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Adjunct Instructor of Urban Planning

University of Southern California
$29.06/hr
United States, California, Los Angeles
3720 Flower Street (Show on map)
May 19, 2026

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 Estate; The METRANS Transportation Consortium; The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics; and The Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy.

Together, they account for over $100 million in externally funded research grants and contracts.

Together, these departments and research enterprises provide unmatched breadth and depth to tackle an enormous range of challenges facing our country and the world. Price graduates hold leadership positions across diverse sectors - public, private, and nonprofit - championing the advancement of the common good. They come from around the world and from a variety of cultures and socio-economic backgrounds to create a rich intellectual environment that celebrates, supports and benefits from a variety of backgrounds and opinions.

For additional information, see our website: https://priceschool.usc.edu.

Apply for this Position: Applicants should submit a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, one or more sample syllabi, and one or more sets of sample teaching evaluations.

Job ID REQ20175480
Posted Date 05/18/2026
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