Courses
GIS and Urban Planning-2025/2026
| Level 1 | ||||
| Take all of the following Mandatory Courses: | ||||
| WRIT-1036 | Reason & Writing 1-Art & Design | 3 | ||
| This course introduces students to essential principles of reading, writing, and reasoning at the postsecondary level. Students will identify, summarize, analyze, and evaluate multiple short readings and write persuasive response essays to develop their vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and critical thinking. | ||||
| COMP-1556 | Presentation Graphics 1 | 3 | ||
| In this course students will study graphic design principles and apply them to a variety of planning related documents. A number of software applications will be utilized to prepare presentations and custom graphics. Students will develop research skills, prepare supporting documents, and present their findings in an open forum. The key components of a comprehensive portfolio will also be discussed and students will be required to develop their own professional portfolio. | ||||
| CADD-1079 | CAD-Urban Planning 1 | 4 | ||
| Urban and regional planning involves the preparation of a broad range of maps and plans for land development and land conservation from a wide range of sources and formats. This course introduces computer aided design and mapping covering drawing, editing and plotting of maps and plans for land based development projects from a planning perspective using AutoCAD. | ||||
| METH-1039 | Geographical Information Systems 1 | 4 | ||
| This introductory GIS course will cover basic GIS theory and concepts in the lecture portion and provide an introduction to ArcGIS software in the lab portion. A series of lab assignments will cover data views, tables, map layouts, spatial data creation, cartographic elements, labeling, and legends using the ArcGIS software. In the lecture portion the structure of ArcGIS, data acquisition, processing, storage, display and analysis, and the application of GIS to Urban and Rural planning will be covered. | ||||
| PLAN-1016 | Land Use Planning | 3 | ||
| This is a lecture/discussion course about the fundamentals of planning and design land based development projects within a Municipal land use planning context. The meaning and rationale for land use planning, basic land uses with urban and rural environments, historical perspectives, planning institutions, tools and decision processes, the relationship with transportation planning, and current issues such as sustainable development are studied. | ||||
| PLAN-1014 | Site Planning | 2.5 | ||
| This course will introduce students to digital drafting, illustration techniques, and the importance of graphics for urban and regional planning applications. Exercises and studio projects will introduce the digital drawing techniques; and emphasize the effectiveness to illustrate real land planning and design problems and projects. Site design solutions for various land development projects will be explored and prepared using digital drafting methods and techniques. Each site plan will be completed to a final draft, within a case study context, using typical design standards and zoning regulations. | ||||
| COOP-1020 | Co-operative Education Employment Prep | 1 | ||
| This workshop will provide an overview of the Co-operative Education consultants and students' roles and responsibilities as well as the Co-operative Education Policy. It will provide students with employment preparatory skills specifically related to co-operative education work assignments and will prepare students for their work term. | ||||
| Level 2 | ||||
| Take all of the following Mandatory Courses: | ||||
| COMM-3074 | Communications for Design | 3 | ||
| This course, designed for students who plan to work in the field of art and design, focuses on professional written and verbal communication skills. Students learn to prepare a variety of work-related documents. In addition, students learn about research methods and documentation formats. The principles of effective writing - organization, grammar, style, clarity, and tone - are reinforced throughout the course. The goal of the course is to prepare students for the communication tasks and considerations they will encounter in the workplace in order to meet the needs of employers and/or the communities they will serve. | ||||
| COMP-3111 | Presentation Graphics 2 | 3 | ||
| In this course students will study and prepare various types of planning related documents using professional graphic design software. Students will learn how to create custom planning report maps, graphics, and figures through the integration of GIS, CAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, and 3D modelling information. Students will finalize their portfolios in preparation for co-op work-term interviews. | ||||
| CADD-3037 | CAD-Urban Planning 2 | 4 | ||
| This course builds on previous manual and computer courses as it studies the sources, formats and use of plans and maps for Urban and Regional Planning. Using computers, students will focus on the use of intermediate and advanced AutoCAD tools/commands in the on preparation of 2D conceptual site plans. Students will also learn how to create 3D models of their site plans, while focusing on the use of various 3D visualization techniques. | ||||
| METH-1010 | Municipal Government & Planning | 3.5 | ||
| The land use planning instruments and processes from the Planning Act of Ontario are studied within the Municipal/Provincial public administrative context. The organizational structure, functions and amalgamations of Municipal Government are examined so as to better understand the needed multi disciplinary approach for comprehensive Municipal Land Use Planning, related government approval agencies, and steps in the land development process. | ||||
| METH-3015 | Geographical Information Systems 2 | 4 | ||
| This computer lab course will build on prerequisite GIS courses. The major functions of GIS will be studied including data preparation, data transformation, data management, data display and spatial analysis and automation with a GIS. The use of GIS concepts, theories and practical examples will illustrate the significance GIS has in the field of Urban and Regional Planning. | ||||
| PLAN-1036 | Environmental Planning | 3 | ||
| This course will introduce the student to the natural features and natural functions that make up the landscape. Natural features such as wetlands and woodlands are discussed in terms of their characteristics and functions. The natural processes of flooding, erosion, shoreline movement and slope erosion are discussed in the same context. The role and responsibilities of municipalities and resource management agencies in planning for natural features and processes will also be discussed. | ||||
| Level 3 | ||||
| Gen Ed - Take a 3 credit General Education elective course | ||||
| Take all of the following Mandatory Courses: | ||||
| PLAN-1037 | Subdivision Design | 2.5 | ||
| The methods of subdividing real property according to the Ontario Planning Act are studied. Case projects are used and an actual site is employed for students to learn the research and design skills in preparing a large Draft Plan of a Subdivision and its approval process within a community context. | ||||
| CADD-3025 | CAD Applications 1 | 4 | ||
| In this course, students will how to create detailed elements of a typical urban residential subdivision in the AutoCAD environment. In conjunction with the work they complete in PLAN 1004 (Subdivision Design), the students will learn how these elements are combined to create conceptual plans. The students will also learn how to apply various software applications to create draft plans of subdivision and the required supporting documentation. | ||||
| METH-3019 | Geographical Information Systems 3 | 4 | ||
| In this intermediate course, students will build on prerequisite GIS courses through the study of key spatial analysis functions including data acquisition, data processing, data storage, data display, and data analysis. Students will explore the use of network tools for routing and service area analysis. The importance of demographic data in land use planning will also be investigated through the preparation of a detailed demographic analysis. | ||||
| COMP-3112 | Spatial Data Acquisition | 3 | ||
| Geographical features can be mapped and coded electronically in the field using GPS. The students will perform accurate primary data collection in the field using a GPS device. All of this data will be transferred to a GIS or CAD system for cartographic and storage purposes. The student will design mobile GIS applications and create coded attribute lists for efficient data entry. The fundamentals of GPS technology and mobile location based GIS technology will also be explored. | ||||
| PLAN-3005 | Community Planning & Design | 3.5 | ||
| This core course comprises two major areas of study, namely: Community Planning and Design and Community Improvement and Renewal. The course builds on all previous Urban Planning courses, bringing together the research, literature, and planning tools and techniques. It comprises the study of major concepts as sustainability, compact urban form, land resource utilization efficiency, preservation of natural and heritage environments, economic feasibility and how to plan strong liveable communities. | ||||
| ARCH-3004 | Modern Architecture | 3 | ||
| This survey course of 20th century architecture covers the Modern Movement and subsequent developments, from about 1850 to the present. Major period styles are presented as expressions of cultural values, impacted by social and technological changes. At the completion of the course, students will have an increased aesthetic appreciation of architecture and understanding of architecture as a reflection of the wider culture. | ||||
| Level 4 | ||||
| Gen Ed - Take a 3 credit General Education elective course | ||||
| Take all of the following Mandatory Courses: | ||||
| PLAN-3015 | Rural Planning | 2.5 | ||
| This course is about conserving rural / agricultural areas and their resources such as food lands, wetlands, and woodlands. The roles of hamlets and villages of agricultural areas are examined. These topics are studied within the context of municipal land use planning such that practical skills will be developed to effectively work in rural municipalities. | ||||
| LAWS-3066 | Planning Law | 2 | ||
| The history of Canadian law including statute law and having title to and interests in real property are explored. Municipal powers and provincial statutory authority is examined. Land Registration Systems and planning application appeals through the Ontario Municipal Board are also examined. | ||||
| CADD-3034 | CAD Applications 2 | 3 | ||
| Students will continue to develop their 3D modelling and visualization skills to prepare supporting documents for planning applications. They will complete a detailed site analysis of an urban infill site and prepare detailed redevelopment plans including site plans, cross-sections, and 3D models. Students will present their plans during a formal presentation to a professional panel of community and industry partners. | ||||
| METH-3029 | Geographical Information Systems 4 | 4 | ||
| This project based computer lab course will build on prerequisite GIS courses to study the new directions in GIS theory and in the GIS industry. Topics covered include investigating new software directions, scripting languages and a self-directed project. | ||||
| METH-3030 | Data Collection & Research Methods | 3 | ||
| This course is about knowing, collecting and gathering information that is relevant, accurate and useful to understanding Urban and Rural planning problems and issues. Specifically, sources of information from government, land use surveys, user surveys/questionnaires, population projections, and land supply absorption are studied in a lab/lecture learning environment. | ||||
| PLAN-1020 | Urban Design | 2 | ||
| In this course, studio exercises are based on a case study methodology. Students will assess historical, existing, and conceptual examples of urban design and then apply this knowledge to practical problems. This course will focus on the elements of the city design with a particular emphasis on the public realm and built form. Final projects will be presented using a wide variety of illustrative tools including CAD, GIS and other technologies. | ||||
| Gen Ed - Electives | ||||
| Take 6 General Education Credits - Normally taken in Levels 3 and 4 | ||||
| Program Residency | ||||
| Students Must Complete a Minimum of 21 credits in this program at Fanshawe College to meet the Program Residency requirement and graduate from this program | ||||