Urban Planning 525 • Regional Planning •
Fall 2025

Prof. Scott Campbell
sdcamp@umich.edu
(734) 763-2077
• OFFICE HOURS (in-person and online options)

Tuesdays & Thursdays 4:00 - 5:20 pm (first class: Tues, Aug 26)
3142 Art & Architecture Building [new room as of Aug 28] (3rd floor, south side of building, facing the design studios) [map of classroom]

last updated Friday, September 12, 2025 5:20 PM

Readings: you can find readings in three different locations:

• Class Canvas site • class readings (usually pdf files) organized by Modules
• eBooks "bookshelf" (contains digital copies of full text books, available through the UM Library. set up a free account). Note: I have put many books on regionalism in this bookshelf, some are required readings, but most are simply available if you have deeper interests in a specific topic.
• via web links (I'll provide the url)
[Note: if the source not listed, the reading is located in Canvas]
• Course overview page
• Shared Class Google Drive Folder

landmarks of US regional planning map [to be added]

Assignments

Quick links to sections of this page (by dates and themes):

Aug 26 - Sep 4

Sep 9

Sep 11 - 18

Sep 23 - 30

Oct 2 - 9

Oct 16 - 28

Oct 30 - Nov 11

Nov 18 - 25

Dec 2 - 4

Introduction, History, Politics, Migration

Visualizing/Mapping the Region

San Francisco Bay Area

Metro Detroit

New York metro area

Sunbelt Regionalism

EcoRegions, Climate

International/Global

Final Sessions

Course Overview

This graduate course provides an introduction to regional planning, development and analysis. The regionalist tradition represents a distinctive worldview to analyze metropolitan development, envision alternative conceptions and scales of community, and structure institutional responses to environmental, economic and social challenges. We examine the history, institutional practices, idealism and limitations of regional planning. Regional efforts have alternately targeted economic, environmental and social equity goals. Themes include regional economic development, land preservation, regional sustainability efforts, city-suburb relations, water resource management, megaregions, climate adaptation, and transportation infrastructure.

We examine the lack of regional planning in the United States both as American exceptionalism and as myth. We explore the disparities between regional idealism and the actual practice of regional planning and management, as well the divergent views of the region as an economic system, an infrastructural network, an ecological habitat, and an administrative district. Engaging the regional stance challenges us to question whether the city level is always the best scale to plan, map, design, and envision a better urban future.

An additional purpose of the course is to expand your sense of place and enrich your spatial imagination through regional case studies of New York, Metro Detroit, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Atlanta, the European Union and Asian megaregions.

Class Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites for this course. Previous coursework in urban planning, urban studies, local/regional politics, and/or environmental policy would be useful (but not necessary) preparation. Students from other programs (such as architecture, SEAS, public policy, business, social work, civil engineering, etc.) are encouraged to participate. Advanced undergrads with some background in urban planning courses are welcomed. I welcome all students to sit in on first week of class and see if the course is a good fit.

Assignments
Students are expected to complete all the required readings before the start of class and be ready to actively participate in class discussions. Students will also make group presentations, write five short response papers and one regional mapping/representation exercise. There will be a short final exam. LINK TO ASSIGNMENT PAGE.

[For a full overview of the course (with additional information), see this "overview" page.]

 

Schedule of Weekly Readings (DRAFT -- will be updated over the semester]
Location of readings: Books available electronically via eBooks are labeled. If source not listed, the reading is located in Canvas (organized by Modules).

Aug 26: Introduction

Central Questions for the Course include:  


 

Aug 28:  The Case for Regional Planning; the Politics (Boosters, Coalitions and Oppositions)

Below are selections from two well-known edited books on regional planning, with a focus on the broader purpose and context of regional planning. Both books are available via the UM Library's eBooks system. Be sure to create your own free account for easy access to eBooks.

  1. Seltzer, Ethan, and Armando Carbonell, "Regional planning in America : practice and prospect," in Seltzer, Ethan, and Armando Carbonell. 2011. Regional planning in America : practice and prospect. Cambridge, Mass.: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Chapter 1 (pp. 1-16): [eBooks link]
  2. Kathryn A. Foster, "A Region of One's Own," in Seltzer and Carbonell (Chapter 3, pp. 53-80).
  3. Rosan, C. D. (2016). Governing the Fragmented Metropolis: Planning for Regional Sustainability. University of Pennsylvania Press. Chapter 1 (read pp 1-17), "Planning for a Metropolitan Future."
    [alt source: access the entire book online via this link]

Optional Readings:

 

Sep 2: Megaregions: the next step in the evolution of the region?

  1. Ross, Catherine L.(ed.). 2009. Megaregions : Planning for Global Competitiveness. Covelo, CA, USA: Island Press. [Introduction, Chs. 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13] [eBooks]
  2. Tracy Hadden Loh and Annelies Goger. 2020. In the age of American ‘megaregions,’ we must rethink governance across jurisdictions. Brookings report. May 7. [link]
Optional Readings:

Link to google doc for use during in-class small group discussion


Sep 4: Interregional Migration, Regional Growth and Decline, and the Remapping of America

The (optional but encouraged) Task:
Pick an example of migration, either intra-regional or inter-regional.  Prepare a slide (or several if needed) that briefly gives an overview of this migration and its impact on regional development (either the internal restructuring and inequalities within the region, or the growth/decline/development of the region overall).  Be ready to briefly talk about your example.  (Hopefully these various examples will enrich our understanding of the rich, dynamic relationship between regional development/change and human migration.)  Slides might include maps, timelines, graphics, data tables/charts, photos, text, etc. Here is the Link to google slide file with both instructions (on the first slide) and where you will upload your own slide example. Thank you.

readings:

rather than providing a specific list of required readings, I encourage you instead to read selectively about those examples and themes of migration that most interest you and help you complete the above task. Below are some suggested readings. (Note: there is a huge literature out there on migration from various perspectives and disciplines.) I will begin Monday's class with a broad overview of the basics of migration (from demography) and its relationship to regional growth and development. We will then listen to and discuss your examples (see above task).

Migration Data and Mapping:
US Census: Census Flows Mapper * Internal Migration in The U.S. - Exploring the Census Flows Mapper * State-to-State Migration Flows * Migration/Geographic Mobility • CPS Historical Migration/Geographic Mobility Tables • Data • Migration Flows Data Available for Counties, Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Minor Civil Divisions
NY Times: Mapping Migration in the United States

[Note: if you are not a subscriber to a newspaper and you hit a paywall, you can access the article through the UM Library. But even better: UM students are provided access to the NY Times through the central student government.
There's quick registration process, but once you complete it, you should have access to direct links.  https://www.csg.umich.edu/subscriptions [You can also get a subscription to the Wall Street Journal.]

Link to google slide file -- where you can add your own example (to be discussed in class)

 

Sep 9: Mapping and Visualizing the Region: short lecture and workshop

[Note: we will conclude your optional short presentations of migration slides/examples at the beginning of class before moving to the question of regions and visualization.]

I will begin the class with some basic ideas and guidelines about representing regions. We will then spend most of the class in a quasi-workshop format. The goal is to give you a jump start on the regional mapping assignment (due Nov 13): sharing ideas, tips, methods, questions, obstacles. My plan is to have you break into small groups to share ideas with each other about the assignment (see below).

I will provide some optional background readings (on mapping, regional concepts) on the syllabus, but focus your preparation efforts for tomorrow’s class on beginning to think about your mapping assignment.

To Do before class:

Review this google shared doc on mapping resources and examples. Please provide comments on any mapping tools you know or have tried (including user experiences, praise and criticism), and add any examples of maps (and mapping resources) you find: URP525 (Fall 2025): Resources for the Regional Mapping Task
[Note: don’t be shy about adding to this page: all experiences with mapping tools and resources will be useful.]

Please review this sheet, but you have a lot of time to finalize your mapping case study choice (i.e., please pick a case in the coming weeks).
--> Please fill in information on your mapping project on this document in the shared class google folder:
URP525 (Fall 2025): Student Worksheet for the Regional Mapping Task

For class:
Be ready discuss, with other students in a small group format, these questions:
a. What elements have you considered using to articulate/visualize the region? (e.g., centers, subcenters, corridors, networks, edges/boundaries, natural features)
b. What aspect(s) of the region are most important? Ecological? Economic? Social? Infrastructural? Political? etc. (will you focus on one, or try to combine several?)
c. How much will you defer to existing definitions of regions (e.g., using current US Census definitions of MSAs, etc. and follow county boundaries) or instead strive for an original, novel definition of the region and its boundaries?)
d. How are you planning to prepare your map? By hand? With a computer sketch application? GIS? etc. Will you use a base map?
e. What problems/challenges have you encountered or anticipated in this assignment? How might you get around these problems?
f. Do you think both the process of creating the map and the final map itself will alter how you (or others) will view and understand the region?

Some optional/background reading on maps and mapping:


Sep 11: San Francisco Bay Area

  1. Walker, Richard A. 2009. Country in the City : The Greening of the San Francisco Bay Area. Seattle, WA, USA: University of Washington Press. [Introduction, Chs. 1-5] [eBooks]

optional background readings:

 

Sep 16: San Francisco Bay Area - Day 2

  1. Walker, Richard A. 2009. Country in the City : The Greening of the San Francisco Bay Area. Seattle, WA, USA: University of Washington Press. [Introduction, Chs. 6-10, Conclusion] [eBooks]
  2. Hing Wong. "Regional Governance in the San Francisco Bay Area: The History of the Association of Bay Area Governments"

optional background readings:


Sep 18: NO CLASS [UPDATED SCHEDULE]

Since many students will be out of town for the Urban Planning "expanded Horizons" trip, we will not hold regular class today. If you would like to meet informally today (for example, to discuss your upcoming presentations), please contact me to arrange a meeting.

 

Sep 23: Detroit and Southeast Michigan, or Can a Region Thrive with a Struggling Central City?

  1. Barrow, Heather B. 2004. "'The American Disease of Growth': Henry Ford and the Metropolitanization of Detroit, 1920 - 1940." In Manufacturing Suburbs : Building Work and Home on the Metropolitan Fringe, edited by Robert Lewis. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. [eBooks]
  2. Sugrue, Thomas J. 1998. The Origins of the Urban Crisis. Princeton: Princeton Univ Press. [excerpt: chapter 5] see also entire book in eBooks]
  3. Galster, George. 2012. [Metropolitan Portraits] Driving Detroit: The Quest for Respect in the Motor City. Philadelphia, PA, USA: University of Pennsylvania Press. (Ch. 10. "What Drives Detroiters?" and Ch. 11. "From Motown to Mortropolis"; see also Ch. 2: "Sculpting Detroit: Polity and Economy Trump Geology") [eBooks]

see also:


Sep 25: Detroit and Southeast Michigan - Day 2

  1. Manning Thomas, June, and Bekkering, Henco, eds. 2015. Mapping Detroit : Land, Community, and Shaping a City. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. [eBooks] (Ch 9. Redesigning Community with Propinquity: Fragments of Detroit’s Region, June Manning Thomas)
  2. Batterman, Joel, 2021, A_Metropolitan Dilemma (dissertation final version, urban planning, University of Michigan) [ please read Chapter 4 and the Conclusion.]

    Metro Detroit Regionalism -- Worksheet for Small Groups

     

Sep 30: Detroit and Southeast Michigan - Student Presentation (Group 2)

 

Oct 2: New York City and the Tri-State area

  1. G. L. P., Regional Plan of New York and its Environs , Town Planning Review, 15-2 (1932-Nov.) p.123, (author, G. L. P.) [in Canvas]
  2. Benjamin, Gerald and Richard P. Nathan. 2001. Regionalism and Realism: A Study of Governments in the New York Metropolitan Area. Washington, DC: Brookings. selections from Chapters 1-6 eBooks]

background readings:

NOTE: the Regional Plan Association (RPA) has produced four regional plans:

Oct 7: New York City and the Tri-State area - Day 2

  1. Benjamin, Gerald and Richard P. Nathan. 2001. Regionalism and Realism: A Study of Governments in the New York Metropolitan Area. Washington, DC: Brookings. selections from Chapters 7 - 9; 11
  2. Robert Yaro, "Growing and Governing Smart: A Case Study of the New York Region" in Katz, Bruce, ed. 2000. Reflections on Regionalism. Washington, DC: Brookings. [eBooks link]
  3. Defilippis, James and Niedt, Christopher. "9. New York’s Suburbs in a Globalized Metropolitan Region". The Life of North American Suburbs, edited by Jan Nijman, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2020, pp. 170-198.

also: review the Fourth Regional Plan (RPA), including the executive summary

 

Oct 9: New York City and the Tri-State area - Student Presentation (Group 3)

 

 

Oct 14: NO CLASS

[Note: No class today due to the fall study break on Mon & Tues, Oct 13 & 14]

 

Oct 16: Case Study: Sunbelt Regionalism - Day 1, Los Angeles

  1. Fulton, William B. 2001. The Reluctant Metropolis: The Politics of Urban Growth in Los Angeles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. [Introduction, Ch 3] [in Canvas]
  2. Pastor, Manuel, J. Eugene Grigsby, and Marta Lopez-Garza. 2000. Regions That Work : How Cities and Suburbs Can Grow Together. Minneapolis, MN, USA: University of Minnesota Press. (Chs. 1-3) [eBooks]
  3. Gottlieb, Robert. 2007. Reinventing Los Angeles : Nature and Community in the Global City. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press.[Chs 1,3] [eBooks]


see also:

 

Oct 21: Case Study: Sunbelt Regionalism - Day 2, Atlanta

  1. Basmajian, C.W. (2013). Atlanta Unbound: Enabling Sprawl through Policy and Planning. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. (Chs. 1-5, 7) [available through Project Muse]

see also:

 

Oct 23: NO CLASS

[Note: No class today due to the annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning conference.]

 

Oct 28: Case Study: Sunbelt Regionalism - Student Presentation (Group 4)

 

 

Oct 30: Ecoregions: Sprawl and regional development, growth management, greenbelts, Suburban Retrofitting

  1. Saunders, William. 2005. Sprawl and Suburbia : A Harvard Design Magazine Reader. Minneapolis, MN, USA: University of Minnesota Press, 2005. (selected chapters: 1. Ellen Dunham- Jones, Seventy- five Percent: The Next Big Architectural Project; 4. Matthew J. Kiefer, Suburbia and Its Discontents: Notes from the Sprawl Debate; 5. Alex Krieger, The Costs— and Benefits?— of Sprawl; 6. Ellen Dunham- Jones, Smart Growth in Atlanta: A Response to Krieger and Kiefer [eBooks]
  2. Calthorpe, Peter. 2010. Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change. Covelo, CA, USA: Island Press. (Ch. 5: The Urban Footprint and Ch. 8: Four American Futures) [eBooks]
  3. Carl Abbott & Joy Margheim. (2008) Imagining Portland's Urban Growth Boundary: Planning Regulation as Cultural Icon, Journal of the American Planning Association, 74:2, 196-208.

see also:

 

Nov 4: Ecoregions: Water & the River Basin as Region (Day 2)

  1. Reisner, M. 1993. Cadillac desert: the American West and its disappearing water. revised ed. New York and London: Penguin Books. (Introduction & Ch. 1, pp. 1-51)
  2. Abbott, Carl. How Cities Won the West : Four Centuries of Urban Change in Western North America. Albuquerque, NM, USA: University of New Mexico Press, 2010. (Ch. 9: Water, Power, Progress). [eBook]
  3. Annin, Peter. 2018. The Great Lakes Water Wars. Chicago: Island Press. (ideally read Chs 1,3,12,13) [Ebook]

see also:

 

Nov 6: Climate Migration: Sending Regions, Receiving Regions

One hears much talk about the coming wave of climate migrants/refugees, with high risk areas (heat, flood, drought, storms, wildfire) losing populations to so-called "climate havens". Michiganders often optimistically speak of being one of these "havens," and anticipating that climate refugees will come to the state and reverse the below-average population growth in Michigan? But is this a likely scenario? How do sending and receiving regions each prepare for this anticipated wave of humans on the move?

[readings to be added]

 

Nov 11: Ecoregions: Student Presentation (Group 5)

 

 

Nov 13: Student Presentations of Maps: Visualizing the Region (and its multiple overlapping layers, networks and identities)

You will upload your slides here (in this google slide file) (link to be added)

[see the assignment page for the first assignment instructions]

 

 

Nov 18: Global Regions - Globalization's Impact on Regional Planning and Development (including the rise of "global city-regions) in the US and Asia

  1. Scott, Allen J., John Agnew, Edward W. Soja, and Michael Storper "Global City-Regions," in Scott, A. (Ed.) (2001). Global City-Regions: Trends Theory, Prospects. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 11-30. [in Canvas]
  2. Yi Li & Fulong Wu (2018) Understanding city-regionalism in China: regional cooperation in the Yangtze River Delta, Regional Studies, 52:3, 313-324 [also in Canvas]
  3. John Harrison & Hao Gu (2021) Planning megaregional futures: spatial imaginaries and megaregion formation in China, Regional Studies, 55:1, 77-89 [also in Canvas]

see also:

 

Nov 20: Global Regions - European Union and Regional Planning

  1. Klaus Kunzmann. 2006. The Europeanization of Spatial Planning, in Adams, Neil (Editor). Regional Development and Spatial Planning in an Enlarged European Union. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Ashgate Publishing Group. (Chapter 3) [also available online via Taylor and Francis]
  2. Taylor, P.J. 'Regionality within Globalization: What Does it Mean for Europe?'GaWC Research Bulletin 35 (Z) html
  3. Krätke, S. The Metropolization of the European Urban and Regional System GaWC Research Bulletin 193 html
  4. Albrechts, Louis, Patsy Healey, Klaus R Kunzmann. 2003. Strategic spatial planning and regional governance in Europe. Journal of the American Planning Association.Vol.69, Iss. 2 (Spring):  113 - 129
  5. Faludi, Andrea, "The Megalopolis, the Blue Banana, and Global Economic Integration Zones in European Planning Thought," in Ross, Catherine L.(ed.). 2009. Megaregions : Planning for Global Competitiveness. Covelo, CA, USA: Island Press. [eBooks]

see also:

Nov 25: Student Presentation (Group 6)

 

 

Nov 27: NO CLASS: Thanksgiving Break

 

 

Dec 2: Final Week: Synthesis & Future Directions for Regionalism -- Student Presentations and Discussion

[add slide(s) to this shared google slide file]

see final class task, including short presentations.

 

Dec 4: Exam

see assignment page for details