complex spatial organization of large cities, and urban development dynamics
REPORT ASSIGNMENT
Throughout this course, you have explored the complex spatial organization of built
environments and socioeconomic activities in large urban areas and the dynamics of
urban development processes. Among others, attention has been paid to the critical
roles of transportation in connecting various parts of urban areas and shaping dynamic
urban development processes.
As a part of the PP&D108 course requirements, you are tasked to produce a report that
identifies major functions of a city (of your own interest) in the Six County Southern
California region (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and
Ventura Counties) and briefly discusses its current and potential planning issues. More
specifically, you need to
1) select a municipality of your interest from the given list of cities (see p.2)
2) review/analyze the profile of the selected municipality by utilizing multiple
sources of information, including
a. local profiles of SCAG jurisdictions, developed by the Southern California
Association of Governments, available at
https://www.scag.ca.gov/DataAndTools/Pages/LocalProfiles.aspx
b. journey-to-work matrix of the region, provided by the instructor
c. general plan of the municipality, available at the city’s website
3) write a report (1200~2000 words) that (i) briefly describes the selected city, (ii)
explains its unique characteristics and the city’s function as a part of the region
by interpreting available statistics and other relevant information, and (iii)
discusses the city’s current and potential planning issues.
Your report should NOT be a simple description or reiteration of major statistics or other
readily available information. It needs to be a useful and creative interpretation of the
facts associated with the selected city. Please use data tables and/or figures in an
effective manner, when appropriate.
Grading will be based on the following criteria:
– Interpretation (50%): completeness and originality of the analysis/interpretation
– Argumentation (30%): validity of the overall reasoning, including discussions
– Documentation (20%): clarity in documentation or graphical presentation
Please be advised that our late-submission policy (i.e., grade discounting at the rate of 1
percentage point – i.e., 5% of the total report credit – per day) will be strictly applied.
Furthermore, no credit will be given for reports submitted after December 10, 2015.