Urban & Regional Planning
Shaping how cities and communities grow and function.
Urban planning studies how land use, transportation, housing, and infrastructure shape cities and communities, and how planners guide that growth through policy, design, and public process. It combines design thinking with policy analysis and community engagement.
Studio-style courses have students work on real or simulated planning projects, a neighborhood redevelopment plan, a transportation study, often involving public presentations and engagement with community stakeholders, mirroring how planning actually works in practice.
Typical courses you might take
- ✓Introduction to Urban Planning
- ✓Land Use Planning
- ✓Transportation Planning
- ✓Housing Policy
- ✓GIS for Planning
- ✓Urban Design
- ✓Planning Law & Zoning
- ✓Planning Studio Capstone
Sample four-year plan
Illustrative, not a registration planOne possible way these courses could be sequenced alongside general education and elective credit. Real programs vary in order, pacing, and prerequisites by school, use this to get a rough sense of the arc, not to plan actual registration.
- ✓Introduction to Urban Planning
- +General education requirement
- ✓Land Use Planning
- +General education requirement
- ✓Transportation Planning
- +General education requirement
- ✓Housing Policy
- +Free elective
- ✓GIS for Planning
- +Free elective
- ✓Urban Design
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Planning Law & Zoning
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Planning Studio Capstone
- +Capstone, thesis, or culminating project (common in many programs)
Skills you'll build
This major might be a good fit if you...
- ★Interested in how cities grow and change
- ★Enjoys both design thinking and policy analysis
- ★Comfortable with public engagement and stakeholder conversations
- ★Motivated by shaping communities for the long term
Common minors & double-major pairings
Civil Engineering · Public Policy · Real Estate
Roles this major could lead to
Factual, day-to-day descriptions from our Career Role Encyclopedia, not a guarantee this major leads to any specific job.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Urban & Regional Planning major?
Shaping how cities and communities grow and function.
What courses do Urban & Regional Planning majors take?
Typical coursework includes classes like Introduction to Urban Planning, Land Use Planning, Transportation Planning, among others, see the full course list above for this major's typical lineup.
What skills do you build in a Urban & Regional Planning program?
Urban & Regional Planning coursework typically builds skills like Land use and zoning analysis, GIS and spatial data analysis, Community engagement and public process facilitation, Understanding transportation and infrastructure systems.
Is Urban & Regional Planning a good major for me?
It tends to be a good fit if signals like "Interested in how cities grow and change" or "Enjoys both design thinking and policy analysis" describe you. See the full "good fit if you..." list above for more.
What can you do with a Urban & Regional Planning degree?
Majors in this field often go on to roles like Civil Engineer, Urban Planner. See our Career Role Encyclopedia for more, a major shapes what you study, not a guarantee of any specific job.
What other majors pair well with Urban & Regional Planning?
Common minor or double-major pairings include Civil Engineering, Public Policy, Real Estate.
How is Urban & Regional Planning different from Architecture?
They're related but distinct. Urban & Regional Planning: Shaping how cities and communities grow and function. Architecture: Designing buildings that are functional, safe, and meaningful. Use the compare tool to see courses and skills side by side.
How long does it take to earn a Urban & Regional Planning degree?
Most bachelor's degrees, including this one, are designed to be completed in about four years of full-time study. Exact timing depends on your school, course load, transfer credit, and any changes of major along the way.
Printed from majoratlas.com/majors/urban-planning