City & Regional Planning: Housing, Community and Economic Development, MCP

The Master of City Planning core curriculum encompasses the basic skills and knowledge required of all planners regardless of their specialization, and is a hallmark of our cutting-edge and practical approach to educating city planners. Students who complete the core will understand the legal and historical basis of city planning; they will know how to use a wide variety of population and economic data to understand local communities; and they will understand the form and arrangement of cities and metropolitan areas around the world. Most important, they will understand which planning approaches work best in which contexts and circumstances.

The Housing, Community and Economic Development concentration focuses on how planners and policy leaders influence the social and economic factors shaping metropolitan economies and urban neighborhoods, particularly low-wealth communities and communities of color. It prepares graduates for positions in housing, community and economic development finance, neighborhood revitalization, workforce development, center city re-development, and public sector management of urban and regional economic development. Housing, Community and Economic Development is a four-credit concentration.

For more information: https://www.design.upenn.edu/city-regional-planning/graduate/program

Curriculum

A total of 18 course units are required for graduation. 15 course units must be in City Planning (CPLN) courses.

City & Regional Planning Requirements
Core Requirements
CPLN 5000Introduction to City Planning: History, Theory and Practice1
CPLN 5010Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods1
CPLN 5020Urban Economics and Public Finance1
or CPLN 5090 Law of Planning and Urban Development
CPLN 6000Studio I2
CPLN Planning Studio2
Spatial Analysis Requirement
Select one of the following:1
CPLN 5030
Modeling Geographical Objects
CPLN 6320
Modeling Geographic Space
ENVS 5706
Modeling Geographical Objects
General Electives
Select 6 course units6
Housing, Community and Economic Development Requirements
Required Courses
CPLN 5200Introduction to Housing, Community and Economic Development1
CPLN 7200Housing, Community and Economic Development Practicum1
Theory/Methods Courses
Select one of the following:1
CPLN 6200
Techniques of Urban Economic Development
CPLN 6270
Social Impact in Practice
CPLN 5400
Introduction to Property Development
Concentration Electives
Select one of the following:1
CPLN 6210
Metropolitan Food System
CPLN 6230
The Carceral State
CPLN 6240
Race, Poverty and Place
CPLN 6280
Migration and Development
CPLN 6290
Housing, Community & Economic Development Topics Class
CPLN 6420
Downtown Development
Other HCE-related course with permission of advisor
Total Course Units18

Internship Requirement

Because a planning education extends beyond the classroom, all MCP students are required to complete a planning internship, usually between their first and second years. Internships may be paid or unpaid, for at least six weeks. Internships can be completed at any government agency or commission, private consulting firm, or non-profit or advocacy organization involved in planning practice, or research.
 
 

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2023 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.