly in design and planning practice? 1 Credit

• PL8309 Urban Investments
  The course examines urban investment strategies that integrate market-based solutions into the urban development process to promote local and regional planning objectives. Real estate investment terminology, data, financial analysis techniques and spreadsheet-sheet based applications are covered to learn about the feasibility analysis process associated with income-property investments. Case studies, in-class exercises, lectures and guest speakers provide the opportunity to address contemporary urban development issues. Antirequisite: PLE635. 1 Credit

• PL8310 Waterfront Cities
  Worldwide, waterfront cities share common opportunities and challenges in urban planning and design, ranging from contamination remediation to public space creation and asset enhancement. The revitalization and redevelopment of waterfront cities require planners to adeptly respond to these and other social, ecological, cultural and economic issues at local, state and global scales. Through policy analyses and case studies in Toronto and abroad, tools for planning and designing vibrant waterfront cities are investigated. Students will explore and analyse a range of post-industrial waterfronts – transitional and derelict spaces, from ports, to ship yards and docklands – considering a range of planning and design solutions being used in the regeneration of these spaces. 1 Credit

• PL8311 Directed Study
  This course is available to graduate students who wish to gain knowledge in a specific area of planning and design for which no graduate level course offerings are available. This would involve a directed study for which the student(s) would be given one credit. Students will conduct their studies under the supervision of an assigned faculty member with expertise in the chosen subject area. Students can take this course only once during their stay in the program. Registration in and requirements of the course must be approved by the Program Director. 1 Credit

• PL8312 Spec Topics I: Urban Planning
  This course provides students with the opportunity to pursue advanced studies on issues and themes of immediate and current significance in the fields of Planning and Design. It allows students to access leading-edge research and to explore new and emerging models of practice. The particular theme, topic and structure of the course will vary in response to changes and trends in the field, availability of specialists and student interest. 1 Credit

• PL8313 Nature as a Cultural Construct
  This seminar course focuses on the idea of nature as a cultural construct. The meaning, use and understanding of nature are closely tied to contemporary cultural norms, human behaviour patterns, and social and political ideologies. The seminar examines nature as a cultural construct through a number of lenses: ideas of nature versus wilderness, historical concepts of nature and environmentalism, nature as a manifestation of colonialism, nature as artistic expression, nature as ideal and norm, and the relationship of nature to the city. 1 Credit

• PL8314 Spec Topics II: Urban Planning
  This course may be offered in response to students' needs and interests. Topics may relate to a dimension of planning and design that is not covered in existing courses including Special Topics I. The particular theme, topic and structure of the course will vary in response to changes and trends in the field, availability of specialists and student interest. 1 Credit.

• PL8315 Transportation Planning
  This course focuses on the concepts, methods, emerging issues related to the planning of urban transportation systems. Topics include transportation policy in the TO region, UTMS & other methods of analyzing urban transportation, and the links between transportation, land use, health, equity & environmental justice. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding household travel demand. Relationship between traveller behaviour & the urban (built) environment will be critically explored. 1 Credit.

• PL8316 Site Planning
  This advanced level course provides students with the opportunity to work through the planning and design process for several distinct land uses on singular urban sites. The emphasis will be on the design of suitable development proposals and their disposition on a typical urban site. Students will have the opportunity to test their understanding of the cultural, environmental, engineering, technical, administrative, regulatory, and aesthetic factors which influence design and plan approval processes. Antirequisite: PLE555. 1 Credit.

• PL8317 Environmental Planning

And complete a Major Research Paper/Project:

• Major Research Paper/Project
  This capstone course in the Master’s program allows each student to undertake a self-directed original research paper or applied project involving advanced research and analysis on a major issue, case or site in contemporary urban planning, design and development. Major papers will involve the identification of a research problem with appropriate primary and secondary research methods, data collection and analysis. Major projects will involve the development of an original applied design solution for a particular site or case in contemporary urban planning and design. Pass/Fail. Milestone