Faculty Directory
Andrew Mondschein headshot
AM

Andrew Samuel Mondschein

Associate Professor
Unit: School of Architecture
Department: Department of Urban and Environmental Planning
Office location and address
110 Bayly Dr
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
andrewmondschein.com
Education
PhD and MA, University of California, Los Angeles
BA, Yale University
Biography

Andrew Mondschein, PhD AICP, is an assistant professor of urban and environmental planning at the University of Virginia School of Architecture. He studies transportation systems and travel behavior, seeking to foster equitable, sustainable accessibility in cities and regions.  He addresses a rapidly changing terrain of transportation and information technologies, identifying means to assert social imperatives during a period of urban transformation.  His research emphasizes the role of information and knowledge in fostering individual- and community-level capability and control over mobility.

Andrew teaches a range of transportation courses, including “Introduction to Transportation Planning and Policy,” “Transportation and Land Use,” and “Transportation and the Environment,” as well as masters and PhD methods. He emphasizes bridging emerging methods with critical and instrumental thinking, and an ethical approach to urban planning. Andrew serves on the PhD Committee for the School of Architecture's PhD in the Constructed Environment and is Chair of the Education Committee for the Mid-Atlantic Transportation Sustainability University Transportation Center. He also serves on the City of Charlottesville's PLACE Urban Design Task Force.

Recent courses as listed in the Student Information System (SIS) Course Catalog:
SARC 1500: SARC Seminars
Credits: 1
SARC 1500 courses are 1-credit seminars capped at 20 first-year students, all of whom are assigned to the instructor as advisees. They are topically focused on an area identified by the faculty member; they also include a significant advising component centered on undergraduate issues (e.g., choosing a major, study abroad opportunities, undergraduate research, etc.).
SYS 4053: Systems Design I
Credits: 3
A design project extending throughout the fall semester. Involves the study of an actual open-ended situation, including problem formulation, data collection, analysis and interpretation, model building for the purpose of evaluating design options, model analysis, and generation of solutions. Includes an appropriate computer laboratory experience. Prerequisite: SYS 3021, 3060, and fourth-year standing in the Systems Engineering major.
PLAC 4993: Applied Independent Study
Credits: 1–4
Elective courses offered at the request of faculty or students to provide an opportunity for internships, fieldwork, or independent study. Prerequisite: Planning faculty approval of topic.
PLAN 5710: Transportation and Environment
Credits: 3
Course examines the impacts of transportation systems on the environment from roadside air quality to global climate change, exploring sustainable transportation policy, multimodal transportation, environmental justice, resilience,and community-based solutions.Building on course readings and discussion, PhD students will propose and develop a research paper on a topic of their choosing within the overall theme of transportation and the environment.
PLAC 5720: Transportation and Land Use
Credits: 3
Reviews basic relationships between land use and transportation. Considers the decision process, planning principles, impact measures, and the methodological framework for identifying and evaluating practices in action on a regional, local, and neighborhood scale.
PLAN 5740: Transportation Planning and Policy
Credits: 3
This course introduces graduate and advanced undergraduate students to current issues in the field of transportation planning and policy. It addresses all modes of transportation (auto, walk, bike) and considers multiple scales (national, state, regional and local). Through the analysis of key topics such as congestion, air quality, social equity, and security, we will gain an understanding of how decisions about the transportation system
PLAN 5993: Applied Independent Study
Credits: 1–4
Individual study directed by a faculty member. Prerequisite: Planning faculty approval of topic.
PLAN 6040: Quantitative Methods of Planning Analysis
Credits: 3
Applies quantitative skills to the planning process: analyzes decision situations and develops precise languages communicating the quantitative dimensions of planning problems. Includes lectures, case studies, and applied assignments addressing statistical methods, survey methods, census data analysis, program and plan evaluation, and emerging methods used by planners.
PLAN 7993: Independent Study
Credits: 1–4
Independent research on topics selected by individual students in consultation with a faculty advisor.
SARC 8101: Theories of Knowledge in the Constructed Environment
Credits: 3
This course provides a framework for the comparison of different theories of knowledge relevant to the School of Architecture's four disciplines through a comparative study of research methods in the humanities, social sciences and sciences. The course's goal is to develop critical thinking as the basis for considering the value of specific research questions and to provide a link between research questions and the methods used to explore them.
PLAN 8800: Teaching Experience
Credits: 3
Involves serving as a teaching assistant for a course, with teaching assignments coordinated by the chair. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
PLAN 8993: Independent Studies in Urban and Environmental Planning
Credits: 1–4
Advanced work on independent research topics by individual students. Departmental approval of the topic is required.
PLAN 8994: Thesis
Credits: 3–6
Preparation and completion of a thesis.
PLAN 8999: Master's Thesis
Credits: 3–6
A thesis is optional for the Master of Urban and Environmental Planning degree. Students should begin early to explore topics and to identify potential committee members. A guideline document is available.
SARC 9993: Advanced Independent Research
Credits: 1–6
Advanced independent research on topics selected by individual students in consultation with a faculty advisor. Prerequisite: Permission of the Director.
SARC 9998: Non-Topical Doctoral Prep
Credits: 1–12
For doctoral research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.
SARC 9999: Non-Topical Research
Credits: 1–12
For doctoral dissertation, taken under the supervision of a dissertation director.

2017-  New Delhi Walkability and Environment Study, University of Virginia School of Architecture

2017-  Community-Centered Urban Sensing, University of Virginia School of Architecture

2017-  Planning for Walking and Cycling in an Autonomous Vehicle Future, Mid-Atlantic Transportation Sustainability University Transportation Center

2017-  Polycentric Development Toward the Vision of a 21st Century Main Street in Virginia, National Science Foundation (NSF) Smart and Connected Communities (SCC) Program

2015-2016 Road User Education for Multimodal Streets, Mid-Atlantic Transportation Sustainability University Transportation Center

2014-2015 Virginia Sustainable Travel Choices, Mid-Atlantic Transportation Sustainability University Transportation Center

2014-2016 Accessibility and Economic Development:  How the Transportation Network Affects the Economic Performance of Regions, Haynes Foundation and UCCONNECT