City & Regional Planning, MCP: Smart Cities
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.
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.
For more information: https://www.design.upenn.edu/city-regional-planning
Curriculum
A total of 18 course units are required for graduation. 15 course units must be in City Planning (CPLN) courses.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| City & Regional Planning Requirements | ||
| Core Requirements | ||
| CPLN 5000 | Introduction to City Planning: History, Theory and Practice | 1 |
| CPLN 5010 | Quantitative Planning Analysis Methods | 1 |
| CPLN 5020 | Urban Economics and Public Finance | 1 |
| or CPLN 5090 | Law of Planning and Urban Development | |
| CPLN 6000 | Studio I | 2 |
| CPLN 7010 | Planning Studio (or other CPLN 70x0 Studio) | 2 |
| Spatial Analysis Requirement | ||
| CPLN 5030 | Modeling Geographical Objects | 1 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 3 CPLN Electives (CPLN courses or with FMCP attribute) | 3 | |
| Select 3 General Electives (must be 5000-level or higher) | 3 | |
| Smart Cities Requirements | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| CPLN 5910 | Introduction to Smart Cities | 1 |
| CPLN 5920 | Public Policy Analytics | 1 |
| CPLN 5050 | Planning by Numbers 2 | 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 | 18 | |
- 1
Smart Cities students who take this course in place of CPLN 5030 in the core must take an additional Smart Cities elective.
Internship Requirement
Plan of Study
Standard Course of Study
| 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 5910 | Introduction to Smart Cities | 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 5020 (only offered in the Fall) or CPLN 5090 (only offered in the Spring). In the term when not registered for this requirement, register for a general elective.
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.