Urban planning is the process of designing the physical layout of cities, towns, and communities to improve how people live, work, and travel. Planners decide where homes, parks, schools, roads, and businesses should go, and how they should connect to create safe, healthy, and efficient places. They also tackle big issues like equity, sustainability, and justice to create spaces for everyone.
Urban planning offers a meaningful path where you can help shape the future of our world. It blends ideas from design, science, and public service, and it's perfect for people who care about how others live and want to make a difference. As an urban planner, you will get an opportunity to turn your ideas into real change that people see and feel every day.
Urban planning programs often focus on the key topics below, which are emphasized or combined in unique ways across universities in the U.S. and Canada.
Protect and manage the natural environment by using data to inform government ordinances and laws.
Propose reforms for inclusive practices, empower marginalized groups, and create affordable housing.
Facilitate travel while minimizing environmental impacts to create more sustainable cities.
Assess how different urban systems can work together to foster sustainable economic growth.
Evaluate disparities in food access, health impacts, and the effects of disasters on communities.
Address local problems while being mindful of how interventions have direct global impacts.
Tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, from climate change to social equity, and help create cities that work for everyone.
Dive into a mix of design, policy, economics, sociology, and environmental science. No two days (or cities) are the same.
With global urbanization on the rise, planners are needed more than ever. The job market is growing…and so is the impact.
If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, you may want to consider becoming an urban planner: