Urban Planning

Cities around the world are facing growing pressures from climate change, rising sea levels, population growth and economic change. To deal with these social, environmental and economic challenges, we need to rethink how our cities are planned and developed.

By studying Urban Planning, you’ll be well placed to help shape the places we live in for future generations. Our course has been developed with leading planning practitioners, so you’ll gain up‑to‑date skills and knowledge for a career in this field.

A key strength of the course is its focus on digital and data skills, which are increasingly important for planning smart cities and are highly valued by employers. These skills will give you new ways to understand, design and adapt cities.

The course includes practical, hands‑on learning through live case studies and other activities that help you link theory to real‑world planning and design. You’ll explore how cities have developed over time and be encouraged to imagine healthier, more vibrant, sustainable and safer futures. You will also look at how planners can guide technological change and make the most of smart‑city innovations to improve urban environments.

Urban Planning is a multidisciplinary subject, and you will benefit from studying within the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering. This integrated approach gives you experience of working in interdisciplinary teams with students from across the School. This mirrors the way planners work in real development projects and helps prepare you for your future career.

Students normally take part in several field trips each year. These trips are an exciting and valuable way to see planning in action and explore real‑world examples.

What's the difference between BSc and MPlan?

BSc and MPlan students study the same course for the first three years. If you start on the BSc, you can transfer to the MPlan up to the end of your second year, as long as you meet the progression requirements.

Both courses give you a broad understanding of the main principles of spatial planning and placemaking and provide a strong foundation for a successful career in planning.

The MPlan allows you to explore specialist areas of planning in more depth. This includes a major integrated planning project, and you can choose from specialist topics such as transport planning, infrastructure planning or advanced analysis for smart cities.

Course Modules

For a full list of areas studied, see the 'Course structure' section of the course page on our website.

Students are assessed through a combination of individual and group work, such as reports, presentations, examination, and design-based project work. Approximately 75% of assessment will be by coursework with 25% by examination.