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M.S. Urban Planning

The Master of Science in Urban Planning is a two-year accredited professional degree. Our program takes a comparative, global perspective to urban planning, centering social justice and critical practice. It connects the study of the urban built environment with grounded analysis of socioeconomic and political conditions to inform planning practice and praxis toward social, racial, and climate justice. We prepare students to confront and break down structures and practices of oppression rooted in class inequality, racism, and sexism. By studying the impact of global processes (such as immigration, climate change, and public health) on cities, neighborhoods, and communities—across the Global North and Global South—the program aims to foster new, creative planning and policy approaches that will improve processes and outcomes in cities around the world.
The program pays close attention to a range of methodological approaches bringing together urban analytics, grounded field research, and community engagement to address real-world planning issues. It builds on our record as one of the first planning programs in the United States to engage data science and visualization alongside spatial analysis to tackle today’s urban problems and inform planning solutions for the future. Our graduates work in critical and leading roles in government, private firms, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, multilateral institutions, and international NGOs.
IMPORTANT LINKS AND INFORMATION

For more information about the program, please email the Assistant Director: Kian Goldman.

Curriculum
The Master of Science in Urban Planning program offers five distinctive clusters: Built Environment, Climate Adaptation, Community and Economic Development, International Planning and Development, and Urban Analytics. At the core of the program are a team-based studio course, which takes place in the first year, and a thesis or professional capstone, which is carried out throughout the second year. The Urban Planning Studio is a way of modeling what it means to incorporate intellectual questions into practical proposals. The studio revolves around a real client with a real-world issue. Students work as a group under the direction of faculty, producing critical and innovative analysis of socioeconomic, environmental, and political conditions as well as stakeholder engagement. In many ways, the studio introduces, considers, and evaluates a range of scenarios in approaching complex problems.
Recently, the program has significantly updated the contents of its electives and core curriculum courses to introduce more knowledge related to the global dimensions of planning, more systematic understanding of racism and spatial inequality, and more critical assessment on the use of analytical tools. For electives, in particular, the program now offers new, knowledge- and skill-based courses on data analytics, machine learning, equitable climate action, adaptation to climate change, urban mobility and accessibility in a global context, inclusion and housing, and healthy global cities. Students can also take case-based practicums, grounded in a coherent conceptual framework, to better connect with modes of practice.
Studios
In the Urban Planning studio, under faculty direction students work as a team with a client on a real-world project. The ensuing deliverables will reflect stakeholder engagement and analyses of socioeconomic, environmental, and political conditions. We encourage students to engage in critical thinking in order to challenge practices of oppression in planning and beyond. Recognizing the wide-ranging student interests, we offer a variety of projects each year, including community-focused issues that provide opportunities to build relations with clients and partners. Studio takes place in the Spring of the students’ first year and aims to integrate classroom learning with practical experience early in the students’ education.
Current Faculty
Jitendra Bajpai
Matthew Bauer
Lisa Blake
Anthony Borelli
Calvin Brown
André Corrêa d'Almeida
Kate Dunham
Ubaldo Escalante
Adam Freed
Daniel Froehlich
Ebru Gencer
David Gilford
Maxine Griffith
Jessica Katz
Gayatri Kawlra
Emily Kurtz
Anita Laremont
Javier Lopez
Peter Marcotullio
Jonathan Martin
Jessica Mathew
Kevin McQueen
Jon Meyers
Kristin Miller
Olivia Moss
Regina Myer
Michael Perles
James Piacentini
Clarence Radin
Kaz Sakamoto
Jeffrey Shumaker
Howard Slatkin
Kurt Steinhouse
Charlie Stewart
Jonathan Stiles
Adam Tanaka
Emily Tolbert
Jamie Torres-Springer
Graham Trelstad
Jose Luis Vallejo
Anthony Vanky
Rachel Weinberger
Kate Wittels
Douglas Woodward
Thomas Wright

Fall 2024 Courses

Course Semester Title Student Work Instructor Syllabus Requirements & Sequence Location & Time Session & Points Call No.
Pla4008‑1 Fall 2024
History and Theory of Planning
Michael Perles
209 FAYERWEATHER (114 Avery, 504 Avery, 204 Fayerweather)
TH 10 AM - 1 PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
10868
Pla4022‑1 Fall 2024
Fundamentals of Urban Digital Design
Sybil Wa
UP COMPUTER LAB
TH 3 PM - 5 PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
10869
Pla4050‑1 Fall 2024
UP Elective Internship
Douglas Woodward ELECTIVE - OPEN TO UPII
NA
FULL SEMESTER
1.5 Points
10870
Pla4208‑1 Fall 2024
Planning Methods
Hugo Sarmiento
209 FAYERWEATHER (Recitations: 202,204 FAY)
W 3 PM - 5 PM (Recitations: 7 PM - 8 PM, TH 2 PM - 3 PM, 3 PM - 4 PM)
3 Points
10871
Pla4320‑1 Fall 2024
Urban Design For Planners
Jeffrey Shumaker
409 AVERY
W 9 AM - 11 AM
3 Points
10872
Pla6088‑1 Fall 2024
INTRO TO INT'L PLANNING
Ebru Gencer
UP 204 FAYERWEATHER
M 1 PM - 3 PM
3 Points
10877
Pla6434‑1 Fall 2024
Introduction to Transportation Planning
Rachel Weinberger
UP 204 FAYERWEATHER
TH 1 PM - 3 PM
3 Points
10880
PLA6612‑1 Fall 2024
PLANNING FOR JUSTICE IN A LOW CARBON FUTURE
Javier Lopez
408 AVERY
M 11 AM - 1 PM
3 Points
10881
Pla6621‑1 Fall 2024
From NIMBY to YIMBY to Mayor Quimby: LOCAL GOVN AUTHORITY + BIG-CITY PLNG
Howard Slatkin
WARE LOUNGE -600 AVERY
TU 5 PM - 7 PM
3 Points
10884
PLA6642‑1 Fall 2024
Metropolitan Planning
UP 204 FAYERWEATHER
W 5 PM - 7 PM
SES A
1.5 Points
10887
PLA6646‑1 Fall 2024
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Emily Kurtz, Kristin Miller
300 BUELL NORTH
W 5 PM - 7 PM
3 Points
10888
PLA6648‑1 Fall 2024
DELIVERING URBAN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
Jamie Torres-Springer, Jessica Mathew
200 BUELL NORTH
M 7 PM - 9 PM
3 Points
10889
Pla6918‑1 Fall 2024
Thesis I Workshop
Emily Tolbert
209 FAYERWEATHER (Plus 5 Breakout Rooms: 504 Avery, 505 Avery, 204 Fayerweather, 209 Fayerweather, 204 Fayerweather [3 PM - 5 PM])
W 11 AM - 1 PM
3 Points
10890
Pla6919‑1 Fall 2024
URBAN PLANNING THESIS/CAPSTONE II
Weiping Wu
NA
BY APPT
3 Points
10891
PLA6939‑1 Fall 2024
Sustainable Urban Planning and Design
Jonathan Martin
412 AVERY
F 9 AM - 11 AM
3 Points
10893
PLA6941‑1 Fall 2024
URBAN ANALYTICS FOR TRANSPARENCY IN DECISION MAKING
André Corrêa d'Almeida
115 AVERY
M 11 AM - 1 PM
3 Points
10894
PLA6942‑1 Fall 2024
Community Development Finance Practicum
Kevin McQueen
UP 204 FAYERWEATHER
M 5 PM - 7 PM
3 Points
10895
Pla6946‑1 Fall 2024
Housing the Unhoused: A Practicum
Jessica Katz
UP 204 FAYERWEATHER
W 5 PM - 7 PM
SES B
1.5 Points
10896
A6510‑1 Fall 2024
Neighborhood Preservation and Zoning
Carol Clark
WARE LOUNGE - 600 AVERY HALL
TU 11AM- 1PM
SES B
1.5 Points
10603
A6767‑1 Fall 2024
Preservation Planning and Policy
Erica Avrami
412 AVERY
TH 1 PM- 3 PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
10606
PLA6009‑1 Fall 2024
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA ANALYSIS
Peter Marcotullio
412 AVERY
M 3 PM - 5 PM
3 Points
10876
Pla6330 Fall 2024
Site Planning & Support Systems
Graham Trelstad
412 AVERY
TH 5 PM - 7 PM
3 Points
10879
PLA6619‑1 Fall 2024
INTRO TO URBAN DATA AND INFORMATICS
Anthony Vanky
UP COMPUTER LAB
TU 3 PM - 5 PM
3 Points
10883
Pla6909‑1 Fall 2024
Advanced Studio III - Joint Historic Preservation/Urban Planning Studio
Erica Avrami, Shreya Ghoshal
TBD
TBD
FULL SEMESTER
6 Points
10614
Pla6925‑1 Fall 2024
Advanced Research I
Weiping Wu
NA
2-3 Points
10892
A4164‑1 Fall 2024
Design Intelligence
Danil Nagy
WARE LOUNGE - 600 AVERY
TU 9 AM - 11 AM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
10583
A6886‑1 Fall 2024
Building the Engine: Industry + the African Urban Agenda
Fatou Dieye
505 Avery
TU 9 AM - 1 PM ( First class: F 1:30pm)
SES A
3 Points
14032
A6965‑1 Fall 2024
ADV V STUDIO – CLINIC
Bryony Roberts
TH 2 PM - 5 PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
10536
Pla4577‑1 Fall 2024
Geographic Information Systems
Jonathan Stiles
UP COMPUTER LAB + 204 FAYERWEATHER
TU 10 AM - 1 PM
3 Points
10873
Pla4577‑2 Fall 2024
Geographic Information Systems
Jonathan Stiles
UP COMPUTER LAB + 204 FAYERWEATHER
TH 5 PM - 8 PM
3 Points
10874
A4892‑1 Fall 2024
Data Visualization for Architecture, Urbanism and the Humanities
Jia Zhang
409 AVERY
F 9 AM - 11 AM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
10576
A4047‑1 Fall 2024
Immeasurable Sites
Emanuel Admassu
408 AVERY
W 11 AM - 1 PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
10596
A6830‑1 Fall 2024
Difference and Design
Justin Moore
412 AVERY / ONLINE
TU 3 PM - 5 PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
14028
A6927‑1 Fall 2024
Science + Technology Studies
Albena Yaneva
412 AVERY
M 11 AM - 1PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
10533
A6929‑1 Fall 2024
The Reimagining of Lower Manhattan Post-Sandy
Michael Kimmelman
408 AVERY
W 9 AM - 11 AM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
10534
Pla4444‑1 Fall 2024
The Future City: Transforming Urban Infrastructure
Kate Ascher
209 FAYERWEATHER
TU 1 PM - 3 PM
3 Points
14136
A6814‑1 Fall 2024
New Towns After Smart Cities
David Smiley
412 AVERY
TU 1 PM - 3 PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
14029
Pla6272‑1 Fall 2024
New York Rising: How Real Estate Shapes a City
Kate Ascher
114 AVERY
F 11 AM - 1 PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
10530
ARCHA6966‑1 Fall 2024
Le Corbusier Beyond Europe
Mary McLeod
409 Avery
TU 11 AM - 1 PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
18002
ARCHA6967‑1 Fall 2024
Cities of Knowledge: Orientalizing Manhattan
Ziad Jamaleddine
934 SCHERMERHORN
TU 2:10 PM - 4 PM
FULL SEMESTER
3 Points
18102

Introduction to Columbia’s Urban Planning Program

Lectures in Planning Series (LiPS)

LiPS
Tom Slater, Joe Schaffers
April 2, 2024

Student Work

Rio de Janeiro Data Transparency Dashboard
Video produced by as part of the Fall 2021 Urban Analytics and Human-Centered Decision Making course led by André Corrêa d'Almeida.

News

Oct 31
Faculty Anthony Vanky delivers lecture on digital urban transformations at conference co-organized by Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, and Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management, Vietnam
Show More
Dual Degree Programs

M.S. in Urban Planning and Master of Architecture

M.S. in Urban Planning and M.S. in Historic Preservation

M.S. in Urban Planning and M.S. in Real Estate Development

M.S. in Urban Planning and M.S. Computational Design Practices

M.S. in Urban Planning and Business

M.S. in Urban Planning and International Affairs

M.S. in Urban Planning and Law

M.S. in Urban Planning and Social Work

M.S. in Urban Planning and Public Health