The Urban Policy courses investigate the relationship between architecture and the politics behind urban development. Zoning Codes, Ordinances, Legislation, Financial Incentives and other policies enacted by planners, bureaucrats, politicians and bankers often have specific – sometimes very intentional – architectural outcomes. These outcomes may be a preference for unique building types, environmental performance standards, or community benefits. To explore the connection between urban policy and architectural form, students meet and network with architects, developers, and planners who engage their work in a thoughtful and critical manner, but generally do not participate in academic settings. Building upon this off-campus experience, the course is field trip intensive, with visits to construction sites, built projects and professional offices. Students ultimately produce a case study of a specific architectural project, using it to “unpack” or “reverse engineer” the urban policies that produced or influenced that project. By understanding the urban policy-making world, through this course, students are encouraged to participate in city design as “Civic Architects.” Specific topics vary by semester.
This fall, my Urban Policy course at Woodbury Architecture will investigate the contradictory and converging regulations on Mansionization, Accessory Dwelling Units, and AirBnB short-term rentals associated with R1 Zoning, the development standards for the most fundamental architecture typology: the single family house.
This course surveyed affordable housing programs and projects around Southern California, as a means of illustrating how certain urban policies and financing tools can result in very specific architectural outcomes.
This course will illustrate how certain urban policy goals and regulations can result in very specific architectural outcomes, by investigating Pasadena’s pioneering “City of Gardens Ordinance.”
This course “field tested” Glendale’s draft Small Lot Ordinance through a series of investigative operations, developer roundtables, field trips and research.
