Community Growth and Land Use Planning
This MIT OpenCourseWare subject examines how planners manage growth and land use change in practice, focused primarily on the United States but with techniques that carry over internationally. Coursework covers zoning, comprehensive planning, growth management strategies, and the political and professional skills needed to negotiate development decisions among government officials, developers, and communities. Materials include the syllabus, lecture topics, readings, and assignments as published by MIT, aimed at students who intend to work directly in the planning field rather than observe it from a distance. The course treats planning as a practiced discipline shaped by legal frameworks, public pressure, and administrative process, not just theory. As with other MIT OCW offerings, materials are free to access under a Creative Commons license, with no certificate offered.