City & Regional 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.
For more information: https://www.design.upenn.edu/city-regional-planning
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
Curriculum Requirements
A total of 18 course units are required for graduation. 15 course units must be in City Planning (CPLN) courses.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| CPLN 5000 | Introduction to City Planning: History, Theory and Practice 1 | 1 |
| CPLN 5010 | Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods 1 | 1 |
| CPLN 5020 | Urban Economics and Public Finance | 1 |
| or CPLN 5090 | Law of Planning and Urban Development | |
| CPLN 6000 | Studio I 1 | 2 |
| CPLN 7010 | Planning Studio (or other CPLN 70x0 Studio) | 2 |
| Spatial Analysis Requirement | ||
| CPLN 5030 | Modeling Geographical Objects 1 | 1 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 3 CPLN Electives (CPLN courses or with FMCP attribute) | 3 | |
| Select 2 to 3 General Electives (must be 5000-level or higher) 2 | 2-3 | |
| Concentration Requriements 3 | 4-5 | |
| Internship 4 | ||
| Total Course Units | 18 | |
- 1
CPLN 5000, 5010, and 5030 are prerequisites for CPLN 6000. An approved waiver or a passing grade is required in each of these courses before a student can begin CPLN 6000. Students who do not successfully complete one or more of the first semester foundation courses (CPLN 5000, CPLN 5010, and CPLN 5030) may be required to take a leave from the program until they can re-take these courses.
- 2
The Urban Design concentration requires 2 general elective credits instead of 3.
- 3
The Urban Design concentration requires 5 concentration credits instead of 4.
- 4
Because a planning education extends beyond the classroom, all MCP students are required to complete a planning internship, usually between their first and second years. Internships may be paid or unpaid, for at least six weeks. Internships can be completed at any government agency or commission, private consulting firm, or non-profit or advocacy organization involved in planning practice, or research.
Housing, Community and Economic Development
The Housing, Community and Economic Development concentration focuses on how planners and policy leaders influence the social and economic factors shaping metropolitan economies and urban neighborhoods, particularly low-wealth communities and communities of color. It prepares graduates for positions in housing, community and economic development finance, neighborhood revitalization, workforce development, center city re-development, and public sector management of urban and regional economic development.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CPLN 5200 | Introduction to Housing, Community and Economic Development | 1 |
| CPLN 7200 | Housing, Community and Economic Development Practicum | 1 |
| Theory/Methods Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Introduction to Property Development | ||
| Techniques of Urban Economic Development | ||
| Community Engagement for Planners, Policy Makers, and Designers | ||
| Concentration Electives | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Metropolitan Food System | ||
| The Carceral State | ||
| Race, Poverty and Place | ||
| Migration and Development | ||
| Housing, Community & Economic Development Topics Class | ||
| Downtown Development: Rethinking and Restructuring U.S. Downtowns | ||
Other HCE-related course with permission of advisor | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Land Use and Environmental Planning
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.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CPLN 5300 | Introduction to Land Use Planning | 1 |
| CPLN 5310 | Sustainability and Environmental Planning | 1 |
| Concentration Electives | ||
| Select two of the following: | 2 | |
| Site Planning | ||
| Innovations in Growth Management | ||
| Planning for Land Conservation | ||
| Climate Change: Plng for Mitigation and Adaptation | ||
| Water Policy | ||
| Sustainable Cities | ||
| Land Use and Environmental Modeling | ||
Other LEP-related course with permission of advisor | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Public and Private Development
Students in the Public & Private Development concentration will learn the planning, design, entrepreneurial, and financing principles of developing for-profit and community-oriented housing and commercial development projects; how to put together development proposals and plans that meet the needs of tenants, the marketplace, and the community; how to develop projects that are economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable; and how private developers can work in partnership with cities and towns, redevelopment agencies, non-profits, and community groups to create affordable housing and public-private development partnerships. These same skills and abilities will be widely valued outside the United States, especially in growing areas of Asia and South America.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CPLN 5400 | Introduction to Property Development | 1 |
| CPLN 6410 | Progressive Development | 1 |
| CPLN 6420 | Downtown Development: Rethinking and Restructuring U.S. Downtowns | 1 |
| Concentration Electives | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Site Planning | ||
| Techniques of Urban Economic Development | ||
| Design and Development | ||
| Housing Policy | ||
Other PPD-related course with permission of advisor | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Self Designed
All students in the MCP program must choose a concentration. In addition to choosing between the six concentrations (Housing, Community, and Economic Development; Land Use - Environmental Planning; Public Private Development; Smart Cities; Sustainable Transportation and Infrastructure Planning; and Urban Design), students may petition to design their own concentration.
Petitions for the self-designed concentration may not be submitted until October 1 during the first semester and must be submitted by August 1 before the second year begins. This means that students enter the MCP program enrolled in one of the standard six concentrations and complete that concentration's introductory course in the first semester.
The petition should be submitted directly to the Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning and include the following information:
- Rationale for designing a concentration rather than following an existing concentration;
- How the student's interests are better served by the self-designed concentration than they are by one of the existing concentrations;
- The logic behind how the proposed concentration and its courses cohere;
- The name of standing faculty member who has agreed to advise the self-designed concentration. (Note: standing faculty members are assistant, associate, and full professors, and associate and full professors of practice. Lecturers and other instructors are not able to advise self-designed concentrations.)
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Course | 1 | |
| Introduction to Housing, Community and Economic Development | ||
| Introduction to Land Use Planning | ||
| Introduction to Property Development | ||
| Introduction to Transportation Planning | ||
| Introduction to Smart Cities | ||
| Fundamentals of Urban Design | ||
| Methods Course | 1 | |
| Site Planning | ||
| Planning by Numbers | ||
| Introduction to Land Use Planning | ||
| Introduction to Property Development | ||
| Introduction to Graphics for Urban Design | ||
| Techniques of Urban Economic Development | ||
| Community Engagement for Planners, Policy Makers, and Designers | ||
| Statistical and Data Mining Methods for Urban Data Analysis | ||
| Land Use and Environmental Modeling | ||
| Select 2 CPLN Electives | 2 | |
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Smart Cities
Today's combination of portable-yet-powerful computing and communication devices and Internet-accessible "big data" are democratizing all aspects of urban planning and decision-making. In the process, these factors are transforming planners from central information gatekeepers into bottom-up enablers who are helping city dwellers take better advantage of the opportunities and richness of urban life. By giving constituents quick access to usable information, these new technologies are connecting planners, residents, businesses, and non-profits to make them smarter and more productive. The purpose of this concentration is to give MCP students the skills and abilities they will need to develop planning applications that seamlessly combine user-friendly data retrieval and modeling procedures with individual and collaborative urban planning and design tools.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CPLN 5910 | Introduction to Smart Cities | 1 |
| CPLN 5920 | Public Policy Analytics | 1 |
| or CPLN 6710 | Statistical and Data Mining Methods for Urban Data Analysis | |
| CPLN 5050 | Planning by Numbers | 1 |
| or CPLN 6710 | Statistical and Data Mining Methods for Urban Data Analysis | |
| Concentration Electives | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Sensing the City | ||
| Geospatial Data Science in Python | ||
| Land Use and Environmental Modeling | ||
| Java Script Programming for Planners and Designers | ||
| MUSA/Smart Cities Practicum | ||
Other SMT-related course with permission of advisor | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Sustainable Transportation and Infrastructure
This concentration explores the roles of transportation and other capital infrastructure systems in shaping urban and metropolitan development patterns in the U.S. and around the world. It focuses foremost on urban highway, public transit, and non-motorized transportation systems and their connections to sustainable, livable and economically-productive development forms; and secondly on water, energy, and communications infrastructure. It covers initial planning and development topics (such as right-of-way and system planning issues), linkages to urban and economic development issues (such as those surrounding high-speed rail), and ongoing finance and management topics such as pricing, equity of access, and value creation. Students who complete the Sustainable Transportation & Infrastructure Planning concentration work for local and municipal governments, for state highway departments and metropolitan transit operators, for transportation and infrastructure planning consultants, for system developers and utilities, and for policy and planning organizations advocating more sustainable transportation and development choices.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CPLN 5050 | Planning by Numbers | 1 |
| CPLN 5500 | Introduction to Transportation Planning | 1 |
| CPLN 6500 | Transportation Planning Methods | 1 |
| Concentration Electives | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| The Practice of Trans.Plng:Crafting Policies & Bldg. Infrastructure | ||
| Multimodal Transport | ||
| Advanced Transportation Seminar | ||
Other SMT-related course with permission of advisor | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Urban Design
The Urban Design concentration focuses on understanding the links between the physical form and structure of cities and regions and the economic, social and political forces that shape them. It provides knowledge about alternative theories and methods for the physical improvement of urban places and includes courses in graphic communication, the history and theory of design, and the context and operation of development incentives and controls. Graduates from the Urban Design concentration typically work in local government or for private design firms developing urban design plans, neighborhood and district plans, public space and street plans, and, increasingly, plans for new communities.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CPLN 6600 | Fundamentals of Urban Design | 2 |
| CPLN 5040 | Site Planning | 1 |
| CPLN 7600 | Urban Design Capstone Studio | 2 |
| Other UDE-related course with permission of advisor | 1 | |
| Total Course Units | 6 | |
Housing, Community and Economic Development
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| CPLN 5000 | Introduction to City Planning: History, Theory and Practice | 1 |
| CPLN 5010 | Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods | 1 |
| CPLN 5030 | Modeling Geographical Objects | 1 |
| CPLN 5200 | Introduction to Housing, Community and Economic Development (Concentration Requirement #1) | 1 |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 6000 | Studio I | 2 |
| Concentration Requirement 2 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 General Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CPLN 7010 | Planning Studio (or other 70x0 Planning Studio) | 2 |
| CPLN 5020 | Urban Economics and Public Finance (or General Elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 2 | 1 | |
| Choose 1 General Elective 1, 2 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 5090 | Law of Planning and Urban Development (or General elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 2 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 General Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 18.00 | |
- 1
Electives must be 5000-level or higher. Undergraduate courses do not count towards CPLN degree requirements. Only 3 non-CPLN courses may be counted towards the degree; students must have 15 CUs under the CPLN subject heading.
- 2
The scheduling of concentration courses and general electives is flexible and can be taken in the order that best works for the student. Note that some requirements are only offered in Fall or Spring and registration should be planned accordingly.
- 3
Students must take either CPLN 5090 (only offered in the Fall) or CPLN 5020 (only offered in the Spring). In the term when not registered for this requirement, register for a general elective.
Land Use and Environmental Planning
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| CPLN 5000 | Introduction to City Planning: History, Theory and Practice | 1 |
| CPLN 5010 | Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods | 1 |
| CPLN 5030 | Modeling Geographical Objects | 1 |
| CPLN 5300 | Introduction to Land Use Planning | 1 |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 6000 | Studio I | 2 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CPLN 7010 | Planning Studio (or other 70x0 Planning Studio) | 2 |
| CPLN 5020 | Urban Economics and Public Finance (or Elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 1 Elective 1, 2 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 5090 | Law of Planning and Urban Development (or Elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 18.00 | |
- 1
The scheduling of concentration courses and general electives is flexible and can be taken in the order that best works for the student. Note that some requirements are only offered in Fall or Spring and registration should be planned accordingly.
- 2
Electives must be 5000-level or higher. Undergraduate courses do not count towards CPLN degree requirements. Only 3 non-CPLN courses may be counted towards the degree; students must have 15 CUs under the CPLN subject heading.
- 3
Students must take either CPLN 5090 (only offered in the Fall) or CPLN 5020 (only offered in the Spring). In the term when not registered for this requirement, register for a general elective.
Public and Private Development
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| CPLN 5000 | Introduction to City Planning: History, Theory and Practice | 1 |
| CPLN 5010 | Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods | 1 |
| CPLN 5030 | Modeling Geographical Objects | 1 |
| CPLN 5400 | Introduction to Property Development | 1 |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 6000 | Studio I | 2 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CPLN 7010 | Planning Studio (or other 70x0 Planning Studio) | 2 |
| CPLN 5020 | Urban Economics and Public Finance (or Elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 1 Elective 1, 2 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 5090 | Law of Planning and Urban Development (or Elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 18.00 | |
- 1
The scheduling of concentration courses and general electives is flexible and can be taken in the order that best works for the student. Note that some requirements are only offered in Fall or Spring and registration should be planned accordingly.
- 2
Electives must be 5000-level or higher. Undergraduate courses do not count towards CPLN degree requirements. Only 3 non-CPLN courses may be counted towards the degree; students must have 15 CUs under the CPLN subject heading.
- 3
Students must take either CPLN 5090 (only offered in the Fall) or CPLN 5020 (only offered in the Spring). In the term when not registered for this requirement, register for a general elective.
Self Designed
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| CPLN 5000 | Introduction to City Planning: History, Theory and Practice | 1 |
| CPLN 5010 | Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods | 1 |
| CPLN 5030 | Modeling Geographical Objects | 1 |
| CPLN 5200 | Introduction to Housing, Community and Economic Development (Concentration Requirement #1) | 1 |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 6000 | Studio I | 2 |
| Concentration Requirement 2 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 General Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CPLN 7010 | Planning Studio (or other 70x0 Planning Studio) | 2 |
| CPLN 5020 | Urban Economics and Public Finance (or General Elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 2 | 1 | |
| Choose 1 General Elective 1, 2 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 5090 | Law of Planning and Urban Development (or General elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 2 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 General Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 18.00 | |
- 1
Electives must be 5000-level or higher. Undergraduate courses do not count towards CPLN degree requirements. Only 3 non-CPLN courses may be counted towards the degree; students must have 15 CUs under the CPLN subject heading.
- 2
The scheduling of concentration courses and general electives is flexible and can be taken in the order that best works for the student. Note that some requirements are only offered in Fall or Spring and registration should be planned accordingly.
- 3
Students must take either CPLN 5090 (only offered in the Fall) or CPLN 5020 (only offered in the Spring). In the term when not registered for this requirement, register for a general elective.
Smart Cities
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| CPLN 5000 | Introduction to City Planning: History, Theory and Practice | 1 |
| CPLN 5010 | Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods | 1 |
| CPLN 5030 | Modeling Geographical Objects | 1 |
| CPLN 5400 | Introduction to Property Development | 1 |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 6000 | Studio I | 2 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CPLN 7010 | Planning Studio (or other 70x0 Planning Studio) | 2 |
| CPLN 5020 | Urban Economics and Public Finance (or Elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 1 Elective 1, 2 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 5090 | Law of Planning and Urban Development (or Elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 18.00 | |
- 1
The scheduling of concentration courses and general electives is flexible and can be taken in the order that best works for the student. Note that some requirements are only offered in Fall or Spring and registration should be planned accordingly.
- 2
Electives must be 5000-level or higher. Undergraduate courses do not count towards CPLN degree requirements. Only 3 non-CPLN courses may be counted towards the degree; students must have 15 CUs under the CPLN subject heading.
- 3
Students must take either CPLN 5090 (only offered in the Fall) or CPLN 5020 (only offered in the Spring). In the term when not registered for this requirement, register for a general elective.
Sustainable Transportation and Infrastructure
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| CPLN 5000 | Introduction to City Planning: History, Theory and Practice | 1 |
| CPLN 5010 | Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods | 1 |
| CPLN 5030 | Modeling Geographical Objects | 1 |
| CPLN 5400 | Introduction to Property Development | 1 |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 6000 | Studio I | 2 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CPLN 7010 | Planning Studio (or other 70x0 Planning Studio) | 2 |
| CPLN 5020 | Urban Economics and Public Finance (or Elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 1 Elective 1, 2 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 5090 | Law of Planning and Urban Development (or Elective at 5000-level or higher) 3 | 1 |
| Concentration Requirement 1 | 1 | |
| Choose 2 Electives 1, 2 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 18.00 | |
- 1
The scheduling of concentration courses and general electives is flexible and can be taken in the order that best works for the student. Note that some requirements are only offered in Fall or Spring and registration should be planned accordingly.
- 2
Electives must be 5000-level or higher. Undergraduate courses do not count towards CPLN degree requirements. Only 3 non-CPLN courses may be counted towards the degree; students must have 15 CUs under the CPLN subject heading.
- 3
Students must take either CPLN 5090 (only offered in the Fall) or CPLN 5020 (only offered in the Spring). In the term when not registered for this requirement, register for a general elective.
Urban Design
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| CPLN 5000 | Introduction to City Planning: History, Theory and Practice | 1 |
| CPLN 5010 | Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods | 1 |
| CPLN 5030 | Modeling Geographical Objects | 1 |
| CPLN 6600 | Fundamentals of Urban Design | 2 |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 6000 | Studio I | 2 |
| CPLN 5040 | Site Planning (or Elective) | 1 |
| Choose 1 Elective 1 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CPLN 5020 | Urban Economics and Public Finance (or Elective) 2 | 1 |
| CPLN 7010 | Planning Studio (or other 70x0 Planning Studio) | 2 |
| Choose 2 Electives 1 | 2 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPLN 5090 | Law of Planning and Urban Development (or Elective) 2 | 1 |
| CPLN 7600 | Urban Design Capstone Studio | 2 |
| Choose 1 Elective 1 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 18.00 | |
- 1
Electives must be 5000-level or higher. Undergraduate courses do not count towards CPLN degree requirements. Only 3 non-CPLN courses may be counted towards the degree; students must have 15 CUs under the CPLN subject heading.
- 2
Students must take either CPLN 5090 (only offered in the Fall) or CPLN 5020 (only offered in the Spring). In the term when not registered for this requirement, register for a general elective.