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Land Use Planning Major
Course Curriculum
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Directed Electives

What is Land Use Planning?

Land use planning is a cyclical process of determining a community's needs and then setting utilization and development goals to meet those needs in an efficient, effective, and sustainable manner. Although a highly technical discipline, land use planning also relies on ethical considerations and an understanding of social dynamics as equitable solutions are sought in providing development options to benefit the common good through democratic processes.

What Do Land Use Planners Do?

The process of translating development plans and policies into programs and projects requires a wide array of technical skills and a well-rounded knowledge base.

In a rural and community setting, land use planners typically:

	Develop site, master, and comprehensive plans for public and private development.
	Draft policy and regulations on land use zones and subdivisions.
	Critique and rule on new development proposals.
	Draft and maintain the accuracy of land use maps.

In industry, land use planners are often involved in:
	Facility siting, finance, and development.
	Environmental regulations compliance.
	Solid and hazardous waste handling.
	Strategic planning and growth management.

In all cases, planners strive to match a site's physical capabilities
with the most compatible land use option.

Why Major in Land Use Planning?

Students major in Land Use Planning for a variety of reasons:

	They want to work in the field of community and rural planning.
	They want to work within the planning structure of public government or private industry.
	They desire to contribute to current and future generations by designing sustainable communities that offer a high quality of life.
	They want to prepare for graduate studies in land use planning.

The Land Use Planning Major at UW-RF.

The focus of the Land Use Planning major is the study of the interaction between people and the land, especially in a rural/ urban context. More specifically, it is professional training that seeks to balance the legitimate land use rights of property owners with the needs of society and the sustainability of natural systems. This program is specifically focused toward small town and exurban planning at the rural/urban fringe. Natural resource, economic, legal, and cultural opportunities and constraints are identified, along with specific methods used to determine the best use for an area - such as agriculture, recreation, transportation, residential, business, industrial or wildlife habitat.