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 19 course units are required for graduation. 15 course units must be in City Planning (CPLN) courses.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| City & Regional Planning Requirements | ||
| Core Requirements | ||
| CPLN 500 | Introduction to City Planning: Past, Present and Future | 1 |
| CPLN 501 | Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods | 1 |
| CPLN 502 | Public Finance and Public Policy | 1 |
| or CPLN 509 | Law of Planning and Urban Development | |
| CPLN 510 | Urban and Planning Theory | 1 |
| CPLN 600 | Planning Workshop | 2 |
| CPLN Planning Studio | 2 | |
| Spatial Analysis Requirement | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Modeling Geographical Objects | ||
| Modeling Geographic Space | ||
| Modeling Geographical Objects | ||
| Breadth Methods Requirement | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Site Planning | ||
| Planning by Numbers | ||
or CPLN 671 | Spatial Statistics and Data Analysis | |
| Negotiation and Conflict Resolution | ||
| Urban Research Methods | ||
| Introduction to Graphics for Urban Design | ||
| General Electives | ||
| Select 4-5 course units | 4-5 | |
| Land Use-Environmental Planning Requirements | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| CPLN 530 | Introduction to Land Use Planning | 1 |
| CPLN 531 | Introduction to Environmental Planning & Policy | 1 |
| Concentration Electives | ||
| Select two of the following: | 2 | |
| Site Planning 1 | ||
| Innovations in Growth Management | ||
| Planning for Land Conservation | ||
| Land Use and Environmental Modeling | ||
| Sustainable Cities | ||
| Water Policy | ||
| Total Course Units | 19 | |
| 1 | Students choosing to take Site Planning for this requirement may NOT count it towards their Core Breadth Methods requirement. |
Internship Requirement
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.