Within these categories, sub-specialties may be developed for individual students. The PCs overlap, combine, and reinforce each other. The PCs suggest the type of programs we emphasize at the University of Virginia, but the definition of each PC is flexible. Land use planning, for instance, is an important component of two other PCs, environmental management and conservation and housing and community development. This planning concentration stresses the planning issues of established communities, land reuse and redevelopment, and community and economic development.
Housing is a key element in each.
Different emphases are feasible depending upon whether one s interest is primarily physical, economic, or social. Community organization, social equity, and participatory aspects of communities are also important. Such planners also develop plans for addressing the issues of sensitive settings, such as coastal, mountain, wetland, heritage, and special habitat areas. Environmental planning embraces many settings, ranging from urban environments to wilderness areas to agricultural ecosystems. As communities change or grow, decisions are made about the uses of land, about qualities desired in the physical environment, and about the location of development and the protection of open areas.