UB, University at Buffalo, State University of New York

• Environmental Design - B.A.
• Environmental Design - Minor
• Course Descriptions
• Undergraduate Faculty Listings

You are here: Undergraduate Catalog 2005 - 2006 > Academic Programs > Environmental Design

Department of Urban and Regional Planning

School of Architecture and Planning
116 Hayes Hall
South Campus
Buffalo, NY 14214-3087

Phone: 716.829.2133
Fax: 716.829.3256
Web: www.ap.buffalo.edu/planning

About the Program

We live in times in which our urban and built environments are undergoing unprecedented change. The bachelor of arts and minor in environmental design provide students with the skills to understand, analyze, and solve problems associated with such change, with a view toward economic vitality, social fairness, and the design of sustainable environments. Environmental designers apply knowledge of social and behavioral science to plan and design environments that affect, and are affected by, human behavior. The degree offers an interdisciplinary, preprofessional course of study grounded in the traditions of the liberal arts and distinguished by active intervention and experience in community and regional environments through classroom activity, fieldwork, workshops, and internships.

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers a breadth of general knowledge through its degree programs on understanding urban and built environments, and teaches skills in information analysis, computing, and written and graphical communications. In addition, the department offers specialized courses in land use, community development, facilities development, local government policy, economic development, environmental affairs, real estate development, historic preservation, urban design, and geographic information systems. The preprofessional environmental design program utilizes the dynamic bi-national Buffalo-Niagara region as a laboratory for planning, design, and action.

Founded in 1969, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning has evolved to offer a number of degree programs, including an undergraduate preprofessional major and minor in environmental design, in addition to an accredited professional master of urban planning (MUP) degree.

Degree Options

Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Design. The bachelor of arts in environmental design is a preprofessional, 48-credit-hour curriculum offered by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, divided into four parts: an introductory sequence, core workshops, department electives (including internship opportunities), and senior-year synthesis courses. Courses from other UB departments, selected with the aid of a faculty advisor, supplement major courses. The environmental design major is typically completed within five to six semesters.

Minor in Environmental Design. The minor in environmental design provides students from diverse backgrounds a broad foundation in the principles of urban and regional planning and the form and function of the built environment. This minor requires a minimum of six courses, totaling a minimum of 18 credits, from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. The program comprises two required lower-division courses and a minimum of four upper-division courses selected in consultation with a faculty advisor. The minor is typically completed within five to six semesters.

Acceptance Information

Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Design. Students are admitted to the preprofessional bachelor of arts in environmental design by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning upon completing a minimum of 24 credit hours, attaining an overall minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0, and completing both PD 120 and PD 212 with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. Students generally apply to the program in the second semester of their sophomore year. Transfer students from other colleges should complete the required introductory courses prior to applying to the major, or may apply to waive these introductory courses if they have completed equivalent courses.

Minor in Environmental Design. Students are admitted to the minor in environmental design by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning upon earning an overall minimum GPA of 2.0 and completing either PD 120 or PD 212 with a minimum grade of B- (GPA of 2.67 on a 4.0 scale) or higher.

Admission Procedures. Both transfer students and current UB students must complete an environmental design departmental application, available from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, the School of Architecture and Planning's Office of Undergraduate Advisement, or on the Web at http://wings.buffalo.edu/ap/advising/envdsnadmit.htm. Suggested dates for admission application submission are July 1 for fall admission and November 15 for spring admission. Contact the Department of Urban and Regional Planning or the School of Architecture and Planning's Office of Undergraduate Advisement for admission assistance.

Admission Statement. The School of Architecture and Planning has an open admission policy that actively encourages applicants from protected group, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or veteran status. Admission is competitive and applicants are reviewed according to the admission criteria. Acceptance of students in the pre-professional, professional, and post-professional programs is determined on the basis of the applicants’ qualifications and experience. However, since the School's size is limited, the programs may exercise discretionary powers of selection. Courses and programs offered by the School of Architecture and Planning may include an instructional technology fee. Visit http://wings.buffalo.edu/ap/advising/ for additional information on undergraduate admission.

Advisement

All students in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning are assigned faculty advisors upon admission to the undergraduate preprofessional environmental design program. In addition, the School of Architecture and Planning’s Office of Undergraduate Advisement is available for assistance. Students are encouraged to consult regularly with their faculty advisors in matters pertaining to academic options, course selection, post-baccalaureate studies, and career opportunities. Students meet with advisors and mentors as often as they choose to explore educational opportunities available within the School of Architecture and Planning and the University at Buffalo and plan a course of study that is consistent with their abilities, achievements, interests, and expectations. The ultimate goal of advisement is to empower students to use the tools and resources available to become active and responsible learners. Visit http://wings.buffalo.edu/ap/advising/ for additional information on undergraduate advisement.

Academic Requirements

Students are reviewed on their progress in the preprofessional environmental design program by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning on an annual basis. The academic review evaluates the student's eligibility to continue onto the next level in the undergraduate program. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 in environmental design program courses is required for satisfactory academic standing in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

Transfer Policy

Courses completed at other colleges and universities are not automatically accepted by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning as fulfilling undergraduate requirements. While select courses taken elsewhere may be accepted, determination is made by an evaluation of the student’s transcripts, course content, contact hours, and grades earned. A minimum course grade of B- (GPA of 2.67 on a 4.0 scale) is required for articulation to courses offered by the School of Architecture and Planning. Actual placement in the undergraduate preprofessional environmental design program is made after this evaluation is completed. No more than 12 credits of transfer coursework may be applied toward major requirements, and no more than 6 credits of transfer coursework may be applied toward minor requirements. Student transcript evaluations are conducted by the School of Architecture and Planning’s Office of Undergraduate Advisement.

Honors, Awards, and Scholarships

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning gives a series of annual awards and prizes to honor undergraduate environmental design student excellence. These include:

Dean's Award for Academic Performance to the continuing environmental design student with the highest grade point average.

Award of Academic Excellence to the graduating environmental design senior with the highest grade point average.

Chair's Award for Excellence to the graduating senior who excelled in and contributed most to the bachelor of arts in environmental design program.

R. Buckminster Fuller Award (biannually) to the graduating senior who is continuing on for graduate studies within the UB School of Architecture and Planning who exemplifies attributes of creativity, inventiveness, and intellectual excellence.

Practical Experience and Special Opportunities

Internships. Environmental design students have the opportunity to work in urban or regional agencies in such areas as housing, strategic planning, transportation, community development, environmental affairs, and urban design. Internships are coordinated by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning’s Center for Urban Studies, located in 333 Hayes Hall.

Study Abroad. Traveling can enhance students' awareness of the world, bringing them closer to understanding global diversity, and appreciating what is universal and unique to a culture. In addition to the programs offered by UB’s Office of Study Abroad, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers undergraduate environmental design students an opportunity to participate in the following in-house study abroad program:

Monteverde, Costa Rica. In residency at the Monteverde Institute, this eight- week summer course of study offers students the opportunity to live and work on ecological and social projects in a rural, but rapidly developing region in Costa Rica. This is a multi-disciplinary program designed for students from various disciplines, including architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, resource management, and international development. Students may earn up to 13 credits participating in a seminar on sustainable development, Spanish language classes, and an intensive 7-credit studio/internship with one of the many organizations in the Monteverde zone working toward sustainability. The program is sponsored jointly by the UB School of Architecture and Planning and the University of Maryland Landscape Architecture Program. Fluency in Spanish is encouraged but not required.

Other in-house study abroad programs will be offered on an ad-hoc basis by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning based upon faculty and student interest.

Notable Program Features

The Faculty
Senior faculty from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning teach many courses in the undergraduate preprofessional environmental design program. In addition, some courses are taught by professional urban planners, public officials, environmental administrators, and community developers. Visit our Web site at http://www.ap.buffalo.edu/planning/people to learn more about the department's faculty.

Centers. As a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), the University at Buffalo considers advanced research integral and fundamental to its mission. Consequently, the School of Architecture and Planning faculty are actively involved in the creation of new knowledge through sponsored research, creative design work, and text-based scholarship. This research activity is intertwined with the departmental curricula, allowing students to take full advantage of the faculty's expertise. The Department of Urban and Regional Planning is affiliated with the following centers, providing students interested in the urban and built environment with an opportunity for applied research activities:

Center for Urban Studies (www.ap.buffalo.edu/sap/research/cus.asp), 333 Hayes Hall, South Campus. A research and service entity seeking solutions to the problems facing central cities and metropolitan regions. Founded in 1987, the Center conducts action-based research on community and economic development, focusing on the needs and issues of traditionally marginalized groups, including blacks, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, women, and low-wage workers. Recent projects include a community health study of Buffalo’s East Side, analysis of vacant lots and community economic development opportunities for Buffalo’s Fruitbelt neighborhood, and a physical design analysis of the city’s Old First Ward. The center employs graduate students to assist with projects, including The Cyberhood, an online resource to engage and educate viewers on issues of neighborhood and community development.

Urban Design Project (http://urbandesignproject.ap.buffalo.edu/), 272 Hayes Hall, South Campus. A university center devoted to research, teaching and scholarship in the pursuit of a critical practice of urban design. Founded in 1990, it focuses on issues of community development and urban revitalization while fostering the intellectual exploration of architecture and planning. From 1994 through 1999, the project led the five-year public visioning process for downtown Buffalo and all its council districts. The project also oversaw the master planning and conceptual design development for the facilities supporting the Bosque Eterno de los Niños and the Instituto de Monteverde in Costa Rica. More recently, it has led the effort to develop the City of Buffalo’s Downtown Strategic Plan. The work of the Urban Design Project has encompassed faculty consultations, student internships, studio projects, and supervised thesis investigations dealing with New York sites ranging from Niagara Falls to Buffalo to Jamestown and engaging such institutional partners as Buffalo Place, the City of Buffalo, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, the City of Niagara Falls, and the Chautauqua County government, as well as several regional and national architectural and planning firms.

Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth (http://regional-institute.buffalo.edu/), Beck Hall, South Campus. The institute initiates and supports efforts to strengthen Western New York and the Buffalo-Niagara region. A major public service program of UB, the institute contributes to and supports regional planning, government efficiency, economic development, service delivery, and other areas crucial to the region’s vitality. The Institute conducts research, assists municipal and county governments, and sustains ongoing projects including the State of the Region Project, the Western New York Regional Information Network, and the Regional Economic Development Database project.

Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea/), 378 Hayes Hall, South Campus. The IDEA Center is dedicated to improving the design of environments and products by making them more usable, safe, and appealing to people with a wide range of abilities through their life spans. It is active in basic and applied research, design development, community service, and education. Current programs focus on home modifications, functional assessment, and universal design within the built environment.

Facilities
The Architecture and Planning Library (http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/apl/), located in Hayes Hall, is one of ten libraries within the University at Buffalo. In addition to its book and journal collections, the Architecture and Planning Library collection includes student theses, maps and plans, a vertical file, a collection of CD-ROMs, census materials, and computer-aided design work.

The Computing Resource Laboratories (www.ap.buffalo.edu/sap/facilities/crl-overview.asp) comprise two sets of facilities: a central collection of laboratories and computing classrooms, and a collection of distributed facilities located in the graduate and undergraduate architecture and planning studios. A wide variety of software packages is provided to support the specific needs of architecture and planning students. Input and output resources include a variety of specialized devices, including color scanners, a large-format scanner, a slide scanner, a film recorder, several digital cameras, CD-R/CS-RW writers, and large- and small-format digitizers. Hard-copy output is provided through laser printers, color printers, and a large-format color postscript plotter.

The design studios and workshops (www.ap.buffalo.edu/sap/facilities/studios.asp), located within the School of Architecture and Planning, have more than 63,000 net square feet of studio and studio support space including four critique rooms, wet cells for plaster and paint work, a full-service plotting and printing facility, and a total of five educational technology classrooms, including a newly renovated, 115 seat, educational technology lecture hall. Digital technology is distributed throughout the studios located in Crosby and Hayes Halls, reflecting our belief that digital media should be seamlessly integrated with the making and representation of architecture and planning. Studio and workshop spaces are networked and outfitted with multiple high-end computers supporting a wide range of CAD, GIS, and graphic software programs.

The Dyett Exhibition Hall (www.ap.buffalo.edu/sap/facilities/dyett.asp) is an exhibition space created as a place to display student and faculty work, as well as to feature national and international traveling exhibits.

The Materials and Methods Shop (www.ap.buffalo.edu/sap/facilities/shop.asp), machine and assembly space, is available for schoolwide projects and independent work. This complete machine and assembly shop, one of the finest in any U.S. architecture and planning school, contains 7,000 square feet of high-bay space and is supplied with full woodworking capabilities, welding and milling equipment, lathes, sheet-metal machines, a vacuum-forming machine for molding plastic, and a variety of hand tools.

The Visual Resources Center (www.ap.buffalo.edu/sap/facilities/vrc.asp) is a joint School of Architecture and Planning and University Libraries facility. It directly supports the curriculum with its growing collection of 31,500 slides, 250 videotapes, and audiovisual equipment. It is linked to the university’s other collections through the University Libraries’ online computerized index service.

Publications.
Intersight (www.ap.buffalo.edu/intersight/) is a schoolwide, student-edited scholarly journal published biennially. The founders of the journal set out to create a participatory forum for distinguished colleagues, faculty, graduates, and students to express their views and ideas about architecture and urban planning. The mission of Intersight is to publish writing, research, and design work that reflects the intellectual life of the School of Architecture and Planning.

Community Outreach Programs. Students in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning have unrivalled access to agencies, municipalities, and local leaders for information, resources, and undergraduate internships. Workshop courses offered in the pre-professional environmental design program focus on real-world exercises in planning and design throughout the Buffalo-Niagara region. In the senior-year workshop, environmental design students work with a public, private, or nonprofit client to analyze and engage in the social, economic, political, and design issues associated with complex planning problems. Recent clients have included Buffalo’s Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood development corporation, the Roycroft Revitalization Corporation, Buffalo's University Heights community, Hilbert College, and the Burchfield-Penney Art Gallery.

Career Opportunities/Further Study

Both the preprofessional major and the minor in environmental design, offered by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, aim to provide students with the versatility to succeed in a variety of fields. Graduates of the pre-professional program have sound preparation for entry-level employment in urban planning, community design, environmental affairs, real estate or related fields; in town, city, county, or state government; and in nonprofit organizations, such as development corporations, historic preservation societies, and housing or transportation agencies.

Environmental design graduates are also prepared for graduate study in the professions or the social sciences, in fields such as urban and regional planning, architecture and landscape architecture, environmental studies, geography, land and real estate development, political science, public policy and administration, educational administration, law, and business administration. Information gathered from graduates indicate that one-third of environmental design alumni continue their post-baccalaureate studies at the University at Buffalo.