Adjunct Instructor of Urban Planning
University of Southern California (USC)About the role
University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy
Adjunct Instructor of Urban Planning
Department of Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis
The USC Sol Price School of Public Policy is seeking a working professional with expertise and a primary position in urban planning, urban policy, urban design, architecture, real estate or a related field. The successful candidate should possess a master's degree or doctorate in the field of urban planning or a related field. The candidate will be able to teach a graduate-level course related to one or more of the following areas: histories, theories, and concepts in land use planning; equity and justice issues in urban planning; practices, policies, and tools in designing sustainable urban communities. Preference will be given to candidates with prior teaching experience and excellent teaching evaluations.
The candidate will teach PPD 619: Smart Growth and Urban Sprawl: Policy Debates and Planning Solutions, a graduate-level course designed to build students' understanding of how Sustainability has reshaped the theory and practice of land use planning. The course traces the evolution of land use management from the formalized zoning laws of the early twentieth century, a distinctly Modernist response to the problems of the Industrial economy, through the emergence of Smart Growth as a standardized policy framework translating sustainability principles for planning practitioners, and into the broader and rapidly evolving landscape of contemporary tools, methods, and approaches that reflect our deepening understanding of Sustainability. Through lectures, discussions, case studies, and research presentations, students will examine how the shift from Modernist reductionism toward a more interconnected, relational, and systems-oriented way of thinking has transformed how communities approach land use, development, and place. The course investigates the many ways Sustainability has informed planning tools and implementation mechanisms, critically examines where current tools fall short, and challenges students to propose ideas and solutions for how the profession can evolve to more effectively enable a sustainable future.
The concepts, theories, and methods will be presented, interrogated, and discussed in class in a seminar format. Students will be encouraged to apply the ideas and techniques through various in-class activities and assignments focusing on analyzing specific places and planning contexts.
Adjunct instructor responsibilities include delivery of course content, scheduling office hours and being accessible to students as appropriate, and grading. Each instructor is expected to provide students with a syllabus outlining the course goals, schedule and all requirements for the course under the direction of the Department Chair.
The hourly rate range for this position is $29.06/hr. - $38.89/hr. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.
The USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
Ranked among the foremost schools of public policy in the nation, the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy generates uncommon knowledge for the common good. The school is composed of overlapping disciplines that generate innovative approaches to critical issues ranging from health-care policy to homelessness, and sustainability to congestion – to name a few. A wide-ranging curriculum, including extensive experiential learning, prepares our graduates to navigate problems that demand multi-layered solutions driven by critical, informed thinking.
The Price School, founded in 1929, is anchored by four departments: Public Policy and Management, Health Policy and Management, Wilbur H. Smith III Department of Real Estate Development, and Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis. The School’s rigorous academic programs provide students with the knowledge and distinctive opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their professions. Integrating classroom instruction with real-world experience and led by some of the world’s most renowned faculty in their fields, our students establish a clear pathway to successful careers.
Our academic programs are augmented by numerous research centers, institutes and initiatives that provide additional research expertise and experiences, notable among them are: The Judith and John Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public; The Center for Philanthropy and Public Policy; The USC Lusk Center for Real Esta
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