City & Regional Planning: Land Use & Environmental Planning, 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.

Land use and environmental planning are at the core of city planning. With the U.S. forecast to add more than 80 million new residents over the next forty years (and the world forecast to add 3 billion), land use and environmental planners will have to figure out new ways to accommodate population and economic growth while strengthening existing cities and towns; preserving precious and irreplaceable farm and resource lands; promoting new urban forms such as transit-oriented and mixed-use development; taking advantage of new water, land, telecom, and transportation infrastructure systems; promoting clean air and water, and robust ecologies; and reducing the carbon footprint of cities and suburbs alike. Students who complete the Land Use and Environmental Planning concentration work for local and municipal governments, for land use and environmental planning consultants, for and regional growth management agencies, and for smart growth, land conservation, and sustainable development policy and advocacy organizations. 

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
Land Use-Environmental Planning Requirements
Required Courses
CPLN 5300Introduction to Land Use Planning1
CPLN 5310Sustainability and Environmental Planning1
Concentration Electives
Select two of the following:2
CPLN 5040
Site Planning
CPLN 6300
Innovations in Growth Management
CPLN 6310
Planning for Land Conservation
CPLN 6340
Climate Change: Plng for Mitigation and Adaptation
CPLN 6350
Water Policy
CPLN 7300
Sustainable Cities
CPLN 6750
Land Use and Environmental Modeling
Other LEP-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.