Learning Resources

Abstract: Planning approaches are in a dynamic relationship with organizational culture. This article uses a case study of academic planning at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona to draw a correspondence between types of organizational culture and planning approaches. The case study shows the differing conceptions of organizational culture held by stakeholders and links them to alternate planning approaches. Unresolved conflicts about organizational culture impeded agreement on a planning process. Understanding the dynamics of organizational culture can help academic planners design contingent processes that draw from multiple planning approaches. The article concludes with suggestions for academic planners on how to design and implement such processes.

Abstract: This article looks at how behavioral research can be an effective tool to use during the redesign process of university plazas. It also summarizes the research that was conducted at University Union Plaza at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), a 30-year-old plaza that is scheduled to be redesigned. Through the use of behavioral and cognitive mapping techniques, this research illustrates how people react to various design characteristics of the existing plaza and how this affects the way they use the space. The research was used as a tool to analyze the positive and negative design attributes of the existing plaza and to provide recommendations for its redesign. The research method described in this article was an effective way for Cal Poly planners to analyze the plaza’s existing design and provides justifiable recommendations for its redesign. This research has not only been beneficial to planners at Cal Poly but can also be useful for professionals at other university campuses interested in redesigning plazas and communal areas.