Shaping Cities and Regions for Generations to Come
Are you captivated by cities, curious about the factors that shape lives, inspired to address social justice and create positive change? Are you interested in a career that helps shape a better urban future for all?
Our program offers pathways to working in urban planning, policy and design, city sustainability and climate change, urban data science, real estate and urban development, and on issues of city life and inequality.
In the Urban and Regional Studies program you'll explore the urgent environmental, social, political, and economic issues that influence contexts in the United States and the wider world. We will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to unpack the complex stories that define cities and regions and to navigate the challenges and opportunities they present.
How do we shape inclusive, sustainable, and equitable futures that reflect the diverse needs and aspirations of people around the world? From Brooklyn to New Delhi, Sao Paulo to Shanghai, you will grapple with these critical issues and questions from the street level to the neighborhood and at regional and city scales across the globe.
Understanding patterns of socio-economic and environmental inequality across different areas of policy, history, and geography drives the focus of our program. We believe in the power of analysis and explanation, which will enable you to engage the various perspectives that have shaped city and regional histories, dynamics, and trajectories. You will gain insights into a mix of factors, such as global climate change, neighborhood change, and mobility, that contribute to the formation of urban spaces and their impact on individuals and communities.
Our curriculum is crafted to foster your ability to do theoretical, practical, and engaged work. We recognize that every place, person, and institution has a story to tell and value the power of storytelling. You will learn to read, contextualize, and integrate knowledge from diverse sources to navigate the layered terrain of urban studies. Our courses emphasize social science reasoning through quantitative, qualitative, spatial, visual, and collaborative methods. Hands-on learning and engagement with communities and in urban spaces beyond the classroom will help you develop the skills necessary to understand and theorize the diverse social, economic, and political dimensions that shape cities and regions.
If you are ready to walk the streets, unravel the complex histories and dynamics of cities, and become an agent of change, our Urban and Regional Studies program will equip you with the knowledge and skills to translate the urban experience into better cities and regions for future generations to thrive.
