1.0-Thesis statement
Urban planning is the political and technical process focused on utilization of urban land and designing of urban environment in ensuring and guiding the orderly development of communities and settlements (Levy, 2011). The entire urban planning process entails analysis and research, architecture, public consultation strategic thinking, urban design, policy recommendation, management and plans/policy implementation. One of the most notable aspect urban planning covers the housing planning and transportation planning. With increasing need for sustainable development in the urban, diverse policies are adopted by region, community, or State in ensuring effective urban planning. Thus, this proposal will offer a comparative analysis of policies and political aspects of transportation planning and housing planning with particular interest in the imperative role the urban planning has played in ensuring sustainable development.
2.0- Annotated Bibliography
Ankner, W. (2005). Revisiting Transportation Planning. Public Works Management & Policy, 9(4), 270-277.
The author revisits the contextual reality surrounding the U.S. transportation planning. Ankner (2005) examines the existing transportation planning models as well as decision-making tools, in supporting the view that the U.S. urban planning framework is either too divided or too limited in scope, thus, incapable of attaining the intended transportation goals. The source will inform the study by availing analytical context of the U.S. transportation system, and the legal and environmental frameworks which influences the planning decisions. Also, the source will avail recommendation on how the governments, at local, federal or state level, would capitalize on transportation system as informed by technological, demographics, and globalization issues affecting urban regions.
Galster, G. (2008). U.S. Scholarship, Planning, and Policy Since 1968: An introduction to the Special Issue. Journal of the American Planning Association, 74 (1), 5-16.
Galster (2008) offer cross-dimensional analysis between the applied and academe policymaking and planning on housing. The author focuses on 40 years of interchanges between the two fields in availing rich historical context to inform housing policymakers’ decisions going forward. This source will not only offer historical aspect between applied and academe on housing planning, but also offer specific program recommendations on promotional of sustainable housing, and continued federal government funding role.
Goetz, E. (2012). The transformation of public housing policy, 1985-2011. Journal of the American Planning Association, 78 (4), 452- 463.
The author traces back to 25 years in analyzing the implications that policymaking by local authorities in the U.S. has had on housing planning, particularly housing for different income-level households. The source will offer both primary as well as secondary data in evaluating the adoption of modern design principles and urban planning, and the shift towards redevelopment and demolition quite different from original housing model that has been in existence for six decades. The changing household landscape will inform the study’s recommendation on appropriate homeownership planning by the municipals.
Levy, J.M. (2011). Contemporary urban planning (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall Press.
This book offers a comprehensive examination of the political, historic, legal, environmental, and economic factors affecting the U.S. urban planning. Also, the author examines the very pressing and realistic issues influencing the development of housing and transportation sector in the U.S. The book will support the study with information on how federal government responds in supporting urban planning and recovery procedures following economic downturn periods including home foreclosures and subprime mortgage. Also, the book will document crucial information on effectiveness of federal funding on public transportation, and how urban planning meets new ‘green’ building standards across the U.S. cities.
Lindell, M., & Meier, M. (1994). Planning effectiveness: Effectiveness of community planning. American Planning Association. Journal of the American Planning Association, 60 (2), 222- 236.
Lindell and Meier (1994) examine the concept of community’s emergency preparedness in relation to transportation and housing planning endeavors across cities. The authors ascertain key policy issues on evacuation or emergency preparedness, and hazardous waste management that ought to be observed when designing transportation infrastructure or housing plans. This source will offer important details on effective approaches that the U.S. urban planners ought to use in catering for hazardous wastes, and averting dire consequences from chemical related disasters. Also, the source will document key strategic policies and legal requirement which informs transportation infrastructure cognizant of environmental pollution through drainage of hazardous materials, and run-offs.
Litman, T. (2013), The New transportation Planning Paradigm. Journal of Institute of Transportation Engineers, 83(6), 20-28.
Litman (2013) justifies the implication of new economic and demographic trends on transportation planning. This source will offer the new paradigm facing planning, solutions, and objectives of transportation infrastructure in the U.S. Also, the source will offer details on the implication that global standards and environmental issues has on transportation planning. From the source historical data, the future of transportation needs per demographic trends will be established.
Motto, J. L. (2008). State action immunity, municipalities, and the unique case of eminent domain. Journal of Corporation Law, 33(3), 797-818.
Motto (2008) offers a typical law suit case involving municipal authority and municipal actors such as airport authority by reassessing application of the state action policy or doctrine in relation to anticompetitive conduct. The article narrows the assessment to the exercise or execution of eminent domain, and the implications that lenient exemption from state action doctrine has on urban planning, in particular the transportation planning aspect of the municipal airport actors. This source will surface crucial information on how state action doctrine facilitates or hampers urban planning endeavors across the U.S. cities. Further, the article avails crucial information of how municipal leadership displaces urban development competition and the consequence that such action on transportation and housing planning activities.
Waddell, P., Ulfarsson, G., Franklin, J., & Lobb, J. (2007). Incorporating land use in metropolitan transportation planning. Transportation Research: Policy and Practice, 41 (5), 382-410.
Waddell et al. (2007) recognizes the practice by urban planning agencies in failing to incorporate the changes associated with transportation system on the land use. By use of case study, and analytical data the author offers crucial trends that transportation system has on land use. Further, the source will offer information on how urban planning agencies ought to factor the various transportation effects on the land in developing environmental friendly transportation policies. The source will equally offer factual data on the environmental impacts in terms of air quality and degrading land topology mainly from highway projects or transportation systems.
Winkelman, S., Bishins, A., & Kooshian, C. (2010). Planning for economic and environmental resilience. Transportation Research 44, 575–586.
The authors ascertain the political and policy issues surrounding transportation planning from sustainable development perspective. The prime focus has been played on how transportation planning may be used in reducing GHG emissions in the cities or urban regions. As an aspect of climate protection the article elucidates key modeling and market-driven policy approaches aimed at maximizing transportation benefits while reducing environmental costs due GHG emissions. In the comparative study, this article will offer vital information on the development realized in the U.S. urban regions in managing carbon footprint through sustainable transportation infrastructure, as well as land-use patterns. Further, the source will inform the study in terms of current and historical context of eco-efficiency transportation planning, and how modern urban incentives and reinforcing policies have encouraged or hampered sustainable development.
Zhang, Y., & peacock, W. (2010). Planning for Housing Recovery? Journal of the American Planning Association, 76 (1), 5-25.
Zhang and peacock (2010) examines the reality that faces urban planners in developing housing designs cognizant of disasters, or impending natural catastrophes. In the article, the authors analyzes the key policy issues which would greatly impact on housing recovery whenever a disaster strikes, and how urban policy makers would use housing design in averting massive losses through damages. The source will substantiate the design urban planners ought to use in containing or averting housing related disasters from common regional catastrophes. Further, the source offers factual information on how the U.S. urban policy makers and housing economists should develop frameworks to safeguard against housing market volatility, and loss of aesthetic value associated with damaged buildings or structures.
3.00- Summative Section
The study will commence by first gathering literature materials including peer reviewed journals, and course text book. The materials are selected on basis of information relevancy. Secondly, the project will assume qualitative analysis approach on various data, and information derived from various literatures. Qualitative approach suits the study as it offers an in-depth analysis on the subject area, and makes of subjective information while exploring and building new theories. Finally, the study findings will be documented, and reported.

References
Ankner, W. (2005). Revisiting Transportation Planning. Public Works Management & Policy, 9(4), 270-277.
Galster, G. (2008). U.S. Scholarship, Planning, and Policy Since 1968: An introduction to the Special Issue. Journal of the American Planning Association, 74 (1), 5-16.
Goetz, E. (2012). The transformation of public housing policy, 1985-2011. Journal of the American Planning Association, 78 (4), 452- 463.
Levy, J.M. (2011). Contemporary urban planning (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall Press.
Lindell, M., & Meier, M. (1994). Planning effectiveness: Effectiveness of community planning. American Planning Association. Journal of the American Planning Association, 60 (2), 222- 236.
Litman, T. (2013), The New transportation Planning Paradigm. Journal of Institute of Transportation Engineers, 83(6), 20-28.
Motto, J. L. (2008). State action immunity, municipalities, and the unique case of eminent domain. Journal of Corporation Law, 33(3), 797-818.
Waddell, P., Ulfarsson, G., Franklin, J., & Lobb, J. (2007). Incorporating land use in metropolitan transportation planning. Transportation Research: Policy and Practice, 41 (5), 382-410.
Winkelman, S., Bishins, A., & Kooshian, C. (2010). Planning for economic and environmental resilience. Transportation Research 44, 575–586.
Zhang, Y., & peacock, W. (2010). Planning for Housing Recovery? Journal of the American Planning Association, 76 (1), 5-25.