PLAN 247 is a companion course for PLAN 246: Cities of the Future, which focuses on the history of US cities and early urban planning movements. Though intended for students who are completing a minor in City and Regional Planning, this course is also meant for students who are simply interested in learning about urban planning. This course is an introduction to the activities and tools of professional planners in solving urban problems. It introduces students to issues that emerge as a result of urbanization processes, the actors involved from the perspective of the planning field, as well as the responses by practitioners of planning and planning sub-fields. Students will learn about key concepts in urban issues in each of the planning sub-fields through readings, case studies, discussions, and in-class exercises meant to highlight the complexity of urban phenomena. This course also seeks to emphasize the critical role of group work in the planning field. Students will conduct a group project (with areas of individual accountability) throughout the semester by analyzing urban issues across planning sub-fields of one city or metropolitan area in the United States.