Penn to Offer Master's Degree in Urban Spatial Analytics

Date published: 04/08/05

PHILADELPHIA The University of Pennsylvania, through its Penn Institute for Urban Research, has launched a master of urban spatial analytics degree to teach the application of spatial technology to business and public-sector decision making.

Students enrolled in Penns MUSA program will learn the technical skills of geographic information systems and spatial statistics and develop a program of learning in an urban content area from Penns urban-related course offerings. The program will train students to use GIS in such fields as health care, criminology, transportation, utilities, marketing and real estate development.

The MUSA is a one-year, nine-course professional degree program. Required analytics and methodology courses include modeling geographic space, spatial analysis in urban studies, statistics and spatial data analysis with GIS. Students may select urban content field courses from criminology, design, economic development, education, local and state government, public health, real estate, social welfare, transportation or urban demography. Students will demonstrate mastery of new skills by applying spatial analytics to a specialized real-world topic.

MUSA students also will have access to courses in the University's other schools and may pursue internship opportunities in the city.

Sponsored by PennIUR, a University-wide initiative to foster excellence in urban research, instruction and civic engagement, the MUSA program welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, including new graduates and current professionals with or without prior training in GIS. Applications for the inaugural class will be accepted beginning this month. A boot camp in GIS for novices -- open to non-applicants will be offered this summer.

Additional information and an application are available at http://www.sas.upenn.edu/CGS/graduate/musa/. Those wishing to be added to the mailing list should contact Rosalie Guzofsky at 215-898-3109 or guzofsky(at)sas(dot)upenn(dot)edu.

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Online Professional Development for Urban Planners

Date published: 03/09/05

Rutgers University

The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, one of the top planning schools in the United States, is offering online professional development courses in land use law, leadership and management, and urban design and placemaking.

Designed to meet the needs of busy professionals, Bloustein Online Continuing Education for Planners (BOCEP) will offer nine courses between April and September 2005. Each five-week course is taught at a graduate level by experts in the subject. Students can get to the course from any computer with an Internet connection, and participate at their convenience. There are no scheduled class meetings.

Every class will provide ample opportunities for planners to discuss issues and resolve problems in collaboration. Working professionals and expert researchers will teach the courses.

While courses are not eligible for graduate credit, students who complete a track of courses will receive a Certificate of Completion from the Bloustein School.

Each course costs $250, but discounts up to $100 are available for Bloustein School alumni and members of these partnering organizations: Planners Network, and the New York and New Jersey chapters of the American Planning Association. Each class is limited to 25 students. Interested planners should reserve a seat to ensure that they will be able to get into their preferred course.

For more information, please visit http://policy.rutgers.edu/bocep/bocep Contact: Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, Instructor, Tel.: 732-932-3822, x711, vazquezl(at)rci(dot)rutgers(dot)edu

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Tom Angotti and Ayse Yonder will accept the AICP President's award on behalf of Planners Network

Date published: 04/22/04

Tom Angotti and Ayse Yonder will accept the AICP President's award on behalf of Planners Network at the APA Conference in Washington, DC at the awards luncheon on Tuesday April 27. We'll have a PN booth at APA and anyone who would like to help at the booth should let Tom ( tangotti(at)hunter(dot)cuny(dot)edu) know; we get free passes for booth workers.

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