Introduction to International Development Planning
MIT OpenCourseWare's survey course examines how planning operates in non-Western countries, covering state intervention, governance, law and institutions, privatization, and participatory planning. Sessions address decentralization, poverty, urban-rural linkages, corruption and civil service reform, trade and outsourcing, labor standards, post-conflict reconstruction, and the role of foreign aid in development. Materials include the syllabus, lecture topics, readings, and assignments as published by MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning, free to access with no enrollment or certificate fee. The course is aimed at students seeking a broad grounding in the institutional and political dilemmas facing planners working outside wealthy Western states, rather than technical planning methods themselves.