Site Analysis: Evidence and the Public Interest

Urban sites are inherently complex. This online seminar trains students to read a site through data, demography, history, culture, and lived experience. With a firm understanding of pluralism in the public sphere, students then develop a persuasive narrative about the designed future grounded in evidence, public voice, and the public interest. The goal is an understanding that place is not a static construct; evolving accounts deepen as research continues and places transform. Students are introduced to municipal GIS mapping tools, and work in a single study area across the term. Students build skills in data analysis, archival and documentary research, remote observation, and online public participation. The course emphasizes visual storytelling and argument, so that by the end of the semester students can support a position on change and preservation with maps, diagrams, and voices from the community while recognizing cultural memory, social equity, and future needs. All work is completed asynchronously except for a real-time online public visioning workshop run by the students.

Interested in a certificate program? This course is part of the Introduction to Urban Design Certificate.