CKQ Examines College Majors: Urban, Community and Regional Planning

Each newsletter will provide readers with insight into a specific major that might pique your interest. This segment is all about introducing students to majors (and possibly careers) they may have never considered before. This time around, we will provide information on the Urban, Community and Regional Planning major. Special thanks to Collegeboard.org for providing certain information in this post.

The planet has a growing population. In some places, that population is growing by leaps and bounds. Our urban population centers struggle to maintain reasonably priced housing for its masses, struggle to tackle the problems of crime, traffic, waste management, and so much more. These are tough problems for our nation and the world to tackle, and the people the world turns to to solve these tough problems are Urban, Community and Regional Planning majors.

According to the Collegeboard, only 50 colleges/universities nationwide offer this degree at the Bachelor’s degree level. The most notable schools include: Bryn Mawr College, Cal Poly SLO, Cal Poly Pomona, Cornell University, Miami University - Oxford, Michigan State University, MIT, NYU, Ohio State University, Rutgers University – New Brunswick, Temple University, University of Arizona, UC Davis, UC San Diego, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Virginia and the University of Washington.

So, what is Urban, Community and Regional Planning? It’s a major focused on creating livable, responsibly-financed, and environmentally healthy communities. Areas covered include transportation, economic development, housing, land-use regulations, infrastructure management, and preservation of parks and other open spaces.

Is this career/degree for you? You will likely enjoy this major if you also like: the outdoors; maps; architecture; history; running a group project; working with people; exploring cities and small towns; environmental and social causes; community service activities. The major will likely be a fit if you are good at: attention to detail; creativity; organizing; persuading/influencing; spacial thinking/analysis; teamwork… or have initiative; patience; verbal skills; writing skills.

Typical courses within this major at the undergraduate level include: Planning Theories; Planning Practice; Regional Studies; Technology of Urban Life; History of Cities; Urban and Landscape Design; Social Issues; Land Use Regulation & Law; Transportation Planning; Economic Development; Community Development; Housing; Environmental Planning; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Cartography; and Field/Design Projects.

The job of urban planner is quite complex, as you can probably ascertain from the diverse list of typical courses. Students in the field are exposed to many different and even competing facets and concerns within community development. The goal is to ensure fiscally, structurally, and environmentally sound and well contrived buildings, roads, open spaces, development space, community space, and more, within a single development or community.

Topics covered in this field of study cover things like: physical and environmental geography, urban studies, transportation, land use and real estate law, community development and economic development, mapping, statistics, economics, history, political science, and human geography. It’s a mouthful!

Beyond all of the coursework, which should also cover a number of formats: lecture, design courses, computer modeling courses, group decision-making training, and more. The teamwork will force students to tackle difficult questions, like: can a community learn to recycle, conserve resources, and protect wildlife? Are a community’s transportation systems appropriate for conditions anticipated in the next hundred years? How can a city upgrade the standard of living of its low-income residents? How can conflicts be resolved between developers and architectural preservation groups? How can volunteer groups, corporations, and governments work together to solve problems?

Within the study of Urban, Community and Regional Planning, there are several different paths students may take, including: Geography, Landscape Architecture, Public Administration. Planning programs tend to also have three distinct divisions within the major: urban planning, rural/regional planning, and environmental planning.

So many students speak of using their careers to make the world a better place. Strangely enough, the Urban, Community and Regional Planning major aims to create a career where you can conserve nature and help build a better world. Maybe you should look into it!

Career options for this major include: Land use planner; geographic information systems director; grant writer; housing coordinator; parks/open space planner; architect; or cartographer.

For more information on this field, please visit the following website:

http://www.planning.org