Department of City and
Regional Planning
Students visit Salamanca, New York, a city within the Allegany Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians, to collaborate with community stakeholders across cultural and design perspectives. Anson Wigner / AAP
The Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP) is home to leading programs in planning, regional science, historic preservation planning, and urban and regional studies.
Cornell University has been offering coursework in city and regional planning since 1935, and offering degrees in planning since the 1940s. Over the decades, distinguished alumni and faculty have played an extraordinary role in shaping communities worldwide. Today, CRP is a vibrant home to students and faculty from across the globe undertaking cutting-edge research and engaged practice aimed at advancing the discipline and changing the world.
CRP offers an undergraduate degree in urban and regional studies, and both master's and doctoral degrees in regional planning, historic preservation planning, and regional science. With the multicollege Paul Rubacha Department of Real Estate, jointly led by AAP and the SC Johnson College of Business, CRP also offers dual master's degrees in regional planning and real estate through the Baker Program in Real Estate. Our students can take courses in CRP programs in Ithaca, New York City, and Rome; and pursue their research around the world. As a unit within a New York State land-grant institution, we are by nature deeply engaged with communities locally, regionally, and beyond.
Photo of the day

2023 was a banner year for the regional science doctoral program. Pictured are Ph.D. candidates and graduates with city and regional planning professors. From left to right Yating Ru (Ph.D. RS '24), Carlos Mesa-Guerra (Ph.D. RS '22), Xiaozhong Sun (Ph.D. RS '23), Professor John Carruthers, Professor Nancy Brooks, Professor Emeritus Kieran Donaghy, and Hanxue Wei (Ph.D. RS '23). image / Nancy Brooks
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MAY 20, 2023
HPP and M.R.P. Students Travel to Philadelphia for Work Weekend
Students participated in landscape restoration work at the historic Lynnewood Hall in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.
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APRIL 20, 2023
Students Travel to Shanghai for Urban Planning Field Workshop
Five students in CRP 5076, Contemporary Urban Planning Issues in Shanghai, and CRP Associate Professor of the Practice George Frantz traveled to Shanghai over spring break and share highlights of their experiences.
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APRIL 18, 2023
Ithaca: The City Almost Everyone Can't Wait to Leave
A write-up by Stella Frank (B.S. URS '25) voted as the top blog post by her peers in CRP 1101: The Global City taught by Professor Victoria Beard.
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Monday, August 21, 2023
Gaining Ground, Looking Forward: Fall 2023 Semester Highlights at AAP
The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) kicks off the semester energized by the addition of new leadership and faculty, advances across the departments, and exciting opportunities presented by innovative courses, cross-disciplinary initiatives, and special events.
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Tuesday, July 25, 2023
New Leadership and Faculty Join AAP
The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning announces new leadership and faculty ahead of the fall 2023 semester.
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Wu Unveils Plans to Revamp Boston's Decades-Old Rules for What Can Be Built Where
The Boston Globe: The overhaul will be guided by a report from CRP Professor Sara C. Bronin, founder of the National Zoning Atlas project, which suggests reversing the city’s neighborhood-specific zoning and culling the code to 500 pages, creating a mixed-use zoning district, and emphasizing growth and additional housing near MBTA stations.
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
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MapLab: The Zoning Data Revolution is Here
Bloomberg CityLab: The report explores how initiatives such as the National Zoning Atlas led by CRP Professor Sara Bronin make zoning data more accessible, empowering reformers concerned about inequality and barriers to housing.
Thursday, August 31, 2023
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Climate Refuges + Property Rights and Adaptation + NOAA's NEST Program + more with Dr. Linda Shi
America Adapts: Hear a wide-ranging conversation covering many aspects of climate adaptation featuring CRP Assistant Professor Linda Shi.
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
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NJ Transit's "Most Outstanding" Award Surprises Some Frustrated Riders, Despite Successes
Courier-Post: CRP Assistant Professor Nicolas Klein comments on why it's possible that NJ Transit has made significant achievements while still letting down some commuters.
Monday, August 28, 2023
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Monday, September 11, 2023
Intermunicipal Cooperation and Agreement Formalization
Mildred Warner
CRP Professor Mildred Warner has coauthored a paper in the Journal of Economic Policy Reform that investigates the effect formalization of cooperation agreements has on the cost of service delivery across NYS local governments.
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Friday, July 14, 2023
Planning for Climate Transformations
Linda Shi
This special issue of the Journal of Planning Literature invites scholars to consider how planning research can inform transformative climate initiatives and how planning itself needs to evolve to better support climate transformation.
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Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Report Highlights Zoning Reforms that Could Improve Montana's Housing Supply
Sara Bronin
The Frontier Institute has released The Montana Zoning Atlas 2.0, part of the National Zoning Atlas project led by CRP Professor Sara Bronin, which advocates for bold, pro-housing reforms on a statewide scale, The Center Square reports.
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Thursday, September 28, 2023
CRP Alumni Reception in New York City
Hear college and the Department of City and Regional Planning updates and meet first-year master's students.
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Friday, October 6, 2023
Danielle Arigoni: Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation
Attend a lecture exploring the impacts of climate change on people over 65 and the need for community-scale solutions to reduce the risk for all.
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Thursday, October 12, 2023
City and Regional Planning Virtual Graduate Information Session
Take a whirlwind tour of the Master of Regional Planning (M.R.P.), M.A. in Historic Preservation Planning, and Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning programs.
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Friday, November 10, 2023
City and Regional Planning In-Person Graduate Information Session
Join Cornell's Department of City and Regional Planning for a whirlwind tour of the Master of Regional Planning (M.R.P.), M.A. in Historic Preservation Planning, and Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning programs.