City & Regional Planning, MCP: Sustainable Transportation & Infrastructure
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.
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.
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 | |
| Sustainable Transportation & Infrastructure Requirements | ||
| 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 STIP-related course with permission of advisor | ||
| Total Course Units | 18 | |
Internship Requirement
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.
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 5500 | Introduction to Transportation 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 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.