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 500Introduction to City Planning: Past, Present and Future1
CPLN 501Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods1
CPLN 502Public Finance and Public Policy1
or CPLN 509 Law of Planning and Urban Development
CPLN 600Planning Workshop2
CPLN Planning Studio2
Spatial Analysis Requirement
Select one of the following:1
CPLN 503
Modeling Geographical Objects
CPLN 632
Modeling Geographic Space
ENVS 541
Modeling Geographical Objects
Breadth Methods Requirement
Select one of the following: 1
CPLN 504
Site Planning
CPLN 505
Planning by Numbers
CPLN 506
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
CPLN 530
Introduction to Land Use Planning
CPLN 540
Introduction to Property Development
CPLN 560
Introduction to Graphics for Urban Design
CPLN 627
Social Impact in Practice
CPLN 675
Land Use and Environmental Modeling
General Electives
Select 4-5 course units4-5
Land Use-Environmental Planning Requirements
Required Courses
CPLN 530Introduction to Land Use Planning1
CPLN 531Introduction to Environmental Planning & Policy1
Concentration Electives
Select two of the following:2
CPLN 504
Site Planning 1
CPLN 630
Innovations in Growth Management
CPLN 631
Planning for Land Conservation
CPLN 675
Land Use and Environmental Modeling
CPLN 730
Sustainable Cities
CPLN 635
Water Policy
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 2020 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.